ROBOCOP 3 (1993)

 

ROBOCOP 3, in comparison to the previous entry, is like a breath of fresh air, even though one of the credited scripters was again Frank Miller, this time credited alongside director Fred Dekker. Allegedly Miller created two scripts, either of which could have been used to make ROBOCOP 2. Thus, it’s merely a coincidence that the third Robo-film seems to place a greater emphasis on humanity once again—though it doesn’t begin to equal the dystopic pleasures of the first film.

Rip Torn replaced the late O’Herlihy as the new head of OCP, and this time the evil corporation seems content on owning only a particular section in Detroit, rather than the whole city. OCP partners with a Japanese mega-corporation with the idea of creating a new super-city within Detroit, but to do so, the evildoers must move all the indigent people out of their chosen site. This time OCP decides to rely on human resources, mercenaries called “Rehabs,” who round up poor people and get them out of the way, usually by surreptitiously killing them. One little girl named Nikko escapes the Rehabs’ ruthless raid, and falls in with a group of resistance fighters, led by Bertha (CCH Pounder).

OCP’s influence is so pervasive that the regular cops are sidelined by Rehab activity, though Robocop and his partner Lewis still patrol the streets. The Rehab leader McDaggett kills Lewis, and Robocop, prevented from retaliation by his programming, only survives thanks to the help of the Resistance. The hero’s injuries are treated by a police department scientist with the fitting name of Lazarus, and eventually Robocop is given the ability to battle the Rehabs and save the disenfranchised people of Detroit.

The goodguy characters in ROBOCOP 3 are at least appealing on the base level, though none are especially memorable. The best is Nikko, a tech-head kid, has a fascination with Robocop reminiscent of the affection children showed for the Frankenstein Monster in the Universal series. On the downside, OCP’s Japanese partners send a couple of ninja-cyborgs to aid the Rehabs. Robocop faces one of these human-looking mechanical men and just barely defeats it, with the fight almost becoming comic as the ninja easily scores hits on the slow-moving robot-hero. After the defeat of McDaggett, it’s loosely implied that OCP’s corporate tyranny will be ended, though this seems to be something of a toss-off rather than a logical development. Despite #3 being at least fair compared to the execrable #2, #3 tanked at the box office and so was the last of the film-franchise for that period.