Although Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner’s script failed to arouse much interest when it first made the rounds of the various production houses, RoboCop (Paul Verhoeven, 1987) has since become a veritable cult classic. Initially, people were simply unable to see past what they perceived as a ridiculous plot, which was in fact laden with hard-hitting criticism of the Reagan-era neo-liberal system. And so, it fell to Paul Verhoeven, who was no stranger to controversy, to bring the dark tale to the big screen in 1987. He emphasised extreme violence throughout the film, reflecting a decadent society in the hands of unscrupulous leaders. Indeed, if one were to compare the resulting RoboCop with the brooding Batman of The Dark Knight Returns, the similarities between the two universes soon become apparent. The dark humour, the futuristic setting transformed into a gritty urban jungle, the gang warfare and the insane use of media and advertising as an integral part of the story all suggest that Neumeier and Miner drew direct inspiration from Miller’s work.

The success of RoboCop led to the making of a much-anticipated sequel. This time, the producers went straight to the source that had helped bring the first instalment to life, hiring Frank Miller to write RoboCop 2 (Irvin Kershner, 1990). If anyone could do this cyberpunk tale and its critical connotations justice, it was Miller, having already blown the world away with the very weapons the franchise’s creators wanted to exploit.

There were setbacks from the get-go. Although Verhoeven did not jump on board, fans of the franchise rejoiced at the appointment of Irvin Kershner (director of The Empire Strikes Back) as the sequel director. After reading Miller’s first draft, both Kershner and the producers agreed it would be impossible to film. The script then underwent a rewrite by Walon Green, who mutilated many of Miller’s ideas. The resulting film failed to match the box office success of its predecessor. Still, the home video market offered some redemption and even encouraged the production company to make a third instalment.

Robocop (Paul Verhoeven, 1987) has become a genuine cult classic, despite the fact that, at the time, no-one was willing to take a chance on the script written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. It did the rounds from producer to producer without arousing the slightest interest; no-one was impressed by a storyline that appeared ridiculous, but which beneath the surface concealed a great deal of harsh criticism of the neoliberal system prevalent in the Reagan era. It was left to another friend of controversy to bring this acerbic story to the big screen in 1987; Paul Verhoeven created a film full of explicit ultraviolence, a mirror of a decadent society controlled by unscrupulous executives. Of course, even a casual comparison of the resulting Robocop with the twilight Batman of The Dark Knight Returns shows that the similarities between the two universes are evident. The black humour, the context of the near future transformed into a sort of urban jungle, the gang wars and the insane use of the media and advertising, all integrated as an essential part of the story, suggest that Neumeier and Miner had become thoroughly immersed in Miller's work.

The success of Robocop led to the appearance of the customary sequel. For the occasion, the producers decided to go back to the original fertile ground where the seeds of the first part had germinated, and hired Frank Miller as screenwriter of Robocop 2 (Irvin Kershner, 1990). If there was anyone with a connection to this cyberpunk story with its critical connotations, it was the guy who impressed the world with the same weapons which those responsible for the franchise wanted to exploit.

The problems soon started. Verhoeven was not involved in the project, although fans of the franchise applauded the arrival of Irvin Kershner (director of The Empire Strikes Back) as director of the sequel. Having read Miller's proposed script, both Kershner and the producers declared that it was impossible to film what Miller had written. The script was then subjected to a rewrite by Walon Green, decimating Miller's ideas. The film was a commercial failure when released in cinemas, but the home video market saved the day, and even encouraged the production company to make a new sequel.

RoboCop (Paul Verhoeven, 1987) has become a true cult classic, despite the fact that no one was initially willing to take a gamble on the screenplay written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. It did the rounds of producers without wakening the slightest interest; nobody saw the appeal of a seemingly ridiculous story, which nevertheless concealed a mass of harsh criticism against the prevailing neoliberalism of the Reagan era. It was left to another lover of polemics to bring this acerbic tale to the screen in 1987. Paul Verhoeven crafted a film bursting with explicit, extreme violence, reflecting a decadent society controlled by corporate executives devoid of all scruples. Though there is of course little comparison between the resulting RoboCop and the sombre Batman of The Dark Knight Returns, the common features of the two universes are obvious. The black humour, the context of the near future turning into a type of urban jungle, the gang warfare and the crazy use of mass media and advertising, all of which form an integral part of the story, makes one suspect that Neumeier and Miner were intimately familiar with Miller’s work.

