Detective Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) is the cop who had it all, a loving wife, a beautiful son, and a job, even though dangerous, he enjoyed doing. When multiple injuries in the line of duty nearly kill him, science comes to the rescue. Rebuilt from scratch, he becomes a criminal’s worst nightmare. As cliché as that sounds, his life becomes worth living again as an organic robot bent on destroying crime without pity.
Women Who Wow Wednesday presents Clara Murphy (Abbie Cornish), RoboCop’s wife who stands by her man during his darkest days.
This 2014 film, a remake of the 1987 hit RoboCop featuring Peter Weller as crime’s mechanical nemesis, contrasts the original by delving into Alex’s relationship with his wife who ultimately makes the man inside the armor better. A better man. A better husband. A better cop.
After his injuries, all Alex has on his mind is the thought of his wife, and if she’d accept him for the new man he has become. Clara doesn’t have to think about it, he will always be her husband. Her willingness to overlook his appearance and go beyond the shell makes her responsible for Alex’s future actions as a powerful crime fighter.
Beyond being Alex’s wife, she’s also her son David’s inspiration, leading him to accept his father’s new life. Through her constant vigilance of David’s welfare, she manages to protect and guide the boy without her father’s presence in his life, always reminding that his father loves him, no matter what.
Clara’s role doesn’t end there. Her bravery surpasses all expectations when she stands in the middle of a street, stopping RoboCop’s motorcycle as it screams toward her. For months, she hadn’t had contact with her husband and she wanted to know where he had been hiding. The man in charge, Dr. Norton (Gary Oldman), kept Alex from her, but she couldn’t deal not having access to him. When she stands in the middle of traffic with her hand out, she does it knowing she could lose her life in the process.
The hardest thing Clara has to endure is not knowing. Not knowing what happens to her husband in the care of Dr. Norton. Not knowing if she’ll ever see him again. And not knowing if Alex would be the same person as he once was when they first met.
Clara’s strength comes from inside. Where others would have given up on their spouses, she stayed with him through it all without ever wafting from her center.
If there ever was a character with the resilience to fight back, Clara Murphy is that character.
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If you’ve seen it, what did you think of the movie RoboCop? How does it compare to the older version?
Looking to God 
The new RoboCop was a pretty pointless attempt at launching a new super hero franchise. Murphy is blown up but keeps his personality and even his wife and kid. Its so dumb and manipulative its rather annoying. All about money from more films/DVDs/comics/toys etc. Its hardly a rivetting concept but Hollywood is the new Omnicorp.
All I really know about Robocop (other than the obvious, like it being about a cop who was turned into a robot-cyborg-type-thing) is one line from the series. That line is “Dead or alive you’re coming with me”.
I’ve only seen the original version. It was more tragic in a way, because they basically tried to erase everything that made Alex Murphy a person, leaving his crime – fighting skills augmented by a bionic body. I don’t know about the remake, but all he has of his human life are grayish flash – backs.
I wind up disillusioned by most remakes.
I heard a lot of complaints from my friends about the new Robocop. Mostly that it wasn’t rated ‘R’ and didn’t have the same level of violence. It’s been a while since I saw the original, but I don’t remember him being married in that one. He had the female partner, didn’t he?
He was married in the original, but his wife thought he was dead. His female partner was almost a surrogate wife / sister / cousin / teacher.
Got it. Both scenarios have their appeal.
I often find myself comparing RoboCop to Darkman, for some reason. There are some ( Near – ) similarities. I guess it’s because both Alex Murphy & Dr. Peyton Westlake are stripped of their former lives & everything that defined them.
Never thought of that before. I’m trying to think of any other heroes who go through that, but I’m at a loss. I don’t think the ‘man to monster’ gets done as often as other methods of hero birth.
That’s why I’m hoing DC will get off of its keister & FINALLY make a movie about The Doom Patrol – Ordinary people who were basically stripped of their humanity ( Cliff Steel, Larry Trainer, Rita Farr ) & made into freaks & monsters. They saved the world, but they would always be viewed as people you wouldn’t want as next door neighbors, to understate things.
Actually, I guess Hulk would fall into that category. I hate to admit that I have very little faith in DC and their movies. They refuse to budge from Superman and Batman. The one time they went outside those two, it was terribly done. I’m wondering if they should stick to TV shows. Doom Patrol would make an interesting one of those.
Hmmm. No, they do NOT like to do many superheroes besides Superman & Batman. But the ” Brave and the Bold ” series, featuring Batman, had an episode where he got the Doom Patrol back together for 1 final mission. They could at least do an animated version. I’D watch it
The majority of DC’s heroes are gifted their powers via our yellow sun, being the descendant of Greek gods, etc., Marvel superbeings are freaks who get their abilities from radioactive spider bites, exposure to radiation, toxic chemicals, etc., w / the exception of Namor & Thor.
Don’t forget the ‘my parents were killed’ origin. That seems to be one of the biggest superhero creators around. DC does seem to have more heroes who were born into the role or willing stepped in. I wonder if that’s a problem for them. Maybe audiences are more interested in the forced hero than the noble one that steps up to the responsibility.
Oh, yeah. ” My parents were killed ” or sometimes ” girlfriend, aunt, cousin, sister, fiance “. I call it the Inigo Montoya effect. 🙂
Never heard it called that. I’ve heard ‘Uncle Ben Event’ a few times.
That’s just what I call it. Of course Inigo Montoya was out for vengeance, not to become a vigilante.
So he’d be a more ‘single target’ hero. Kind of like Drax the Destroyer.
A one – shot deal, so to speak.