Robocop 2: The Movie That Was Too Wild For Its Own Good? 

Robocop 2, Die Hard 2, and Predator 2 are what I refer to as the holy sequel trilogy. These were loud, mean spirited, foul mouthed, ultra violent over the top unnecessary sequels that are top tier guilty pleasures.

Robocop 2 is very goofy but also very sadistic. The Kane robot is a masterpiece of practical effects.

Robocop 2 is honestly my favorite. It's not as personal or focused as the first one, and the big tragedy is just how close it is to being on that level, the set up is there, his wife still wanting to cling to the idea that he's alive, the over bearing directives, and the police strike all could have come together in the 3rd act to make the already outstanding fight with Cain (already in my opinion one of the best fights in the 80s and 90s in general, like top 5 easily) not just spectacular but emotionally satisfying. That said, I think this movie is overlooked because people wanted another story about Murphys inner struggle, but what people ignore is just how excellent the world building is. Robocop isn't the main character, Detroit itself is. Every avenue of this world is explored here, from neglected children, to unfairly treated cops, to good people turned bad, to the corporate overlords who instigated all of this to begin with. Every level of Detroits economic and social hierarchy is on display here and it makes the movie feel very fleshed out in terms of world building. Finally, I wholeheartedly disagree about Hobbs. I think he's an excellent character who fits in perfectly here. Granted, you have to accept the suspension of disbelief that a 12 year old could become a criminal mastermind, but it fits in this universe, at least to me. The tragedy of his character is that he's insanely smart and talented, with charisma (for a kid) and business savvy way beyond his years. He could have been anything he wanted, but he somehow ended up in the most dangerous and illegal profession there is. The part that is supposed to be scary is that he likes it, the violence, the money, and the manipulation. That's why I think he's an outstanding character who fits extremely well in this dark Detroit they've set up. Also, RoboCain is just a near perfect design. I don't care if he's not structurally sound, he looks amazing and they utilize so many crazy powers of his. Such a good movie if you can ignore some silliness.

The part when the 2nd failed Robocop 2 takes off its helmet and screams and falls outta frame still makes me laugh to this day.

RoboCop 2 is the ultimate meta movie, in that it’s all about how it would be impossible to make a RoboCop 2. If you watch it from that point of view, it is absolutely ingenious. Think about it - they keep trying to make a second RoboCop, but can’t figure out what made the first one work so well. They also acknowledge how stupid it would be to try to make it more kid-friendly.

As a kid I LOVED 2 more than the first. The first was an incredible story; the second was like playing with action figures lol.

I've watched this movie at least as many times as I've watched T2. The Hobb character was genius. He really showed the depravity of Cain and enhanced him as a villain. You actually feel sorry for Hobb if you have any imagination as to how grooming works and how kids are blank slates that can be turned good or rotten by their environment. I used to love the crazy comic book feel to the story, and now we live in a world similar to it in regards to how bonkers everything is now.

I have always found Robocop 2 to be hugely underrated. I think it was just due to action movie fatigue. Sure it didn't have the underlying theme's of the first movie which made it a classic... it was still a great action flick that delivered on all the actiony parts that made the first movie so popular.

I don’t care what anyone says, this sequel will always have a special place in my heart. Love this movie!

RoboCop 2 is an allegory for the treatment of the RoboCop IP. The new directives are the studio interference to market RoboCop to kids. Hobb is the children RoboCop is being marketed to. The villain of the movie is literally called RoboCop 2.

Robocain was and will always be just over the top awesomeness in both design and sheer screen presence.

I would pay to see the original version of the movie where Robocop was supposed to get damaged at the beginning and wakes up even farther into the future

That brain surgery and robotic enhancement of unwilling people are the most terrifying movie sequences I have ever scene. Its like The Men behind the Sun

As a kid, I liked the first Robocop, but LOVED the second one. That Kane cyborg was just awesome.

Robocop 2 is a masterpiece, compared to Robocop 3.

This movie is most definitely a guilty pleasure for me. It also starred in live-action Mr. Burns and Smithers.

Regardless of other aspects, I love the design of the Cain robot.

As a kid I liked both Robocop and Robocop 2 equally, though I probably shouldn't have been watching either. They certainly left an impression on my young mind, as I used to have nightmares of being chased through a massive building by ED 209. That thing was terrifying when it wasn't falling down stairs.

If you saw Robocop 2 as a kid, Hobbs was the coolest character in the movie. Lol And I like it just as much as the original. It's not as good but it's not nearly that bad.

