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THE REWATCHABLES · August 4, 2025

Robocop

A 1987 sci-fi / action movie directed by Paul Verhoeven—and decision no. 67 in the Hanks–Cruise tape.

Sci-fiAction1980sDirected by Paul Verhoeven
Robocop1987MOVIE
Podcast episode#406No. 417 overall
Movie year19871980s release
Tomatometer84%No. 51 of 128 tracked
Metacritic70View score
Roger Ebert3/4Original star rating
State of the raceHanks led by 134–33 · 0 ties

FROM THE CONVERSATION

What they said about the movie

A highly enthusiastic defense of RoboCop as a lean, violent, politically sharp, and surprisingly thoughtful 1980s action movie that became even more resonant with age. The hosts praise Verhoeven’s satire, the movie’s pacing, the villains, and the mix of gore and commentary, while also noting a few dated or imperfect elements.
Based only on this episode’s transcriptTimes approximateSpeakers were clearly identifiedExplore the connections

WHY IT WORKS

What made it rewatchable

  1. 01It is unusually lean and efficient, with no fat and a fast 102-minute runtime. Opening minutes
  2. 02It blends satirical politics with graphic violence and memorable action. About 8 min
  3. 03The movie is packed with memorable scenes and set pieces, especially ED-209, Murphy’s death, and the final shootout. About 32 min
  4. 04Verhoeven’s tonal balance makes it feel smart without becoming preachy. Opening minutes
  5. 05Its world-building and TV-news satire feel even more current now. Opening minutes

WHAT DID NOT WORK

Their main criticisms

  1. moderateThe ending puppet/monster effect for Dick Jones is considered a weak visual finish. About 1:12
  2. minorThe movie is arguably too short and could use a couple more scenes, especially around Murphy’s family and aftermath. About 1:04
  3. minorLewis does not discover Murphy’s identity fast enough for Bill’s taste. About 1:12 · medium confidence
  4. minorThe Robocop costume leaves the jaw exposed in a way that seems tactically odd. About 1:04 · medium confidence
  5. moderateThe 2014 remake and sequels dilute the original and are unnecessary. About 48 min

SCENES THEY KEPT COMING BACK TO

Standout moments

Favorite

Opening news satire and fake commercial

The hosts love the movie’s fake news and ad openings as a surprising, high-IQ way to begin an action movie.

Opening minutes
Favorite

ED-209 boardroom demonstration

The malfunctioning robot demo and boardroom massacre are treated as one of the film’s signature scenes.

About 32 min
critical

Murphy’s execution in the warehouse

The brutal ambush and killing of Murphy is described as upsetting, devastating, and unforgettable.

About 32 min
Favorite

Robocop’s first patrol and ‘I’d buy that for a dollar’

The first patrol introduces the film’s TV satire and its most quoted line.

About 40 min
Favorite

The crotch-shot rescue

Robocop’s shot through the woman’s legs to hit the attacker is cited as one of the best hero moments in action cinema.

About 40 min
mixed

Bob Morton’s cocaine party

The cocaine, cleavage, and hedonism are funny and memorable, but also emblematic of 80s excess.

About 40 min
Favorite

Toxic waste Emil death

Emil’s gruesome death after being hit by a car and dissolved by toxic waste is celebrated as a peak disgusting payoff.

About 40 min

WHERE THEY DISAGREED

The biggest debates

They partly agreed About 1:04

Is the movie too short or perfectly paced?

Bill Simmons

Too short; he wants two more scenes and more family/emotional material.

Craig Horlbeck

No; the movie is tight and already efficient.

They agreed About 32 min

Is Murphy’s execution the hardest-to-watch violent scene in movie history?

Bill Simmons

It is among the hardest scenes to watch because of the emotional and physical brutality.

Kyle Brandt

It is devastating and the point where the movie becomes a bigger emotional experience.

They partly agreed About 1:12 · medium confidence

Should Lewis discover Murphy’s identity earlier?

Bill Simmons

Yes, the family/identity thread should be stronger and earlier.

Kyle Brandt

He is comfortable with the film leaving some of that underdeveloped.

They agreed About 32 min

Which scene is the most rewatchable: ED-209 demo or Murphy’s first day?

Bill Simmons

ED-209 demo is the top scene.

Craig Horlbeck

The boardroom and office scenes are the most fun.

They agreed About 48 min

How iconic is the line ‘Dead or alive, you are coming with me’?

Bill Simmons

Very iconic, and the callback works well.

Kyle Brandt

It is a deliberately constructed catchphrase that lands because of repetition.

