RoboCop is a satirical sci-fi action thriller directed by Paul Verhoeven, in which murdered police officer Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) is resurrected as “the future of law enforcement”. It has gone on to spawn several sequels, video games, a television series, and a remake.
Classification Issues
- Violence
- The film features several scenes of strong violence, including bloody shootings and one gory scene in which a man’s flesh appears to melt after he is exposed to toxic waste.
- Additional issues
- Other issues include strong language (‘f**k’, ‘c**ksucker’), drug misuse, and brief sexual threat.
Classification history
The BBFC first viewed RoboCop in August 1987, in a version that had been pre-cut by the distributor to achieve an R rating in the United States.
The film’s strong comic-book influence was recognised, with one Examiner describing it as “Marvel Comic’s IRON MAN meets THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN meets JUDGE DREDD”. In classification terms, the violence and gore, in combination with scenes of drug misuse, pushed the film clearly into the 18 category in 1987.
The memorable scene in which Murphy meets his grisly end at the hands of the film’s villain and his crew was carefully considered, with one Examiner noting that the duration of the scene and its “concentration on pain” suggested that cuts may be required. However, the clear delineation of heroes and villains, and the fact that Murphy ultimately 'survives' the attack, was felt to mitigate the horror of the scene.
There were also doubts about a later scene featuring the toxic, melting death of one of the villain’s henchmen, as it seemed “nauseating” and “cruel”. However, Examiners felt that the excessive gore went "so far as to become semi-comic", which meant that cuts were not deemed necessary. A scene of attempted rape was also noted, but its brevity combined with swift retribution, courtesy of RoboCop, was considered to make the scene acceptable.
Overall, the Examiners agreed that the “slightly offbeat and tongue-in-cheek” tone of the film served “to ameliorate the loving care and attention with which Verhoeven treats the violence”.
RoboCop was passed 18 uncut for theatrical release, and all subsequent home entertainment releases have been classified at the same level – including versions which restore the material cut to achieve an R rating in the States.