The part when OCP uses a focus group to "reprogram" Robocop, that to me, was a very believable scenario. I know a lot of people hated that part, I did too. But I could see an entire Robocop movie based on that premise being successful, if done better.

Back in the day this seemed so violent and I remember a DJ on the radio protesting about how violent this film was. I think having the sadistic kid somehow made it scarier. I watched it recently and it didn't seem that bad. The bit with the other failed robocops was a memorable scene.

I enjoyed the sequel and still watch it from time to time.. But the original will always be my favorite. I think it handled the more emotional aspects of the story a lot better.

Robocop 2 felt like it should have been a TV series. There were so many stories packed in that could have been an episode each.

I like Robocop 2 a lot. The first is better but 2 was still good in its own right. The failed Robocop replacement sequence never gets old to me. Or Robocop being so over programmed that he was shooting at a guy for smoking & reading miranda rights to a guy with a hole in his head. 😂

As was the case in Rambo, Terminator, Rocky, StarWars and Evil Dead, i always felt that the second picture was the very best in the series.

Robocop 2 is the one I watch the most. Cain was freaking terrifying. I used to have nightmares all the time about the scene in the warehouse where Cain comes and hunts everyone down. OCP as a stand-in the for the movie studios was a cool meta reference. Trying to make Robocop kid-friendly and letting someone from research (marketing) tinker with his programming. Also the Robocop suit is improved a great deal in this one. He actually has a proper metallic jaw instead of rubber like in the first one.

The second one is like an evil sibling to the first. Flick has a mean streak. I love it.

Half-baked or not I loved how Murphy tried to reconnect with his family and realized he can't go back to them. "They made this to honor him. Your husband is dead. I do not know you." ~Robocop

At least it didn't shy away from the action and violence. It kept the spirit of the first one. It's entertaining and that's the point. Also the scene where Kane stalks in the wearhouse is suspenseful and awesome.

One odd scene I always remember as a kid is that hot dog guy who looks like Richard Pryor while Robocop is chasing Kain on the motor bike. I always thought it was him but I found out it wasn't him when I look it up on the internet.

The only thing that I didn't like about the production (not movie) for Robocop 2 was the decision to film in Houston and not Dallas, like in the original. Even though some matte paintings were used, Dallas played a huge part in giving Robocop that cyberpunk feel, especially the night scenes. This was missing in the 2nd movie.

One of my favorite movies of all time. A masterpiece ❤

March 1998 ... this script was sent back from the future!!! I knew it was ahead of its time!

Is this a big goofy mess? Yes… and I love every minute of it

I love this film.The sequence where we first see Robo Kane in the dark warehouse is truly terrifying.

Robocop 2 Is my favorite. I loved Hob, his scenes were so funny. The third act was satisfying. All and all, a great followup to Robocop 1.

They go full comic book on this one and that's why I love it. Murphy realizes he's never going to be a family man anymore and just decides to be a good cop

One of my all-time favorite RoboCop moments is when Murphy is forced to face his wife after being told that he is nothing but OCP product. Separated by a chain-linked fence, Alex asks his wife to touch him. She reaches through the fence to place a trembling finger on his cheek. She pulls back in horror and whispers, "it's cold." In a stern voice, Murphy looks her dead in the eyes and says, "they made this to honor him. Your husband is dead." He then straightens up, and turns his back on her, "I don't know you," and he walks away leaving his wife is tears. HOLY CRAP!!! That was AMAZING!!! Chilling, haunting, and absolutely heart-breaking!! Then, that makes me think of the deleted scenes. RoboCop watching a female cop taking a shower, and realizing that he can no longer be the lover his wife needs. He can never touch and feel human skin again with his robot hands. Then you have the "nightmare" Robo has where after he visits the grave of Alex Murphy, he dreams of taking his own life by walking into a car-crusher at a junk yard. This is some pretty deep character stuff. I like a lot of the ideas that "RoboCop 2" presented. But, there was too much going on for one movie.

I thought Hob was an over the top ridiculous character in a good way. In a normal movie he would be terrible, but future Detroit is so messed up a 12 year old foul mouthed sociopathic gang leader is a natural fit for that sort of satirical dystopia.

LOL🤣😂 i like how in that news clip of ED-209 stuck in the pot hole, there's a dude waving in a tow truck to pick him up! 🤣 😂 seen this movie a dozen times or more since i was a kid but never noticed that little detail..

