Robocop 2 (1990) **

Peter Weller returns as the low rent Terminator in Robocop 2, the mediocre sequel to the 1987 action film. This time our hero is on the trail of the source of a new drug called Nuke. Meanwhile OCP (the company that built Robocop) plan on manuevering their contract with the city into total ownership and creation of a mechanic utopia. Eventually both plots cross paths.

Robocop 2 was directed by Irvin Kershner based on a story and screenplay by Frank Miller. With a combo like that you figure the film would be a great action piece with some actual character development dealt in. You get anything but in this film. Most characters tend to be standard rehashes of the ones in the original film with the one notable exception being the young foul mouthed boy who seems to be the most ruthless of them all. Otherwise you saw it all in the first film. I was intrigued by a sub plot about Robocop stalking his widowed wife, but that runs it course in the first ten minutes. An interesting plot stonewalls into a remake.

The special effects were very disappointing. Most look like a Robotech figure with an aluminum foil covered G.I. Joe riding on its back. There are interesting computer graphics, but they're used on one of the most ridiculous looking robots ever seen. And he fires for five to ten minutes without reloading his ammo. And another thing- you would think after the big failure of a robot in the first film they would not give him in ammo in its demonstration. Oh yeah, he needs to shoot the place up for the big battle.

Robocop 2 was entertaining in a mush brain sort of way. You know it's not a good movie, but damn it I love to see stuff blow up. Bang.