RoboCop 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

RoboCop 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman April 12, 2022

Arrow is continuing with its kind of interesting strategy of releasing 4K UHD versions of previously released 1080 versions, typically some time after those 1080 versions have appeared, and without 1080 discs being included in the 4K UHD packaging, per what I'd argue is industry norm. In this particular case, Arrow is providing not one but two 4K UHD releases, one aping the packaging and non disc swag of their 1080 Limited Edition and another aping the packaging of the 1080 SteelBook. Our database initially might have made it seem like the SteelBook only contained the Director's Cut, but I can confirm that both releases share the same two discs and content, with the only differences being the packaging and, in the case of the "Limited Edition", things like the slipbox and insert booklet.

RoboCop has had a rather outsized number of releases through the years, but for a starting point that is hopefully helpful considering it's of Arrow's previous 1080 release of the film, please head over to my RoboCop Blu-ray review.

RoboCop 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 version, and per the above, this release does not include 1080 discs.

RoboCop is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Arrow Video with 2160p transfers in 1.85:1. Arrow sometimes changes its verbiage in its insert booklets when they re-release a title in 4K UHD and that's the case again here:

RoboCop was restored by MGM in 2013 and is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with Dolby Atmos, 5.1, 4.0 and stereo 2.0 audio.

The original camera negative was scanned in 4K and all grading and restoration was completed in 4K by MGM. The restoration was approved by director Paul Verhoeven, as well as executive producer Jon Davison and co-writer/co-producer Edward Neumeier. Both the original Theatrical Cut and Director's Cut versions were graded in 4K HDR10 at R3Store Studios, London in 2021. Dolby Vision grading was then completed by Fidelity in Motion, New York.

As the original camera negative only corresponded to the original R-rated theatrical version of the film, additional film elements were sourced from the Cruikshank-Davison Collection at the Academy Film Archive in 2021 to restore the additional or alternate shots in the Unrated Director's Cut Version. All additional materials were scanned in 4K at Company 3, Los Angeles and were graded & restored at R3Store Studios, London. Since these inserts were sourced from lower-generation positive elements due to the negatives for these sequences being lost, there is an unavoidable subtle shift in picture quality throughout these scenes, in keeping with the condition and generation of these materials.

The Dolby Atmos mix was sourced from the original LCRS 4.0 mix and was produced by Arrow Films at Deluxe Audio in 2021. The original 4.0 and stereo theatrical mixes were remastered in 2019 from the original audio stems at Deluxe Audio, in addition to the "Final Theatrical Mix" Isolated Score audio option. The 5.1 mix was produced by MGM.

Lastly, additional film elements of the TV Cut version supplied by MGM were scanned at EFILM and graded in 2K at R3Store Studios and are included on the RoboCop: Edited For Television featurette on this release. The full TV Cut was transferred from an original DigiBeta broadcast master tape.

Both of these presentations are a kind of interesting example of both perceived pluses and perhaps a few minuses that can attend 4K UHD "upgrades". Generally speaking, both of these versions offer the same somewhat increased brightness that I mentioned in the 1080 review from years ago, and that in turn can make some of the grain exposure positively mottled and fuzzy looking. The first three minutes of both versions are extremely rough looking, with an absence of detail and a just generally distressed appearance, part of which of course is due to a glut of opticals as well as to the fact that we're supposedly watching "broadcasts", and things improve markedly at almost exactly the three minute mark, when the film gets to the main narrative. Still, there are some interstitial moments when grain gets pretty chunky and fine detail levels in particular can falter for a moment or two, not necessarily limited just to darker scenes, as in the early scene set in a locker room, some of which are due to the "lower generation" inserts added to the Director's Cut. In terms of darkness, though, I'd say one of the undeniable pluses of the 4K UHD presentations comes courtesy of Dolby Vision and/or HDR, where the shrouded sequences which could show some passing crush and less than fulsome shadow detail in the 1080 versions are at least marginally improved here. The palette is often really beautifully suffused, though again it's kind of interesting to see warmth levels ebb and flow. A couple of outdoor close-ups are vivid and emphasize an almost rosy look that isn't as evident in the 1080 version. I have to say that as heavy as the grain field is in both presentations, I was struck by how generally naturally it looked, at least contextually. Some 4K UHD versions may not really encounter outright compression issues, but still have such increased resolution that grain can look like an insect swarm at times, and I wouldn't say that's really in evidence here in any major way.

RoboCop 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

This 4K UHD presentation of RoboCop reproduces the 1080 version's DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, 4.0 and 5.1 tracks, but ups the ante (in more ways than one) by including a new Dolby Atmos track. I believe this is the first time in my reviewing life that I've encountered a "set of instructions" on the Audio Menu, as follows:

To enjoy multidimensional audio with the Dolby Atmos track, set the audio output of your player to Bitstream mode, and disable BD Secondary Audio in its Setup Menus. This track is also compatible with traditional 7.1 and 5.1 speaker configurations.

