Part 2: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-gt8pHc5rrXo.htmlsi=iixRVa8JpeShOjAe My Robocop Playlist: ru-vid.com/group/PLSrUznvpyAx3gyR4bfYnomuCGOYNRonzb Support me on Patreon: patreon.com/underthemayo Mayo merch here! teespring.com/stores/underthemayo RU-vid Memberships to my channel now available, click the "Join" button. Follow me on Twitch at twitch.tv/underthemayo
i watched it recently. was quite good even that A a bunch of hackers redo robocop with "top notch" technology, even that robocop keeps beeing same old same old robocop, just more efficient? same 80's internal graphics but better cpu = faster reflects? even that is a brain thing? not to mention the final battle is part missiles demolishing the OCP building + a digital/virtual enemy the hackers needs to defeat... hacking the AI to destroy it. cause somewhere down the line skynet jump franchises after the terminator one got screwed and decided that OCP needed a skynet to rule over all those morons of ED 209 scattered around.
It would have been interesting if a cop like Lewis broke a law in order to protect a citizen or an OCP coverup and Murphey had to fight his programming in Upholding the Law.
This is lovely. I can't tell you how personally gratifying it is to see such a thoughtful, deep-dive critique of something I wrote two decades ago (that's also me playing the younger scientist in the RoboCable lab scenes). I'm always blown away any time I encounter someone who has even seen PRIME DIRECTIVES, let alone likes it. I'm so glad to hear that those dramatic and emotional beats that meant so much to my writing partner and I back then still resonate now. Thank you for your appreciation of both PD's virtues AND its shortcomings. It's like an early Christmas present. Looking forward to your followup. I hope it doesn't disappoint you _too_ much :).
The first two episodes are genuinely some of my favorite Robocop media, Murphy's struggle with RoboCop's programming and his humanity is something I wanted to see after the first movie and never got, so thanks for finally making that come true. And honestly, even if the premise of episodes 3 and 4 got a bit silly, the character interaction was still great, and the idea of RoboCop being fully free is _also_ something hinted at in the movies but dropped entirely in both 2 and 3, so once again, great job there too.
if it's worth anything, I still have one of your original scripts for this (somehow). definitely a favorite in my collection. PD isn't perfect but it's still fun and a good ride.
I was watching this thinking "these writers really loved and understood Robocop," and then I read your awesome response. Thanks Joe (and to your partner) for honoring one of my favorite characters, and Murphy's "the past is all I have" line is (chef's kiss)
I have them on DvD, recently introduced my wife to Robocop, started with the first 3 films, then we watched Prime Directives after, she loved it, she also said she preferred Cable over Cane in Robocop 2, thanks for writing something myself and my wife are enjoying so many years later :)
Robocop PD might be flawed, but it's an earnest attempt to evolve the series and not pull a Highlander 2. Your work has fans out there! It pairs nicely with Rogue City as a bookend to an alternate Robocop trilogy to what the films gave us.
so they just leave him in the dark in the police department workstation? just let him sit on the chair and turn the lights out? there goes the idea of a 24/7 cop
@@TheDennys21 i dont remember recharging being specifically mentioned in the movies, and if it was then it musthave been minor enough to overlook, and regarding eating, i mean i guess he can just eat a few spoons of baby food and be fine for a day or two no?
Germany basically has this. Every day 5 to 10 police officers try to disarm a man with a knive that threatens them and they never use their guns. It's hilarious to live in Germany these days and to watch the police. xD
People rag on Page Fletcher a lot for being somewhat goofy looking and unintimidating, but it's really the fault of the ill-fitted suit that often looks cheap and has numerous malfunctions such as the leg joints parting in odd ways and the chin guard jutting out because it's too big. It's a shame seeing his genuine efforts be let down because of costuming failures.
If they knew they wouldn't have the budget to adjust the suit, they should have cast to fit the existing suit like they did with Robo3. The director is 100% at fault, and that cringe factor associated with the goofy looking suit carries over to almost every other aspect of the production. For ex., Robo is shorter than almost every actor,... easy fix! Stick him on an apple box and mix in some creative low angles... why couldn't they at least get that right? What about the part where Robo goes "incognito" wearing a makeshift shaul/hoodie and tries to "blend in"? Lmfao. One of the most ridiculously silly visuals I've ever seen, and yet we're supposed to take it seriously. Even on the PAGE someone should have been like "this is DUMB and it's never going to work." I've gotta chalk this up to a lackluster creative team making every wrong decision at every single juncture. Z grade trash.
