RoboCop 1987

In the not-too-distant future, Detroit’s once-thriving metropolis teeters on the brink of collapse, ravaged by financial ruin and unchecked criminality. In a desperate bid to restore order, the omnipotent corporation Omni Consumer Products (OCP) swoops in to take control of the police force, vowing to transform “Old Detroit” into the utopian wonderland of “Delta City”. However, recognizing that human law enforcement is woefully inadequate in stemming the tide of crime, OCP unleashes a series of innovative programs aimed at finding robotic replacements. One such initiative, the ED-209 enforcement droid, headed by senior president Dick Jones (Ronny Cox), spectacularly malfunctions during its demonstration, resulting in the gruesome death of a junior executive. In response, OCP’s Chairman (Dan O’Herlihy) opts for a cyborg program overseen by middle-ranking executive Bob Morton (Miguel Ferrer), dubbed “RoboCop”.

Meanwhile, veteran police officer Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) transfers to a new precinct in the decaying heart of Old Detroit, partnering with Anne Lewis (Nancy Allen). Their first patrol takes them on a high-stakes chase through an abandoned steel mill, pursued by a gang led by ruthless crime boss Clarence Boddicker (Kurtwood Smith). Tragedy strikes when Lewis is left unconscious, while Murphy’s team is ambushed and brutally murdered. Pronounced dead at the hospital, Murphy’s lifeless body is seized by OCP, who proceed to reanimate him as the first RoboCop.

With his new mechanical form, RoboCop proves an unstoppable force for justice, single-handedly taming much of the city’s violent crime, sparking concerns among the police force that they may soon be replaced. Unbeknownst to his human monitors, however, RoboCop still harbors fragmented memories of his former life as Murphy – fleeting glimpses of his wife and son, as well as a telltale spinning motion he performs before holstering his gun, a habit inherited from his days on the force. Lewis recognizes these mannerisms, prompting her to attempt to glean more information from RoboCop, but he remains cryptic and silent.

As RoboCop’s success reaches unprecedented heights, Morton is promoted to Vice President within OCP’s inner circle, fueling Jones’ resentment and envy. Unbeknownst to all, Boddicker – secretly in Jones’ employ – orchestrates the assassination of the young executive. A chance encounter with an armed gas station robbery by one of Boddicker’s men presents RoboCop with the opportunity to track down the crime lord to his seedy cocaine bunker. With a burst of kinetic energy, RoboCop storms into the facility, only to be met with Boddicker’s shocking revelation: he has been working in tandem with Dick Jones all along. The crime boss is subsequently apprehended, and RoboCop sets his sights on Jones, intent on bringing him to justice.

As tensions reach a boiling point during the confrontation with OCP executives, a shocking development sends shockwaves through RoboCop’s systems: the activation of his previously unknown Fourth Directive, prohibiting him from arresting or harming any senior executive. This unexpected constraint renders him temporarily incapacitated, leaving him vulnerable to attack. Enter ED-209, the deadly robotic enforcer dispatched by Jones to take down RoboCop. However, this behemoth is no match for the clever cyborg, who exploits its inability to navigate stairs and makes his escape.

In a desperate bid to crush the rebellion, Jones unleashes Boddicker’s gang from prison, arming them with high-tech weaponry capable of piercing RoboCop’s armor. As chaos erupts throughout the city due to the police strike, RoboCop finds himself beset on all sides by enemies. His former partner, Lewis, proves a stalwart ally, helping him fend off the attackers and ultimately routing the gang at the steel mill where he was recovering from injuries.

Meanwhile, back at OCP headquarters, RoboCop presents damning evidence of Jones’s involvement in Morton’s demise to the chairman. Jones seizes control of the situation, taking the chairman hostage and revealing his true colors. But RoboCop is not about to let him get away with it – he fires a warning shot that sends Jones tumbling through the window and to his death. In the aftermath, the OCP chairman commends RoboCop on his bravery and skill, before asking the question that has been weighing on everyone’s mind: what is his name? With a hint of irony, RoboCop responds, “Murphy.”