The "multidimensional" aspect of the Atmos track is noticeable almost from the get go, with those huge washes of synths that accompany the opening logo nicely airborne and with some impressive front to back imaging. As I mentioned with regard to the 1080 version's audio, the "showiness" of the track in general may not be as consistently engaging (no pun intended) as with more contemporary mixes, but I was struck with the general improvement in immersion with the Atmos offering, something that can be especially enveloping in scenes like the first "misfire" of a proposed robotic device or later in some of the outdoor Detroit material. The pulsing score by Basil Poledouris also has a sense of immediacy in this Atmos rendering that I found quite inviting, though I do have to say there's a slightly processed sound to some of the music that is probably endemic to the keyboards that may have been used, but which to my ears seemed more evident in the Atmos rendering for whatever reason. Dialogue is always presented cleanly and clearly. Optional English subtitles are available.

RoboCop 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

While Arrow does not include 1080 discs with their 4K UHD releases, they have a nice habit of porting over all of the copious supplements from those 1080 releases, and this is another good example of that trend.

Disc One

• Director's Cut (UHD; 1:43:18)


• Commentaries

  Archive Commentary by Paul Verhoeven, executive producer Jon Davison and co-writer Ed Neumeier (originally recorded for the Theatrical Cut and re-edited in 2014 for the Director's Cut)

  
  

  New Commentary by film historian Paul M. Sammon

  
  

  New Commentary by fans Christopher Griffiths, Gary Smart and Eastwood Allen

• The Future of Law Enforcement (HD; 16:51) is a new interview with co-writer Michael Miner.


• RoboTalk (HD; 32:08) is a new conversation between co-writer Ed Neumeier and filmmakers David Birke and Nicholas McCarthy.


• Truth of Character (HD; 18:26) is a new interview with Nancy Allen.


• Casting Old Detroit (HD; 8:20) is a new interview with casting director Julie Selzer.


• Connecting the Shots (HD; 11:06) is a new interview with second unit director Mark Goldblatt, who has a long history with Paul Verhoeven.


• Analog (HD; 13:10) is a fun new featurette with Peter Kuran and Kevin Kutchaver discussing the pre-CGI "old school" special visual effects.


• More Man Than Machine: Composing RoboCop (HD; 12:04) is a new piece which focuses on composer Basil Paledouris and includes comments from Jeff Bond, Lukas Kendall, Daniel Schwieger and Robert Townson.


• RoboProps (HD; 12:50) is new tour of the collection of Julien Dumont, who has an insane amount of RoboCop memorabilia.


• 2012 Q &A with the Filmmakers (HD; 42:37) features Paul Verhoeven, Jon Davison, Ed Neumeier, Michael Miner, Nancy Allen, Peter Weller and Phil Tippett.


• RoboCop: Creating a Legend (HD; 21:10) is the first of several archival featurettes ported over to this release.


• Villains of Old Detroit (HD; 17:00) is another archival featurette focusing on the bad guys.


• Special Effects: Then & Now (HD; 18:21) is another archival featurette.


• Paul Verhoeven Easter Egg (HD; 00:39) is another archival piece, but is it really an easter egg when it's out in the open like this? (That's a joking rhetorical question, for those who may not get it.)


• Deleted Scenes (720p; 2:50)


• The Boardroom: Storyboard with Commentary by Phil Tippett (HD; 6:02)


• Director's Cut Production Footage (HD; 11:34) offers raw dailies.


• Trailers

  Theatrical Trailer 1 (HD; 1:38)

  
  

  Theatrical Trailer 2 (HD; 1:23)

• TV Spots (HD; 2:03)


• Image Galleries

  Production Stills (HD)

  
  

  Behind the Scenes (HD)

  
  

  Poster & Video Art (HD)

Disc Two

• Theatrical Cut (UHD; 1:42:47)


• Archive Commentary by Paul Verhoeven, executive producer Jon Davison and co-writer Ed Neumeier (originally recorded for the Theatrical version of the film)


• Two Isolated Score Tracks offer the original score by Paledouris and his final theatrical mix, both presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0.


• Edited for Television Version (upscaled HD; 1:35:16) has alternate dubs, takes and edits of several scenes.


• RoboCop: Edited for Television (HD; 18:35) compiles alternate scenes from two edited for television versions, including outtakes that have been newly transferred in high definition from recently unearthed 35mm elements. This can be found under the Edited for Television Version menu.


• Split Screen Comparisons

  Director's Cut vs. Theatrical Cut (HD; 4:02)

  
  

  Theatrical Cut vs. TV Cut (HD; 20:16)

This is another beautifully packaged released from Arrow, housed in an attractive slipbox which includes the keepcase (with reversible sleeve), six collector postcards, double sided fold out poster, and an 80 page booklet with essays, stills and transfer information.

RoboCop 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While some collectors may continue to quibble that Arrow isn't including 1080 discs in their 4K UHD (re-)releases, they may have a "new, improved" (?) beef to take up with the label since there are two different 4K UHD versions available, each with their own merits in terms of packaging and non disc swag. (That's a joke, in case it wasn't clear.) Real collectors may be tempted to get both, but for those with more reserved tastes (and/or budgets), both of the 4K UHD releases from Arrow offer secure technical merits and a really bounteous supply of excellent supplements, as well as their own packaging virtues. Highly recommended.