The success of RoboCop opened the way to its notorious sequel. For this, the producers decided to delve the primordial clay from which the first part had been moulded, and hired Frank Miller as screenwriter for RoboCop 2 (Irvin Kershner, 1990). Who else is so connected with this cyberpunk story and its critical connatations if not this man, who astonished the world with the very weapons that the franchise holders wished to exploit?

The problems began shortly thereafter. Verhoeven was not part of the project, though fans of the franchise hailed the arrival of Irvin Kershner (director of The Empire Strikes Back) as director of the sequel. Having read Miller’s proposed screenplay, both Kershner and the producers deemed it unfilmable. Walon Green rewrote the screenplay, thereby butchering Miller’s ideas. The film was a commercial flop in cinemas, but was bailed out by the home video market, which even spurred the production company into making a further sequel.

Robocop (Paul Verhoeven, 1987) has turned into a genuine cult classic despite the initial lack of support for its screenplay, written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. That screenplay made the rounds among the production studios without the slightest nibble of interest; nobody caught on to the seemingly ridiculous story, which was a Trojan horse of savage criticism for the dominant neoliberalism of the Reagan era. The producer of the acerbic 1987 story would have to court controversy: Paul Verhoeven was filling his movie with explicit violence, mirroring a decadent society ruled by unscrupulous executives. It goes without saying that even the slightest comparison between Robocop and the shadow-lengthening Batman of The Dark Knight Returns reveals their obvious common ground. The black humor, the slightly futuristic setting turned into a kind of concrete jungle, the gang warfare, and the zany use of the media and advertising—all turned into essential parts of the story—point to the suggestion that Neumeier and Miner had thoroughly absorbed Miller's work.

Robocop's success paved the way for the well-known sequel. That's when producers decided to turn to the earliest roots that had nourished the stalks and shoots of the first part, hiring Frank Miller to be the screenwriter for Robocop 2 (Irvin Kershner, 1990). If anyone had a connection with this cyberpunk story and its critical overtones, it was the man that had astounded the world with the same filmic arsenal that franchise higher-ups wanted to tap into.

But soon enough, problems arose. Verhoeven was dropped from the project, although fans of the franchise applauded the arrival of Irvin Kershner (director of The Empire Strikes Back) as the sequel's director. Upon reading Miller's proposed screenplay, both Kershner and the studio declared that what Miller had written was unfilmable. The script was rewritten by Walon Green, mangling Miller's ideas, and the movie's premiere turned out to be a commercial failure—and yet the home-video market came to the rescue. The studio was even encouraged to make another sequel.

Although no one at the time predicted the success of Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner's script for "RoboCop" (Paul Verhoeven, 1987), the film has become a true cult classic. Despite the potent subtext critiquing the prevailing neoliberal economic doctrines of the Reagan administration, the narrative's surface layer of seemingly outlandish elements did not generate any appreciable interest as it circulated among numerous production studios. The acid story had to be brought to the screen by another friend of controversy in 1987; Paul Verhoeven produced a film loaded with explicit ultra-violence to reflect a decadent society run by unscrupulous executives. Even with the significant thematic disparity between "RoboCop" and the crepuscular "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns," striking commonalities between their respective universes emerge upon closer examination. Neumeier and Miner demonstrated a good grasp of Miller's work with their dark comedy, a near-future setting turned into an urban jungle, gang wars, and bizarre use of media and advertising as a central component of the story.

The success of "RoboCop" led to the release of the well-known sequel. As a tribute to the story's origins, the producers commissioned Frank Miller to write the script for "RoboCop 2" (Irvin Kershner, 1990.) If there was anyone associated with the cyberpunk narrative and its inherent critique, it was the guy whose previous works employed provocative elements akin to those the franchise sought to commercialize.

Things began to go wrong soon after. Although the sequel was no longer under the direction of Verhoeven, fans of the series appreciated the addition of Irvin Kershner (director of "The Empire Strikes Back.") Following the reading of Miller's proposed script, Kersner and the producers agreed that the script was unfilmable. The script was rewritten by Walon Green, altering Miller's ideas. While the film was a commercial failure at the box office, the home video market prevented a complete collapse and unexpectedly encouraged the production company to make a new sequel.

