RoboCop's back with a vengeance

ANY discussion of cyborgs in moviedom must surely include RoboCop, the classic 1987 sci-fi film directed by Paul Verhoeven about a slain police officer who is resurrected as a high-tech, kick-ass antidote to a crime-ridden city. After a couple of forgettable sequels, a TV series and a slew of comic books and video games, the iconic man-machine returns: RoboCop is back, badder (but not exactly better) than before.

Revisiting a well-known character in search of franchise riches can be a perilous exercise (look no further than RoboCop 2, 1990 and RoboCop 3, 1993) but - given the movie-going public's insatiable appetite for action flicks featuring crime-busting superheroes - dressing up the "future of law enforcement" in a shiny new suit again is perhaps a box-office risk worth taking.

The latest Robocop, directed by Jose Padilha and written by Joshua Zetumer, endured several false starts before making it to the big screen - yet this big-budget retool is no one-dimensional thriller. The central character's struggle for identity, the socio-political commentary and the satirical humour - punctuated, of course, with large doses of flashy, futuristic violence - make this film an exception to the genre.