I like the part where the 2 robocops unshell all their shotgun bullets into each other, only for it to litterally do no damage to each other and then they start punching each other. I only watched the first to parts and a bit of the third and got distracted by other things in life.
I’ve been a fan of RoboCop since I was 5, I’m 25 now. Back in 2007 this mini series replayed on tv over the course of the week. I had never heard of it until then. My grandpa and I decided to watch it over that week. Every night we looked forward to eating dinner and watching our show lol. Despite its flaws, we enjoyed that time we spent together.
This series had a lot of really good ideas, especially in the way they handled Murphy's character. They just didn't have the budget or expertise to really see them through.
I think him just being in storage was one of the ideas of either Miller for 2/Corporate Warts or Darren Aronoksky as he wanted it to be a far-future story.
It seems they have compromised it a bit, but it has some real good character moments. If they adjusted the flashbacks a bit it would be a instant classic with episode 1
@@Riverslidebishop Clip is not the correct term for those firearms, Magazine is. It’s a sore spot for most firearm enthusiasts that makes people all pissy. He repeatedly called it a clip and then made a joke about ordering more “clips” from a Magazine.
Seeing Robocop finally embracing his human side fully is magnificent, even if the overall quality of the series is subpar. Completely agree with your points on this, waiting for the second part!
Peter Weller was 1,82m as RoboCop. Not super tall but Verhoeven filmed him from very low angle in all scenes to make him seem taller. In this miniseries however, the camerawork is amateurish to say the least. And the actor is surely below 1.70m, he's always the shortest character on screen and dwarves next to women even. Very bad casting.
i didn't mind that he was shorter than he originally was. hell i can even see Robocop's size and stature being modified to make him bigger or smaller because he might have to work in tighter areas and has to move around more.
The problem with Prime Directives was its budget. The first Film is great. However as the series goes on, it gets worse and worse... with the budget and writing betraying it more and more.
It got worse because they changed directors for the sequels and they wanted to target children audiences which is why the rating system got lower with each movie and they started marketing toys. If Verhoeven kept directing, they'd probably be good considering he ended up making Total Recall and Starship Troopers later
Loving the series. I've been a big RoboCop fan since I first watched the original at a friend's house in 1989 at age 10, and I've watched evert on-screen version since. Including both cartoons. Fun fact, the 90's TV series, Prime Directives, and the 2014 reboot movie were all filmed in Toronto, meaning Toronto has appered as Detroit more than any other city in the franchise. Bonus fun fact, RoboCop actually rode his motorcycle past the house I was living in, in the 2014 movie, although the house itself was just barely off-screen.
A fun game for watching this and the 90s tv show is spotting all the Toronto landmarks that still can be easily spotted even with the city standing in for Detroit.
Just to clarify somethings Robocop: Prime Directives is actually the first six episode of a proposed TV series. It barrows some elements of TV series as stock footage from the show is used and does ignore movies 2&3. SyFy did NOT produce Prime Directives it bought the show after the producers failed to land a syndication deal, SyFy simply repackaged Prime Directives as a four part miniseries
PD was never shown split up as episodes. it was made by Fireworks Entertainment the same Canadian company who made the first robocop series and it first aired in Canada on 4 nights over the course of the month of jan in 2001 as 4 tv movies on city tv. later it would constantly be aired in re-runs on the space channel.
I don't know where you got this information, but I'm afraid none of it is correct. PD was written and shot as a four part miniseries. It was never intended as a "proposed TV series" (though we did use footage from the TV series for some of the MediaNet sequences). And the deal with SyFy was in place while we were still in production (the production even put together an additional scene that only appears in the SyFy version). And there was no failure to land a syndication deal. It was syndicated in markets worldwide.
I feel Murphy punches his own grave as a substitute for Cables. He didn't want to do anything to disrespect his friend but the frustration and anger that have been 10 years under the surface for his existence just broke the mental dam.
I remember watching these. It's weird that this happened without acknowledging the sequels. Alex has the helmet scaring from Robo Cain's arc welder, so the costume department was clearly referencing past battle damage.
Yeah that was a nice reference, but I’m sure they would have explained it in the series as Robocop turning into decay and obsolesence while being maintained less and less.