Robocop (Paul Verhoeven, 1987) has become a genuine cult classic, despite the fact that no one bet on the script written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner at the time. It traveled from producer to producer without eliciting the slightest interest; no one saw the fun of a seemingly ridiculous story that concealed tons of stark criticism of the neoliberal system that prevailed in the Reagan era. It had to be another fan of controversy who would bring the acerbic tale to the screen in 1987; Paul Verhoeven created a film replete with explicit ultraviolence, mirroring a declining society in the hands of unscrupulous executives. Of course, while the results of Robocop and the crepuscular Batman of The Dark Knight Returns are rarely compared, the common denominators of both universes are evident. The inclusion of black comedy, the context of the near future converted into a kind of urban jungle, gang wars, and the absurd use of media and advertising as an essential part of the tale make one suspect that Neumeier and Miner had thoroughly immersed themselves in Miller’s work.

Robocop’s success led to the appearance of its well-known sequel. For this occasion, the producers decided to turn to the primordial clay that was used to create the basis for the first part, and they hired Frank Miller as the screenwriter for Robocop 2 (Irvin Kershner, 1990). If there was anyone connected to this cyberpunk tale and its critical connotations, it was the guy who had shocked the world with the same weapons that those responsible for the franchise wanted to exploit.

The problems started immediately. Verhoeven was left out of the project, although fans of the franchise applauded the arrival of Irvin Kershner (director of The Empire Strikes Back) as the director of the sequel. After reading the script proposed by Miller, both Kershner and the producers declared that what Miller had written was impossible to film. The screenplay was rewritten by Walon Green, mutilating Miller’s ideas. The film was a commercial failure upon its theatrical release, but the home video market saved the day, and even encouraged the producer to make a new sequel.

Robocop (Paul Verhoeven, 1987) has become an authentic cult classic even though, in its time, nobody took a chance on the script by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. It was passed from producer to producer without raising a minimal amount of interest; no one found amusement in a story that appeared ridiculous but concealed blatant criticism of the prevailing neoliberal system during the Reagan era. It had to be another contentious friend who would bring the burning tale to the screen in 1987; Paul Verhoeven created a movie filled with explicit ultraviolence, reflecting a decadent society in the hands of unscrupulous executives. Of course, one barely has to make an effort when comparing the results of Robocop and the ultimate Batman in The Dark Knight Returns to see that the common points between each universe are evident. Dark humour, the near-future context turned into some urban jungle, gang wars, and the demented use of communication means and publicity, integrated as an essential part of the storytelling, make one suspect that Neumeier and Miner were completely absorbed by Miller’s work.

The success of Robocop led to the emergence of the well-known sequel. For the occasion, the producers decided to return to the roots from which the first one was grown and hired Frank Miller as the script writer for Robocop 2 (Irvin Kershner, 1990). If there was someone connected to this cyberpunk story and its critical connotations, it would be the guy who impressed the world with the very weapons that those responsible for the franchise wanted to exploit.

The problems soon started emerging. Verhoeven was left out of the project, although the franchise’s fans applauded the arrival of Irvin Kershner (director of The Empire Strikes Back) as the director of the sequel. Upon reading the script proposed by Miller, Kersner, and the producers determined that what Miller had written was impossible to film. The script went through a rewrite by Walon Green, butchering Miller’s ideas. The movie was a commercial failure during its film premiere, but the home video market saved its reputation and even encouraged the producer to produce a new sequel.

Robocop (Paul Verhoeven, 1987) has become a true cult classic, despite the fact that, at the time, no one took a chance on the script written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. It passed from producer to producer without arousing the slightest interest. Nobody found the appeal in a story which was seemingly ridiculous, but which inside hid tons of stark criticism of the neoliberal system prevailing during the Reagan era. It had to be another controversial friend who brought the acerbic story to the screen in 1987. Paul Verhoeven created a film full of explicit ultraviolence, a mirror of a decadent society in the hands of unscrupulous executives. Of course, with little to compare the result of Robocop with the Twilight Batman of The Dark Knight Returns, the commonalities of both universes are evident. The black humour, the context of the near future converted into a kind of urban jungle, the gang wars and the insane use of the media and advertising, integrated as an essential part of the story, make one suspect that Neumeier and Miner had become imbued with Miller’s work.

