Part of finishing off this list of 100 essential superhero movies is bringing in my audience, and so when I got down to the last 20 movies, I decided that I would let you decide. And what better than to reach out to other movie critics and reviewers to let them argue the case for a superhero movie that they are a fan of and at the bottom of the post, there is a poll where you can vote whether or not you agree if it should be included in the 100 Essential Superhero Movies list. But I didn’t want them to have all the fun so today I will be defending the case for the original Paul Verhoeven Robocop.

I don’t think I have to try too hard to defend this as a great movie. It’s found its way into the Criterion Collection for goodness sake! The harder part of this argument is the question of whether or not Robocop is a superhero movie and not just a sci-fi/action movie. This movie shares a lot of similarities to a typical superhero origin story: there’s an accident which ultimately gives him superhuman abilities which he uses to fight for what’s right. At one point he also faces a foe which has superhuman abilities in ED-209. He has an iconic look to him which is similar to a superhero’s costume, and he even has a secret identity, as most of the general public knows him as Robocop and not Alex Murphy. And while it does take place in the future, it’s a very near vision of the future where things look mostly like they do today, only with the occasional futuristic flair. Even his origin story itself isn’t a far cry from the Punisher’s origin story.

I suppose I will say a little bit about the film itself. It’s got a lot of things going for it, there’s the classic revenge story as Alex Murphy goes after those who tried to kill him, there’s also a layer of mystery as he finds out what’s really going on behind the scenes of the company that created him, and there’s also a layer of social satire laid underneath it all. The action is a lot of fun, it’s great to see how well utilized the practical effects are done, especially in regards to Robocop’s look, both with and without the visor. It’s immensely quotable, and the villains are all very memorable. I loved this movie while I was younger and I still love it to this day. But it’s not up to me to decide, I need your opinion. If you think Robocop belongs in my list of 100 Essential Superhero Movies, make sure you vote “yes” in the poll just below. Until next time, this has been Bubbawheat for Flights, Tights, and Movie Nights.