It’s a little cringy but it’s a hidden gem for sure, and if they made a sequel to the game, would be neat to take place after the emp blackout of the whole city and robocop has to go police in the dark at the end
I was an 80s kid, and to this day I'm a super fan of Robocop 1987... I didn't even know this show existed, so I really enjoyed your commentary. As a super fan, I've studied all the nuance, chucked at the satire to the point of utter saturation. It was nice to have new Robo content. Thanks, can't wait for part 2
Yeah I revisited it out of curiosity, but the more I worked on it the more I was just happy I was raising awareness of its existence. I'm thrilled the video is doing well. Part 2 is already out! And I'm soon doing an interview with the co-writer.
This show was actually my introduction to Robocop. I wasn't born when the first movie came out and I had only seen a few glimpses of movies 2 and 3 on TV, so I never had a full timeline in my head. I remember being somewhat surprised when I finally saw the OG film at how Different everything looked. I recognized Robocop, a little bit of the publicity videos, but nothing else.
Not gonna lie - hadn't heard of this before but it actually sounds pretty decent - despite the corneyness and low budget That moment of him yelling in anger after having to shoot John - incredible Cheers mayo!
Cant wait. For a long time i had thought this was a fever dream. And why am i convinced lex luger is his nemesis in this? Mixed uo as a kid i guess. Cant wait
Holy shit, the guy playing Murphy's son was in American Psycho, he played Marcus Halberstram in the iconic card scene. I knew his face looked familiar. Actor's name is Anthony Lemke.
From these clips, I get the impression that the actor couldn't move much in that robo suit, for whatever reason. So they had to figure out how to shoot it with them mostly stationary, from the chest up, sitting, etc.
I totally forgot about this. Thanks! My mom bought my friend and I tickets to see the first Robocop move since we were not old enough, 11 at the time. Always a fan.
Excellent work. Absolutely EXCELLENT work. Reminds me of when Nostalgia Critic was actually good, and I could indulge in great analysis of old shows and movies that i had never gotten the chance to see. Whereever this goes, I'm here for the next episode. Fucking fantastic video, Mayo.
Nostalgia Critic wa never good at actual critics or analysis. He was always just a duded speaking his mind on topic. And there is not a lot in his mind.
I always head canoned that robocop only keeps his robotic voice filter when his helmet is ON after the events of the first movie, to help intimidate criminals, and he loses it when his helmet is off to sounds more human. But thats just me.
PS: This is why I also LIKED the cartoons of RoboCop namely Alpha Commando. Yes, it had errors, but RoboCop being more human and having personality is believable after the events of the first movie. That's the big thing with Alex Murphy: he is a father so of course he's going to adore kids (in the good clean way, people) and act like a dad including crack dad jokes. In fact, I could even imagine him being a foster dad to help cope with his loneliness and even been a damn good one.
Alpha Commando might be the silliest of all the Robocop adaptations, even moreso than the 1994 live action show. He’s basically just Inspector Gadget on that show with the amount of weird gadgets he uses. Hell, the intro even has him using rollerskates.
@@Former_Employee Uh it's because unfortunately the Internet LOVES to come to conclusions just like you came to one right now. There's nothing wrong with me. It's the fact that I need to explain myself that shows there's something wrong with society and even then, damned if I do. Damned if I don't.
One thing I appreciated is back when they were making this. The producer and director were active on one of the Robocop forums. Answering our questions. Both the creative and technical questions. It was great.
i actually don't mind the shorter robocop if anything it kinda makes sense that robocop's height can be altered considering that he can literally remove his hands to swap them out for more weapons it would make sense that Murphy's size and stature could be modified so he's able to move easier. most cop's being over 6FT tall can actually bee seen as a disadvantage depending on Certian situations.
It definitely was a very underrated show for the time. The darker undertones were great to see again like the OG movie. But maaaan I forgot what a short king Robo was in this 😅 Great video Mayo
Something I hadn’t noticed before. Robocop: Prime Directives was filmed in Toronto, and Toronto’s airport code (YYZ) is prominently shown on the police car license plate in the flashback (as seen in your video starting at the 00:17:00 mark). Maybe other scenes too.
I think its both. It has massive flaws. But is an engaging story. I even cried a bit as an adult seeing some parts. I felt bad for old robo as this broken toy still fighting for a city that long wants him decommissioned.