The success of Robocop led to the appearance of the well-known sequel. For the occasion, the producers decided to go to the primordial mud in which the basis of the first part was created, and hired Frank Miller as screenwriter of Robocop 2 (Irvin Kershner, 1990). If there was anyone connected to this cyberpunk story and its critical connotations, it was the guy who impressed the world with the same weapons that those responsible for the franchise wanted to exploit.

Soon, the problems began. Verhoeven was left out of the project, although fans of the franchise applaud the arrival of Irvin Kershner (director of The Empire Strikes Back) as director of the sequel. Upon reading Miller's proposed script, both Kersner and the producers declared that what Miller had written was unfilmable. The script underwent a rewrite by Walon Green, mutilating Miller's ideas. The film was a commercial failure in its cinematic release, but the home video market saved the day, and even encouraged the production company to make a new sequel.

RoboCop (Paul Verhoeven, 1987) has become a real cult classic, despite the fact that, at the time, no one had confidence in the script written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. It was passed from production company to production company without arousing the slightest flicker of interest; no one saw the appeal of a seemingly ridiculous storyline, but which hid a mountain of blistering criticism of Reagan-era neo-liberalism deep within it. It took another controversial director, Paul Verhoeven, to bring the caustic tale to the big screen in 1987. Paul Verhoeven created a film full of explicit ultraviolence, which held a mirror up to a decaying society in the hands of unscrupulous executives. Of course, with little to compare the effect of RoboCop and the shadowy Batman of 'The Dark Knight Returns', the commonalities of both universes are plain. The black humour, the context of the near future transformed into a kind of urban jungle, gang warfare and the insane use of media and advertising, integrated as an essential part of the narrative, make us suspect that Neumeier and Miner had thoroughly immersed themselves in Miller’s work.

The success of RoboCop led to the well-known sequel being made. For this, the producers decided to turn to the primordial clay where the groundwork for the first RoboCop took shape, and they hired Frank Miller as screenwriter for RoboCop 2 (Irvin Kershner, 1990). If anyone was connected to this cyberpunk story and its censorious undertones, it was the guy who impressed the world with the very weapons that franchise mangers wanted to exploit.

The problems soon began. Verhoeven was not involved in the project, although fans of the franchise welcomed the arrival of Irvin Kershner (director of The Empire Strikes Back) as sequel director. On reading Miller’s proposed script, both Kershner and the producers declared that what Miller had written was ‘unfilmable’. The screenplay underwent a re-write by Walon Green, butchering Miller’s ideas. The film was a commercial failure when it was first released in theatres, but the home video market saved the day, and even encouraged the production company to make a new sequel.

Robocop (Paul Verhoeven, 1987) has become a true cult classic even though nobody believed in Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner’s script back when it was first written. It got passed from producer to producer without sparking any interest whatsoever; nobody could see the humor in a story that seemed so ridiculous on its face. But hiding beneath the surface was a biting critique of the neoliberal system that prevailed during the Reagan era. The man who finally brought the brutal tale to the silver screen in 1987 was no stranger to controversy himself; Paul Verhoeven created a movie packed with explicit ultra-violence, holding up a mirror to a decadent society led by unscrupulous executives. Of course, although it’s difficult to compare Robocop to the ageing Batman of The Dark Knight Returns, the two universes have clear commonalities. Dark humor, a story set in the urban jungle of a not-so-distant future, warring gangs, and the deranged use of media and advertising woven into the backbone of the story all suggest that Neumeier and Miner were well-versed in Miller’s work.

Robocop’s success paved the way to the inevitable sequel. The producers decided to return to the primordial soup the first part emerged from and hired Frank Miller as the screenwriter on Robocop 2 (Irvin Kershner, 1990). If anyone could tap into to this cyberpunk narrative and its critical connotations, it was the guy who impressed the world with the same weapons the franchise's creators wanted to exploit.

The problems were not long in coming. Verhoeven was out of the project, but fans of the franchise applauded the arrival of Irvin Kershner (director of The Empire Strikes Back) to direct the sequel. After reading the script proposed by Miller, both Kershner and the producers declared that it was impossible to film what Miller had written. The script was rewritten by Walon Green, mangling Miller’s ideas. The resulting film was a flop at the box office, but the video rental market saved the day and even convinced the studio to make a new sequel.