11:00 I feel like the stuff with the kid plays better today than at the time, probably because we're more jaded and cynical than in 1990. I think the core idea is pretty funny, and works well with the "80s excess gone horribly wrong" themes of Robo 1 + 2. Even his death scene plays like a SUPER dark parody of similar "deathbed regret" scenes.

Yeah 1 is better, but 2 is still pretty awesome. And I didn't find the kid annoying at all. I always thought he was a great character, and the actor did a fantastic job. The whole moral ambiguity of dealing with a "bad guy" who is a child is one of the more interesting ideas in this series. Obviously the character was a naturally intelligent and charming child who adapted to the horrible environment he was thrown into, and just doing his best. But in the end, as he's dying, we see that he is still just a child after all.

The final act would have been better if RoboCain had access to OCP records and knew about Murphy’s family and attacked them, to tie together with Murphy’s human side, biggest disappointment of movie for me was dropping the wife and son right at the beginning, was excited to see where that story went, unfortunately it went nowhere

I love robocop 2 it's really underrated and should definitely get more love

Hobb was a smart addition to the story. It plays into how crime knows no boundaries

I think Robocop 2 is just as good if not better than the original, it just has that thing that most other sequels wish they had. Personally i think it's way more violent than the first. And Cain being turned into that super menacing war robot, fuck that thing is scary. and then theres the sequence with the Robocop 2 versions, the ones that seem to hate their new existence, first one takes his helmet off with a screeching scream of pain and the other one shoots everyone that turned him into his "new" self and then off's himself as a last act.

i loved this movie, i was maybe a year or two younger than the kid in the movie when it came out. i thought it was awesome there was a kid in the movie that was a bad guy. back in the late 80's and early 90's even action and horror movies were movies meant for the whole family and it was common knowledge kids would love this kind of movie. they made multiple lines of robocop toys and games. i never seen that kid as something to aspire to though, or someone i could use as an example of why a bad behaviour is acceptable. i find it hilarious someone would think that. i will say though as cool as the 80's and 90's were, there was equally some really angry parents and politicians who wanted to blame everyone but themselves for why america was going downhill. it's like, you run the place, and let tv's raise your kids, but when they lash out due to neglect its like: "no clearly its whats on the tv thats the core of this issue".

I think Hob's death still had good emotional moment since it still taps into Murphy's humanity. You could argue that Hob was a product of society since it seems like Old Detroit was going to hell in a handbasket, but it also allowed Murphy to connect to his humanity and show remorse, even to someone like Hob. Being a father himself he wouldn't want to see a a kid die, especially as a result of being gunned down. That moment of him being there for Hob till the end even when they both knew he was done for was one of those few emotional scenes that made Robocop 2 worth watching; the other one was Murphy having to lie to his ex-wife even though you can see it hurt both of them emotionally.

I am a huge fan of ROBOCOP 2, loved it! Hated the 3rd one. I had subscriptions to Fangoria and Gorezone magazines and would like to add something from interviews from those mags. Apparently, Peter Weller was also very upset over the Hob's character and wanted it removed. They wouldn't bend and he would throw a fit. They said he threw lots of revised scripts across the room like they where frisbees. Regarding the RC2's excessive violence?,... pffft! C'mon now. Would you walk into a Rambo movie and say 'Gee,.. I sure hope Sylvester Stallone isn't as violent as in the other installments.' I want my Robocop movies to be violent and action packed. It is why the remake failed.

This movie taught me that a rolling stone is worth two in the bush

5:00 - that really sticks out as bizarre now. I remember RoboCop posters and merch was all over the place when I was at school yet I didn't see it till much later and was shocked how violent it was.

Always loved the writing and performances in this flick. Kershner was the king of sequels.

That little kid was evil. And the mayor was awesome.

It is a good movie and entertaining, but a lot of the plots and ideas go no where and seem to be abandoned pretty quick. The special effects are truly wonderful especially the kane robot. I took the day off school to go see this at the movies, Good times :)

I don't care what others say. I love Robocop 2 (1990) and Robocop: The Series (1994 - 1995) as much as the original masterpiece!

my favorite part of robocop 2 is where OCP acknowledges how they can't make robocop 2.

I loved part 2! I consider 1 and 2 the only really proper Robo tales in any medium outside of some of the old Marvel comics.

Orion's rush to make the sequel def hurt the resulting film. The RoboKane design was really awesome, but I wish we had gotten to see the Corporate Wars developed as the sequel.

