Lay down your pitchforks. Extinguish your torches. José Padilha’s RoboCop reboot is most definitely not the disaster we expected (and perhaps even hoped for).

A philosophical twist on the original story proves to be the film’s trump card, transforming RoboCop from a Daleky Judge Dredd into the parable of Frankenstein for the iPad generation.

Yet it cannot overcome its castrating classification. Too often scenes feel like crocodiles snapping with fewer fangs than they deserve.

Take this film as it comes, and try not to compare it too much with its older brother. RoboCop isn’t prejudiced, and nor should you be.

Opting for sleek over Verhoeven’s splatter, RoboCop (2014) earns its existence by being an updated and smart take on the law-enforcing Tin Man’s story. A reboot with a real kick.

RATING: 4/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, Abbie Cornish, Michael K. Williams, Jackie Earle Haley, Jay Baruchel

DIRECTOR: José Padilha

WRITERS: Joshua Zetumer 

SYNOPSIS: In the not-too-distant future, a critically-injured cop becomes the centre of an experiment in robotic engineering conducted by a sinister corporation.