Robocop (Paul Verhoeven, 1987) has become a real cult classic, despite nobody at the time giving the script by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner the time of day. It did the rounds from production company to production company, arousing no interest whatsoever. Nobody could find the humour in a seemingly ridiculous storyline, deeply embedded with masses of brutal criticism of the neoliberal system prevalent in the Reagan era. It took another who was no stranger to controversy to bring the acidic tale to the big screen in 1987. Paul Verhoeven made a film packed with explicit ultraviolence, a reflection of a decadent society in the hands of unscrupulous executives. Of course, when comparing the result of Robocop with the twilight Batman of the Dark Knight Returns, the commonalities between the two universes are obvious. The dark humour, the near-future context turned into a kind of urban jungle, the gang wars and the insane use of media and advertising, integrated as an essential part of the story. All this giving rise to suspicions that Neumeier and Miner had been heavily influenced by Miller’s work.

Robocop’s success naturally led to a sequel. The producers decided to return to the solid foundation on which the original had been built and hired Frank Miller as the screenwriter of Robocop 2 (Irvin Kershner, 1990). If ever there was anyone linked to this cyberpunk tale and its critical undertones, it was the guy who shocked the world with the very weapons that the franchise’s bosses wanted to exploit.

The problems soon began. Verhoeven was no longer associated with the project. Despite this, fans of the franchise applauded the arrival of Irvin Kershner (director of The Empire Strikes Back) as the sequel’s director. Upon reading Miller’s proposed script, both Kershner and the producers declared that what he had written was unfilmable. The script underwent a rewrite by Walon Green, completely butchering Miller’s ideas. The resultant film was a commercial flop on its release, but the home video market saved the day, and even prompted the production company to make a further sequel.

Robocop (Paul Verhoeven, 1987) has become a veritable cult classic, even though nobody thought much of the screenplay by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner at the time. It was passed from one producer to another without any of them showing the slightest interest; no-one could see the appeal of a story that was superficially ridiculous, yet contained deep within it a vast amount of brutal criticism of the neoliberal system prevailing in the Reagan era. So it fell to another lover of controversy to bring the harsh tale to the big screen in 1987; Paul Verhoeven constructed a film packed with extreme and explicit violence, reflecting a decaying society in the hands of unscrupulous executives. Although the outcome of Robocop is rarely compared with the grim Batman of The Dark Knight Returns, the elements shared by both of those worlds are, of course, obvious. The black humour, the context of the near future transformed into a kind of urban jungle, the gang warfare and the insane use of the media and advertising, all integrated as essential features of the story, strongly suggest that Neumeier and Miner are well versed in Miller’s work.

The success of Robocop led to the appearance of the well-known sequel. For this the producers chose to turn to the essential origins of the basis to the first part, giving Frank Miller the contract to write the screenplay for Robocop 2 (Irvin Kershner, 1990). If anyone had a connection to this cyberpunk tale and its pivotal connotations, it was the guy who impressed the world with those same weapons that those in charge of the franchise also wanted to use.

Problems were not slow to appear. Verhoeven was not involved in the project, although fans of the franchise welcomed Irvin Kershner (director of the The Empire Strikes Back) to also direct the sequel. When they read the screenplay put forward by Miller, Kershner and the producers all said that filming what Miller had written was simply impossible. The script was subjected to a rewriting by Walon Green, who massacred Miller’s ideas. The film was a commercial flop in the cinema, but its fortunes were saved by the home video market, where its success even encouraged the producer to create another sequel.

Robocop (Paul Verhoeven, 1987) has become a true cult classic, even though the script from Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner originally went overlooked for some time. It passed from one production company to the next without ever attracting serious attention. No one saw the potential in what seemed like a ridiculous story, albeit one which featured a stinging criticism of the neoliberalism prevalent during the Reagan era. There is a sense of inevitability, then, that it turned out to be another individual known to court controversy who ultimately brought this satirical story to the big screen in 1987. Paul Verhoeven created a film of explicit violence, holding up a mirror to a decadent society ruled by unscrupulous executives. If we compare Verhoeven’s Robocop with the dark depiction of Batman from The Dark Knight Returns created by Frank Miller, it is clear that these two worlds have much in common. The black humour, the setting of a near future transformed into a kind of urban jungle, the gang wars, and the excessive use of the media and advertising – all integrated as core elements of the story. This would indicate that Neumeier and Miner were well versed in the work of Miller.