I’ve still only ever seen the first one. I should probably check this one out eventually

Have always been a huge fan of Miller and the slightly 'off-kilter' darkness of his stories, characters and dialogue ~ so this film hit the mark for me.

RIP Irvin Kershner

The appearance of the super violent kid has Frank Miller written all over it. It was a theme in both Batman and Robocop vs Terminator comics, and Im sure more. I liked Robocop 2 as much as the first one. The ending was a bit abrupt though

So like most of us who grew up in the 80's and 90's, I loved the first Robocop and I actually bribed my cousin to take me to see Robocop 2 after I accidentally bought the comic book adaptation (I didn't read the title carefully, I just thought it was a new Robocop comic). Either way, I enjoyed it. I was just upset when I found out that the magnavolt car security system was just a movie prop instead of an actual product. I still want one of those.

I find this Robocop better than the original. Especially considering the feeling I felt when I watched 3 in the theaters. Robocop 3 focused more on Louis ( 12:14 ) and look how that turned out.

The only subsequent Robocop project that was able to recapture the lightning in a bottle the first movie caught is the 1994 live-action Robocop TV series. It was like a Robocop from a similar but alternate universe from the movie Robocop yet it captured the feel of that first movie better than anything else that came after it did. Adding the character Commander Cash (mostly as a cartoon merchandising gimmick, but played in live-action by Roddy Piper in 1 episode) and a new theme song from Joe Walsh helped carve out this series' own legendary place as part of the Robocop franchise.

The dismantled Robocop haunted me for a long time.

I loved Robo Cop 2 despite all the problems it had during production. I'm a sucker for sequels.....follow ups that everyone consider terrible.....I myself LOVE. Robo Cop 2 Gremlins 2 Ghost Busters 2 All touted as bad sequels.....I loved them all.

Here wer you from my man??? Accent is too familiar. 😂 Video was belta btw loved it keep it up! 🎥🎞👌👌🤖

Belinda Bauer was such a beauty back then.

Robocop 2 is underrated. The 1st is an unforgettable classic. The 3rd is rated PG13.

It was much too violent for those under age seventeen. But Robocop 2 was a wild ride indeed.

Out of the original Robocop trilogy, I enjoyed Robocop 2 more. It’s my favorite one. The villain scared a bit when I was a kid especially when his brain was in the jar, bit eerie. I give Robocop 2 8/10.

This movie is the 90’s incarnate. Over the top and awesome.

It’s been a minute since I’ve seen this one, but I always liked it. I liked the addition of Hob as well. I thought it made sense to add a kid to the drug gang because this was something that was happening in gangs then and still happens now. The youth of any area are easily susceptible to a quick dollar. So the added allure of rebelling against your parents is too strong and many young people find themselves in gangs. It makes a stronger message for RoboCop that as an almost will-less killing machine set out to stop crime, how can he achieve that goal against his most basic programming to protect children. It’s brilliant. And in the post-Reagan and the middle of the Bush dynasty in America, both the character’s inclusion and everyone’s reaction is apt. It’s like people have forgotten the Simpson’s Mrs. Lovejoy meme that is a satire of exactly what this movie is saying with Hob. Won’t someone please think of the children? Anyways…. I think the only part of RoboCop 2 that I feel falls flat is the lack of development for Tom Noonan’s character. We don’t really learn a whole lot about him as a man. Then he’s inside of an unstoppable killing machine and we don’t have any idea what that really would do to him. We just know “drugs bad” and this that it’s a bad decision putting him in there. And I think that’s where it misses the mark. If we are satirizing Reagan era politics here, why aren’t we coming for Nancy and her “just say no” dogma?

I always imagined that Hob was Cain's chosen successor, which is why he made him watch Duffy's torture to "harden" Hob and build a tolerance for violent stuff idk

The problem with anything that came after the original is they all ignore the fact that Murphy was on a journey to reclaim his humanity. We know he reclaimed it when he smiled and said, “Murphy” at the end. Every follow up made him a machine again.

I'd STILL buy that for a dollar !

To be honest... its my fav robocop. Well... the original is classic but... ah cmon its epic. No matter what anyone says. Its particularly dark and gritty, the environments... everything. But those (edit: satirical) advert breaks throughout the movie are hilarious stuff.

I remember finding my baby sitter nebulizer albuterol refills in his drawer as a kid and thinking it was “Nuke”. I renter being utterly disappointed and shocked in my mentor lol 😂

9:56 Linus Crime Tips

Should've just had Clarence's brain used for Robocop 2, and maybe have Hob be his son, or some other tie to Clarence or Dick Jones. It would've mirrored the revenge plot of the first and raise the stakes, as Murphy barely defeated a human Clarence.