16 People discussedActors, directors, writers, and producers
very favorablePaul VerhoevenKyle Brandt: Praised as horny, bold, stylish, and able to turn a B-movie premise into something smarter and more resonant. Opening minutes
favorablePeter WellerBill Simmons: Discussed as fully becoming Robocop and giving a committed performance, even if the suit work was miserable. About 24 min
favorableNancy AllenBill Simmons: Praised as a cool, credible female cop whose desexualized presentation fits the film’s asexual vision. About 16 min favorableKurtwood SmithBill Simmons: Celebrated as Clarence Boddicker and also remembered for playing Neil’s father in Dead Poets Society. About 16 min favorableRonny CoxBill Simmons: Noted as another excellent villain performer, also associated with the Beverly Hills Cop films and Total Recall. About 16 min
favorableMiguel FerrerBill Simmons: Remembered as Bob Morton and as a quintessential character actor from the movie. About 16 min
favorablePaul McCraneBill Simmons: Discussed as toxic-waste Emil, a memorable supporting turn. About 40 min
favorableRay WiseBill Simmons: Noted as another bad-guy actor in the gang and part of the movie’s strong supporting cast. About 1:04 · medium confidence
neutralJames CameronBill Simmons: Referenced in comparison to Terminator 2 and its similar imagery. About 1:20 · medium confidenceneutralRoger EbertBill Simmons: Mentioned for awarding the movie three stars, with Bill arguing the film deserved more. About 48 min · medium confidence
favorableLisa GibbonsBill Simmons: Discussed as the most 1987 element of the movie and a major TV personality of the era. About 48 min
favorableMary HartBill Simmons: Referenced as the earlier, more established entertainment-news figure in comparison with Lisa Gibbons. About 48 min · medium confidence
favorableSteven SeagalBill Simmons: Used in casting fantasy and anecdote talk; the hosts imagine him as a bizarre but plausible alternate RoboCop. About 1:04 · medium confidenceneutralStingBill Simmons: Mentioned in a wrestling tie-in where Robocop appeared alongside Sting in WCW. About 1:12 · medium confidencefavorableJohn CarpenterBill Simmons: Referenced through They Live as a similar dystopian satire. About 1:20 · medium confidenceneutralWes AndersonBill Simmons: Brought up in a fantasy recasting suggestion for an absurdly stylized RoboCop version. About 1:12 · medium confidence
15 Conversation takesSpeakers shown only where the transcript identifies them
Kyle BrandtLoved it

RoboCop as an A-movie pretending to be a B-movie

Kyle argues the film should have been a disposable genre picture but instead became a smart, stylish, and substantial film.

Opening minutes
Bill SimmonsLoved it

The film’s corporate satire and longevity

Bill says the movie feels even more prescient over time because of corporations, AI, and privatization.

Opening minutes
Bill SimmonsLoved it

ED-209 boardroom demo

Bill calls the ED-209 demonstration one of the movie’s most rewatchable and shocking moments.

About 32 min
Bill SimmonsMixed

Murphy’s execution

Bill admires the scene’s power but also finds it very hard to watch.

About 32 min
Kyle BrandtLoved it

Murphy’s execution

Kyle says the scene marks the moment the movie becomes something bigger and more emotionally intense.

About 32 min
Bill SimmonsLiked it

Murphy returns to his old house

Bill likes the emotional memory-and-family material as a necessary bridge to the ending.

About 32 min
Kyle BrandtLiked it

Lewis

Kyle likes that the female cop is not sexualized and instead feels like a real cop.

About 16 min
Bill SimmonsLoved it

‘I’d buy that for a dollar’ TV bit

Bill treats the recurring TV line as one of the movie’s most iconic running jokes.

About 40 min
Bill SimmonsLoved it

The between-the-legs shootout

Bill thinks this is one of the all-time great hero shots, with the hero shooting the rapist through the victim’s legs.

About 40 min
Kyle BrandtLoved it

Clarence Boddicker

Kyle loves Clarence as one of the film’s signature 80s psychos and delights in his cruel one-liners.

About 32 min
Bill SimmonsLiked it

Stop-motion effects

Bill admires the practical effects and finds them charming, even when they look dated.

About 48 min
Kyle BrandtLoved it

Two villains are better than one

Kyle argues the dual-villain structure makes the movie stronger and more suspenseful.

About 48 min
Bill SimmonsDid not like it

The 2014 remake

Bill strongly dislikes the remake and says the original should simply be left alone.

About 48 min
Bill SimmonsLoved it

Peter Weller’s method commitment

Bill is impressed by Weller’s dedication to the suit, martial arts training, and character discipline.

About 56 min
Kyle BrandtLoved it

Paul Verhoeven

Kyle repeatedly praises Verhoeven as horny, fearless, and unusually intelligent about genre.

Opening minutes
5 ThemesThe larger ideas in the discussion

Corporate power and privatization

The episode treats the movie as a sharp warning about corporations absorbing public institutions and exploiting labor.

Opening minutes

AI and automation anxiety

The hosts connect ED-209, Robocop, and modern robotics to current fears about job replacement and automation.

About 8 min

Satire hidden inside a B-movie shell

They admire that the film could have been a simple shoot-’em-up but instead became a smart satire.