The success of Robocop led to the development of a high-profile sequel. This time, the producers decided to turn to the source of inspiration of the first part, bringing Frank Miller on board as scriptwriter for Robocop 2 (Irvin Kershner, 1990). If there was anyone who would truly understand this cyberpunk tale and its critical connotations, it was the man who impressed the world with the very tools the franchise makers were looking to use.

It was not long before the production ran into problems. Verhoeven did not return for the project, although fans of the franchise applauded the choice of Irvin Kershner (director of The Empire Strikes Back) as director of the sequel. Upon reading Miller’s proposed script, both Kershner and the producers remarked that what Miller had created was unfilmable. Walon Green was brought in to rewrite the script, ripping up Miller’s ideas and effectively starting again. The film was a commercial failure on its cinematic release, but the home video market saved the day, with the production company even going on to make a further sequel.

Robocop (Paul Verhoeven, 1987) has become a true cult classic, even though, at the time, no one took a chance on the script written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. It went from one production company to another, failing to elicit the slightest interest; while the apparently ridiculous story appealed to no one, it was chock-full of scathing criticism of the prevailing neoliberal system of the Reagan era. It would be another sucker for controversy who would bring the caustic tale to the big screen in 1987; Paul Verhoeven would make a film packed with graphic extreme violence that mirrored a decadent society in the hands of unscrupulous corporate executives. Naturally, as soon as you compare Robocop, as it turned out, with the somber Batman from The Dark Knight Returns, the similarities between both universes are evident. Gallows humor, the context of a near future that has become a sort of urban jungle, gang wars, and the insane use of media and advertising, all interwoven as essential elements of the story, hint at the possibility that Neumeier and Miner were steeped in Miller’s work.

Robocop’s success led to the arrival of the expected sequel. This time, the producers decided to go to the source which laid the foundation for the first part and hired Frank Miller as the screenwriter for Robocop 2 (Irvin Kershner, 1990). If there was anybody related to this cyberpunk tale and its underlying critique, it was the person who shook the world with the very weapons that those in charge of the franchise wanted to exploit.

Problems followed soon after. Verhoeven was off the project, although the franchise’s fans welcomed the arrival of Irvin Kershner (director of The Empire Strikes Back) as director of the sequel. Having read Miller’s proposed script, Kershner as well as the producers announced that it was impossible to shoot what Miller had written. The script was rewritten by Walon Green, butchering Miller’s ideas. The movie was a box office flop upon its theatrical release, but the home video market saved the day, and it even encouraged the production company to make a new sequel.

"Robocop" (Paul Verhoeven, 1987) has become a true cult classic, despite the fact that, at the time, no one believed in the script written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. It wandered from one production company to another without sparking the slightest interest; no one saw the appeal in a seemingly ridiculous story that concealed tons of scathing criticism towards the prevailing neoliberal system in the Reagan era. It took another friend of controversies to bring the acidic tale to the screen in 1987; Paul Verhoeven crafted a film full of explicit ultraviolence, a mirror of a decadent society in the hands of unscrupulous executives. Of course, when you compare the result of "Robocop" with the twilight Batman of "The Dark Knight Returns," the common points in both universes are evident. Black humor, the context of the near future turned into a kind of urban jungle, gang wars, and the insane use of media and advertising, integrated as an essential part of the narrative, make it suspect that Neumeier and Miner had soaked well in Miller's work.

The success of "Robocop" led to the expected sequel. For the occasion, the producers decided to go back to the primordial mud in which the basis of the first part was formed, and they hired Frank Miller as the scriptwriter for "Robocop 2" (Irvin Kershner, 1990). If there was anyone connected to this cyberpunk narrative and its critical connotations, it was the guy who impressed the world with the same weapons that the franchise's creators wanted to exploit.

Problems soon began. Verhoeven was out of the project, although fans of the franchise applauded the arrival of Irvin Kershner (director of "The Empire Strikes Back") as the director of the sequel. Upon reading the script proposed by Miller, both Kersner and the producers declared that what Miller had written was impossible to film. The script underwent a rewrite by Walon Green, mutilating Miller's ideas. The film was a commercial failure upon its theatrical release, but the home video market saved the day, even encouraging the production of a new sequel.

