Finally, we have a series of video games, which range from awful (Robocop 2003) to “Robocop vs Terminator”, winner of Electronic Gaming Monthly’s prestigious “Bloodiest game of 1993” award. There was also a range of tie-in comics, too many to possibly cover, but they were very hit and miss.

And now we have a new movie, a reboot/retelling. Direct by José Padilha and again rated PG-13, and again filmed in Pinewood Toronto Studios, initial news is good. It pays homage to the original without being slave to it, and carries on similar themes of gentrification, social satire and humanity, updating them for a modern audience.

Even though the quality of the stories swings wildly between terrible and amazing, the core concepts—the loss of humanity, transhumanism, corporate greed, and more—are all great and have led to some truly fantastic stories. As the original tagline proclaimed, “part-man, part-machine, all cop”,  Alex Murphy is an example of the best kind of cop, one who acts for the public good, even when the lines are blurry.

– Donal O’Connor