Opening minutes

1987 as a peak action-movie year

The episode frames the film as part of an extraordinary 1987 run of action and genre movies.

About 16 min

Theatrical violence as both spectacle and shock

They repeatedly discuss how the film makes brutality entertaining while still upsetting at key moments.

About 32 min
25 Facts and referencesProduction notes and other movies mentioned

Production note

The movie was shot in Dallas rather than Detroit.

About 8 min

Production note

Neumeier later said the film predicted the corporate future they were living in.

About 8 min

Production note

Paul Verhoeven was very horny and difficult on set, according to the hosts.

About 16 min · medium confidence

Production note

The movie was developed as a franchise property after release, including comics and merch.

Opening minutes

Production note

Peter Weller was reportedly losing about three pounds a day in the suit from heat and water loss.

About 48 min

Production note

Weller had to be addressed as either ‘Robo’ or ‘Murphy’ on set.

About 48 min

Production note

The film initially received repeated pushback from the MPAA for violence.

About 56 min · medium confidence

Production note

The police cars in the movie were 1986 Ford Tauruses.

About 1:20

Production note

The movie’s news-broadcast satire anticipates internet-style media channels.

About 56 min

Production note

The film inspired or included a Marvel comic-book adaptation after release.

Opening minutes · medium confidence

Terminator

Used as a comparison for a robot/action premise that could have been a simpler B-movie.

Opening minutes

Escape from New York

Cited as another 1980s film that elevated a B-movie concept.

Opening minutes · medium confidence

Cobra

Used in a discussion of pizza-with-scissors and 80s action excess.

About 40 min · medium confidence

Die Hard

Referenced for the era’s recurring falling-out-of-a-building action shot.

About 48 min · medium confidence

Three Men and a Baby

Used to illustrate how weird and successful 1987 movies were.

About 16 min · medium confidence

The Godfather

Mentioned indirectly through ‘The Godfather of stop motion’ style praise for effects work.

About 48 min · low confidence

They Live

Craig compares RoboCop’s social satire to Carpenter’s dystopian media critique.

About 1:20

Batman

Used in a comparison about villains and mob bosses moving around publicly.

About 1:36 · medium confidence

Starship Troopers

Another Verhoeven film used to characterize his style and recurring themes.

About 16 min

Total Recall

Referenced as part of Verhoeven’s run of big, weird genre movies.

About 16 min

Basic Instinct

Referenced as Verhoeven’s later hit and part of his peak run.

About 16 min

Blade Runner

Referenced as a likely missed previous Rewatchables and a futuristic-cop touchstone.

About 16 min · medium confidence

Minority Report

Used as a comparison for Tom Cruise playing a future cop-type role.

About 1:20 · medium confidence

The Wolf of Wall Street

Referenced for cocaine-and-breasts imagery and as an apex modern example of that visual joke.

About 40 min · medium confidence

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Mentioned in relation to the joke about a robotic or absurd scene structure.

About 1:12 · low confidence
11 Running jokes and short linesRecurring bits captured from the conversation

‘I’ll buy that for a dollar!’

The hosts quote and celebrate the TV show line as the film’s most famous catchphrase.

About 40 min

‘Dead or alive, you are coming with me’

They discuss the line as the film’s key Robocop catchphrase and a deliberate franchise-style slogan.

About 48 min

Dick jokes

The conversation repeatedly riffs on characters named Dick, especially Dick Jones, and the disappearance of the name.

About 48 min

Robocop as a future work robot

The hosts joke about robots in stores, Waymos, ED-209 at Amazon, and workplace automation.

About 8 min

Weller method-acting / Robo address bit

They repeatedly joke about Weller insisting on being called Robo and acting like the role was Shakespearean.

About 48 min

1987 Detroit apex mountain

Bill makes a broad case that 1987 was Detroit’s cultural apex, tying the movie to the city’s sports and music moment.

About 8 min

Kyle Brandt

“I'll buy that for a dollar!”
Opening minutes

Bill Simmons

“Dead or alive, you are coming with me”
About 48 min

Bill Simmons

“You now have 15 seconds to comply.”
About 32 min

Bill Simmons

“Bitches leave”
About 40 min

Bill Simmons

“Can you fly, Bobby?”
About 32 min

MAKE IT A MOVIE NIGHT

Where to watch

UNITED STATES

Checking where Robocop is available…

WHAT TO WATCH NEXT

Movies to watch before and after.

Three movies to watch before Robocop, and three to watch next.

Finding six movies…Three to watch first and three to watch next.
Includes a Rewatchables episodePosters from TMDB.

ON THE MIC

2 voices made the call

Bill Simmons headshotBill Simmons125 tracked appearances · 56 H / 64 C / 5 ties
Kyle Brandt headshotKyle Brandt20 tracked appearances · 7 H / 13 C

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