"Robocop" by Santiago Negro
Robocop (Paul Verhoeven, 1987) has become a true cult classic, despite the fact that no-one at the time thought very much of the screenplay by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. It bounced from one producer to another without arousing the slightest interest. No-one saw any fun in such a ridiculous story. But this was a story that was hiding within it a whole ton of stark criticism of the neoliberal system prevailing in the Reagan era. It was Paul Verhoeven, another friend of controversy, who brought this biting story to the screen in 1987. He constructed a film full of explicit ultraviolence, a mirror of a decadent society in the hands of unscrupulous executives. Of course, the resulting Robocop was hardly comparable to the twilit Batman of The Dark Knight Returns, but there are clear comparisons between the two universes. There is black humour, there is the context of the near future turned into a kind of urban jungle. There are gang wars and the insane use of the media and advertising, brought in as an essential part of the story, and these all lead one to suspect that Neumeier and Miner had soaked up Miller's work well.

Robocop’s success led to the appearance of the popular sequel. The producers decided, for the occasion, to go to the primordial swamp in which the foundations of the first part were conceived, and hired Frank Miller as screenwriter for Robocop 2 (Irvin Kershner, 1990). If there was anyone connected to this cyberpunk tale and its critical undercurrents, it was the guy who shocked the world with the very weapons that those responsible for the franchise wanted to exploit.

The problems soon began. Verhoeven was left out of the project, though fans of the franchise applauded the arrival of Irvin Kershner (director of The Empire Strikes Back) as director of the sequel. When they read Miller's proposed screenplay, both Kersner and the producers agreed that what Miller had written was impossible to film. The screenplay was rewritten by Walon Green, who totally mutilated Miller's ideas and the film was a commercial flop on its theatrical release. However, the home video market saved the day, and even encouraged the production company to make a further sequel.

Robocop (Paul Verhoeven, 1987) has become a bona fide cult classic, despite the fact that, at the time, no one bet on the script written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. It was passed between production companies without arousing the slightest interest; no one could find the humour in a seemingly ridiculous story, but which hid within it tons of stark criticism of the neoliberal system prevailing in the Reagan era. It took another friend of controversy to bring the acidic tale to the screen in 1987; Paul Verhoeven made a film full of explicit ultra-violence, a mirror of a decadent society in the hands of unscrupulous executives. Of course, if one compares the result of Robocop with the twilight Batman of The Dark Knight Returns, the commonalities between the two universes are clear. The black humour, the near-future context turned into a kind of urban jungle, the gang wars and the insane use of media and advertising, integrated as an essential part of the story, lead one to suspect that Neumeier and Miner had been well steeped in Miller's work.

The success of Robocop led to a sequel. For the occasion, the producers decided to go back to the primordial clay on which the basis of the first part was built, and hired Frank Miller as screenwriter for Robocop 2 (Irvin Kershner, 1990). If there was anyone connected to this cyberpunk tale and its critical connotations, it was the guy who shook the world with the very weapons the franchise's makers wanted to exploit.

Soon the problems began. Verhoeven was off the project, although fans of the franchise applauded the arrival of Irvin Kershner (director of The Empire Strikes Back) as director of the sequel. Upon reading Miller's proposed script, both Kershner and the producers declared that what Miller had written was unfilmable. The script underwent a rewrite by Walon Green, mutilating Miller's ideas. The film was a commercial failure on its theatrical release, but the home video market gave it new life, and even encouraged the production company to make another sequel.

Robocop (Paul Verhoeven, 1987) has become a true cult classic, although, at the time, no one opted for the script by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. He went from producer to producer without arousing the slightest interest; no one found anything funny about a seemingly ridiculous story, but it hid a ton of stark criticism of the neoliberal system prevailing in the Reagan era inside. It took another friend of controversy to bring the acrid story to the screen in 1987; Paul Verhoeven created a film full of explicit ultraviolence, a mirror of a decadent society in the hands of unscrupulous executives. Of course, with just a little comparison of Robocop with the twilight Batman of The Dark Knight Returns, the commonalities of both universes are evident. The black humor, the context of the near future converted into a sort of urban jungle, the gang wars, and the insane use of the media and advertising, integrated as an essential part of the story, make one suspect that Neumeier and Miner had become well immersed in Miller's work.