They aired this series as three movies in The Netherlands. It had me so confused to hear there was a Robocop 4, 5 and 6, especially as IMDB didn't mention them. Only to find out years later it were actually episodes combined to have a movie like length >.< I think they did the same with the Police Academy series here once, cause I had seen that series and suddenly they were titled movies and having several episodes combined as a movie. Made no damn sense, believe it was the fox channel here that did that.
Great video! I remember reading about this miniseries years ago and was really intrigued (I don’t think it was ever available in Australia). It was great to have someone break it all down :)
Oh boy, I'm excited to watch this. I stumbled on the filming of this series a few times in Toronto when I was there in 2000 and watched it when it was released. Loved it in 2001, but really felt the flaws in subsequent viewings (and the benefit of age). The show's low budget and stable of actors really make this feel like it's Canadian roots.
I'm from the Czech Republic and it even happened in our country, and I personally think that this miniseries is the best possible tribute to the original film and series from 1994. A good miniseries for me personally
As a longtime fan of RC I have fond memories of watching this back when it first came out and thought it was a wonky, but fun side story with some strong ideas that just needed a bigger budget and some fine tuning to bring out its full potential.
I really enjoy your analyses on the Robocop movies and shows, we share the same exact views and opinions. It's nice seeing someone who really does understand Robo as a character as much as I! I very much look forward for part 2 about Prime Directives.
Don't agree about main actor. As robocop he is horrible, his movement looks like c3p0 parody, costume looks funny, like its too big on him. Even funnier he looks without mask, his head comically too big, and they didn't even tried to somehow copy design of his head w/o helmet. Everything about this whole show is bad
Looking forward to the next one. It occurs to me, that had they embraced the equal capabilities of the two, that initial contact may have been deliberate. "Look, they're nearly identical despite a few upgrades" and Alex deciding to move the fight made a bit of sense. Where were the armor piercing rounds then? And why didn't he shoot through a non-critical point to hit Bone...maker was it? I agree, this is one of the "shut up and enjoy these amazing scenes" moments that go past pretty quickly at least.
Anyone else find this series through Newgrounds back in the day with the "Robocop-PD" animated flash trailer by MindChamber? It was one of the best produced flash shorts for the time.
As a fan of robocop you had to point out the dates were wrong on Murphy's grave. The first movie takes place in the future, November 2043 to February 2044
That was what the writer of the original movie claimed in a recent interview, but the 1987 movie's commercials, and the game confirmed the movie really takes place in 1990-1991. ("With 12 years on the force and 21 commendations, Murphy was a good cop. And in 1991, a good cop doesn't die.") So technically this was not a fuck up. Considering the movies themselves don't specify clarify or confirm where they're set in. I'm guessing the crew originally had it set at that time but got lost in translation from the writers and just made up where they think the movie's set in to justify the futuristic technology. And it's not a complete stretch. RoboCop 2 took place a year gap (1992) and then RoboCop 3 took a 7 year time jump (1998) and then the mini series in a fictional 2000 future. And Murphy's 10th anniversary does connect to when he died.
2043-2044 according to the novelization. 2028 according to the original trailer. I don't know which to believe. The tech looks too advanced for the 1990s, but the vehicles look exactly the 80s.
"System support" being a group of guys who roll up and shoot the thing they are there to fix is an underated joke. I also like how Robocop retains his 3 round burst on the Auto-9 and Cable has two that fire in semi-auto only.
This came out close enough to the Phantom Menace so that the hacker lady felt like someone's Darth Maul staff saber inspired Star Wars character. Also, between the first and second episodes it felt as if some much larger time skip happened and they forgot to mention that.
I remember watching this a few years back... it's very Frank Milleresque... I'm a mark for Robocop and thought it was amazing...was cool to see a continuation of a series instead of a reboot.
$700 *billion* in debt on the city is especially funny considering the city budget of Detroit is ~$2.6 billion a year. Those executives must be buying a LOT of cocaine
I haven't watched this in years but somehow you've made this more appealing to me to revisit it. I remember the Spanish standoff type music really put me off it back then, plus I felt Richard Eden was a better 'post -Weller' Robo but in actual fact, Page Fletcher doesn't seem half bad. Certainly better than I remember, anyway. Thanks for deep diving these episodes, I think with the fullness of time, Prime Directives can (should) be forgiven for some of it's shortcomings (no pun intended...) .