It falls into that trap of a sequel trying to live up to the high bar set by the first. Robo Cain’s design is amazing. All the visual effects are great in this film. the two suicidal “prototypes “ , Torso Murphy & Cain are all excellent. The story writing is where is falters. It’s an enjoyable film and will always hold a place in my childhood. I would highly recommend the Robocop Rogue City Video game. It’s worth a play through just for the story.

Hobs was one of the best things about RoboCop 2. Its showed how morally bankrupt society was, where even kids weren't spared. His death pretty much nails the point in. I loved RoboCop 2,in the same way I loved Predator 2 too!

Kane's gang should've been like Clarence Boddicker's gang, under someone in OCP! OCP the corporation should've been the main antagonist of all the movies!!

I love Robocop 2, that and Return to Frogtown were the very first vhs tapes I ever owned, me and my girlfriend were watching it not too long ago and we laughed at how Detroit actually looks worse than it does in Robocop 2

I just love that I got to see this when I was 10yo, with a bunch of my friends at a trashy local theater that did not care at all about age restrictions. I went back alone later... and modeled my youth on Gabriel Damon's character from then till T2 came out a year later and I had to get Furlong's haircut. Robocop shot a kid! It was so lifelike!

Maybe I'm biased because I lived around where RoboCop 2 was being filmed (I was in elementary at the time) but RoboCop 2 is one my favorites and will always have a special place in my heart.

RoboCop vs RoboCain is one of the best movie fights EVER !!!

its a masterpiece compared too 3 and the reboot

Robocop 2 is criminally underrated in my book

ED209 use to terrify me as a kid.... still does actually

I just wish they focused more on the Murphy/Robocop conflict with his wife and the human element, I also wish they kept the soundtrack from the first film. I do agree that Hob was probably the worst part of the film and I didn’t even consider till you said it, it does offer a confusing and bad message to children who might’ve seen the film

Actually, that initial script sounds kinda cool!

that RoboCain pinchy hand when he's going to insert the nuke will never be not funny.

Robocop 2 isn't a mastepiece like the original film, but it is still a great action movie with some notable scenes. It has the atmosphere, incredible visuals and interesting characters. I also very apprecoate Hob - he is so absurd and comic-like, that you can't oversee this character. And yes, I know, that I'm an isolated case expressing such thoughts about him. Nevertheless I think Robocop 2 is an interesting approach with a superb ending scene. It sadly lacks the continuity of Robocop's character development and rapidly cuts a highly intriguing plot about Murphy's lost family life.

2 is a good movie despite retreading a lot of what made the first a great film. I didn't know people were so against the kid gangster. The Detroit depicted in the film is supposed to be an over the top dystopia. I always thought his character was fine in that framework.

As a kid, I liked it more than No.1 But as I'm not a kid anymore, it's clearly not as good. But it IS underrated.

Robocop 2 is a great film. The outlandish stuff is a response to a tough question “how do we make a sequel to robocop?” You try to turn it up to 11. I have a few problems with the film. the film’s tone did a 180 when the kid was dying in the truck…it’s a really weird undeserved moment. Also, Weller was right…the ending was just chopped off. Ok, Robocop says this and then the end. I think Porky Pig should have come out with a “That’s All Folks” sign and then drop curtain. There’s another weird moment that I didn’t catch until repeated viewings. Robocop is fighting Robocop 2 inside the building when they both fly out. Then Robocop 2 is fighting all the cops outside. Where is robocop? After a moment it is revealed that robocop is now taking cover behind a police car, watching? Lol. Rewatch it, it’s strange. An error in editing? Regardless, I think I’ve watched Robocop 2 more times than the original.

It's not as good as the first, but s lot of sequels aren't. But it doesn't always mean they're bad either. There's a lot of great world building here and a lot of it still feels like it fits with what the first film laid down. Most importantly, this movie is just fun. I kind of wish maybe the finale did something with a bit more intelligent creativity to it rather than just a robot fight. But you know what it's a pretty sweet robot fight, it has one of the best implementations of switching from stop motion effects to practical effects and actors all in the same scene/shot. That one shot where he jumps off of the top of the truck onto Kane RoboCop is seamless how it transitions from live actor to stop motion model.

Best Kid villian in any movie ever...he almost had it all 😂😂😂