The success of Robocop led to the appearance of the well-known sequel. For the occasion, the producers opted to go straight to the primordial mud in which the basis of the first part was conceived; they hired Frank Miller as screenwriter for Robocop 2 (Irvin Kershner, 1990). If there was anyone connected to this cyberpunk story and its critical connotations, it was the guy who impressed the world with the same weapons that those responsible for the franchise wanted to exploit.

The problems soon began. Verhoeven is dropped from the project, although fans of the franchise applaud the arrival of Irvin Kershner (director of The Empire Strikes Back) as the sequel's director. Upon reading Miller's proposed script, both Kershner and the producers declared that what Miller had written was unfilmable. The script undergoes a rewrite by Walon Green, mutilating Miller's ideas. It was a commercial failure in its cinematic release, but the home video market saved the day and even encouraged the production company to make a new sequel.

Robocop (Paul Verhoeven, 1987) has become a veritable cult classic, despite the fact that back in the day, no one supported the script written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. It passed from producer to producer without comment or interest. No one recognized the brilliance of a screenplay which buried within a ridiculous storyline an unrelenting criticism of neoliberalism during the Reagan era. It was another fan of controversy that put the abrasive 1987 narrative on the screen. Paul Verhoeven created a movie replete with explicit ultraviolence, raising a mirror to a society deteriorating in the hands of unscrupulous executives. It is suggested that the Robocop narrative compares well with the twilight Batman in the movie, The Dark Knight Returns. The common themes are obvious: the dark humor, the context of a near future transformed into an urban jungle, gang warfare and the demented use of public communications media. As these essential themes are interwoven in the context of the narrative, one suspects that Neumeier and Miner were well trained in the works of Miller.

The popularity of Robocop led to the release of its anticipated sequel. For the occasion, the producers decided to return to the “primordial clay” from which the first narrative was developed and contracted Frank Miller to write the script for Robocop 2 (Irvin Kershner, 1990). If there was anyone connected to this cyberpunk story and its critical commentary, it would be the one who impressed the world with the same weapons (violence) that those responsible for the franchise wanted to exploit.

From the start there were problems. Verhoeven remained in the background of the project, as the fans of the franchise applauded the arrival of Irvin Kershner (director of The Empire Strikes Back) to direct the sequel. After reading the script proposed by Miller, Kershner and the producers declared that it was impossible to film what Miller had written. The libretto suffered as a result of restructuring by Walon Green, mutilating Miller’s ideas. The movie was a commercial disaster upon its cinematic release, but the home video cassette market “saved the day” and encouraged the producers to consider a new sequel.

Robocop (Paul Verhoeven, 1987) has become a true cult classic, even though, at the time, no one opted for the script written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. She wandered from producer to producer without arousing the slightest interest; no one found grace in an apparently ridiculous story, but one that hid inside tons of stark criticism of the neoliberal system prevailing in the Reagan era. It had to be another controversial friend who brought the acid story to the screen in 1987; Paul Verhoeven built a film full of explicit ultraviolence, a mirror of a decadent society in the hands of unscrupulous executives. Of course, with little to compare the result of Robocop with the twilight Batman of Return of the Dark Knight, the commonalities of both universes are evident. The dark humor, the context of the near future turned into a kind of urban jungle, the gang wars and the insane use of the media and advertising, integrated as an essential part of the story, make us suspect that Neumeier and Miner had soaked well of Miller's work.

The success of Robocop led to the appearance of the well-known sequel. For this film, the producers decided to turn to the primordial mud in which the basis of the first part was conceived and hired Frank Miller as the screenwriter of Robocop 2 (Irvin Kershner, 1990). If there was anyone connected to this cyberpunk tale and its critical connotations, it was the guy who impressed the world with the very weapons the franchise makers wanted to exploit.

Right away, problems began. Verhoeven was left out of the project, although fans of the franchise applaud the arrival of Irvin Kershner (director of The Empire Strikes Back) as director of the sequel. Upon reading Miller's proposed script, both Kersner and the producers stated that what Miller had written was impossible to film. The script was then rewritten by Walon Green, hacking up some of Miller's ideas. The film was a commercial failure in its theatrical release, but the home video market saved the furniture, and even encouraged the production company to make a new sequel.