Maybe it’s just nostalgia, but
I really love this movie, and I think it has held up well.
Saw this back in ‘99 on a VHS tape recorded from late night HBO before I was even a teenager.
I consider this my generation’s Robocop (actual Robocop was a bit before my time), and I am happy to have had it. (This is a nineties kid Verhoeven action film, is what I mean)
I give it a rewatch every couple of years and have not ceased to enjoy the ride. It’s fun, the story is crisp and well told, the cgi is perfectly blended with practical effects, and the fictional world is believably ridiculous in the best possible way.
Because I first saw it at such a young age, the social commentary and satire completely blew past my mind. I saw it as simple ‘heroes vs. villains’. But there is so much more than that in this film.
On my most recent rewatch, I decided to view the whole thing from a neutral standpoint—not rooting for anyone, no heroes or villains. Instead, just beings who are operating based on set rules that neither side fully understand, and yet they are compelled to operate as such.
Still, I was captivated by the character relationships and drawn into the world, and I enjoyed the ride.
That is all.
Highly recommended.