I remember this show and thought, why is Robo over a foot shorter than he used too? Yeah the movements were pretty much spot on, but when some random NPC cop is easily taller kinda pulls you right out from the get go.
Paradoxically Mayo’s edit makes the show look better than it is. It’s hard to explain how bad it is unless you’re familiar with that era of sci fi channel. Everything is amazingly cheap and shoddy. You get the sense even the performances could have been much better if they had better direction.
14:11 In context, Robocop's original/earlier design was based on Judge Dredd, who is iconically know for his perpetual frown. To me, the prominent frowning isn't entirely off-putting.
If you are making a budget show, the main character, should be the last one to cheap out on to keep the show tolerable. In my teens I did not see so many problems with the suit and movements as I see now. Page Fletcher overacts with movements and sometimes looks like a wind up toy unlike the original one with a certain grace about it. Take it easy with head turns, even RC servos can control speed. Also, why retract an ankle and break a window with a fist when you could do it simply by penetrating it with a finger? The low budget feel could be slightly improved without extra money, its just an overall lack of attention to detail.
I agree,look at kamen rider at that time period of this mini series was showing,the rider looks great while the monsters every week looks cheap and simple in comparison
I remember watching this when I was younger around the time I watched the original movies, I may not have had the fortune of watching the series air on tv as I was nothing but a thought in parents heads but its still very nostalgic for me to this day for good or bad
If it had less plot jumps, different music (music theme just didn't match this movie, like a western standoff instead of original theme song), and more violence matching the original. Otherwise, it had a decent story when it could stick to a plot point.
I like your video, but I have to be honest. I think RoboCop's best bet to continue the right way is to reboot it the right way with an R rating. No PG-13 or milder silliness. Everything about it is still relevant. Sure technology and fashion has come a long way, but this would actually work WITH RoboCop rather than against it. PS: I think it should be animated with the original voice actors. Plus, I think it would work better.
Nah, an animated Robocop wud not capture the cinematic glory of the practical suit as the 1st movie did. A major part of Robocop being so iconic is its live-action performance. We're living in the golden-age-of-tv now supposedly. Robocop deserves a live-action series & pls no reboot. The 1st movie alr perfected his origin story. The franchise just needs a further expansion & exploration of their world & its themes.
Ive got this on dvd as It was always repeated on tv when I was a kid, so I can't tell you how many times ive seen it I remember all that cowboy music during the action scenes
I swear you always know its a Canadian production because of the actors. They must have the smallest acting community because some of the same people show up in everything..
And the fact that scenes are obviously filmed in Toronto, to the point where you can recognize local Toronto landmarks in scenes, even when the city’s standing in for Detroit.
Always hated low budget straight to video sequels, especially when the story is good, but no one with enough talent is brought on to bring it to life. This series being no different. But I loved the story so much, it became the 1st script I downloaded to basically recreate the series in my mind without the restrictions of low budgets. Really wish someone would see the potential to just make this into a an animated series instead.
As a huge fan of Robocop and Peter Weller, you made me respect and even like Robocop: Prime Steerings. A fan's first impression could be that the series is quite cartoonish. But your analysis made me really like Page Fletcher's work. The sadness expressed in his eyes is very emotional. He did a good job.
@@underthemayo Thanks man, i will. I hope you continue with the good work with the Robocop franchise. I want to hear your analysis about the series from 1994, the silly one.
RoboCable was very menacing and was a whole powerhouse. He is also a bit stronger and more combat resilient. I loved his presence throughout the series. Very brutal and aggressive approach to fight crime.
It's bold to say you like PD more than RC2 because so much of it is really really bad or just blah. But the good parts are SO good that if you appreciate them it becomes something special.
@@underthemayo yeah i do agree but at least had his on plot and the script was coherent.. Robocop 2 is a messy puzzle.. Nice to watch but a messy puzzle
Robo cable should've kept his mustache, that would be hilarious. I also like the last second disclaimer on the Otomo ad that it may cause seizures lol.
i would make the argument that robocop's shorter stature is possibly symbolic of his lack of power in this new time after his finest era of performance
I unironically think it works with Robo being shorter than everyone else as a physical representation with regards to his character. It's 10 years later, he is no longer seen as this towering intimidating figure. He is a shadow of his former self, a slow clunky relic patrolling the streets.
