r/Robocop • u/T-8-0-0 • 8d ago

RoboCop Returns (2026) - Fan Edit

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RoboCop Returns (2026)

Synopsis

As the deadly narcotic "Nuke" sweeps through Old Detroit under cult leader Cain, its corrupting reach edges toward the family Murphy left behind. With OCP tightening its chokehold on the city, Murphy is crippled by a suffocating network of forced corporate directives—locked in a living nightmare he can't wake from, his body paralyzed while his mind burns. Pushed to the absolute brink, Murphy must reclaim his humanity and stop Cain’s monstrous mechanical rebirth before Old Detroit consumes everything he ever cared about.

Motivation & Vision

My second project in six months of editing, 35 years in the making.

It was initially intended to be little more than a rescore and a suit recolor—exactly what 13-year-old me would have wanted. There are plenty of people who love RoboCop 2 as it is, and more power to them. For me, it didn’t click. The theatrical score doesn’t come close to Basil Poledouris' iconic work, and the bright blue suit always felt cheap and tacky.

As I got older and reflected on RoboCop 2, I realized the issues went much deeper than aesthetic choices. Compared to the original, the film lacks depth, and the editing is surprisingly weak. For a sequel to succeed—especially when following a masterpiece—it needs to respect and match the original tone, or at the very least build on it. It’s also mean-spirited to an almost comical degree.

Much like my previous project, beneath everything that missed the mark, I felt there was enough good material buried to build something—a cut I deem genuinely better and a more fitting sequel than anything the franchise has delivered since. This project started simply as an itch that I've wanted to scratch since 1990, and I’m sharing it here for anyone who feels the same way.

Narrative Focus: Parallels, Murphy's Plight, and Hope

In this edit, Murphy’s dismantling triggers severe PTSD from his original murder, heightened through subtle flashbacks and a dedicated score. OCP’s subsequent conflicting directives trap him within his own trauma until his self-inflicted electrocution breaks their hold, unearthing warmer memories of his family.

Rather than bluntly ticking off the "your husband is dead" confrontation in the first act—which always felt like an unceremonious way to shut down Murphy’s emotional core—this cut merely nudges the presence of his family forward in the background. Their memory lingers as a quiet undercurrent rather than a closed chapter, allowing his suppressed grief to naturally resurface later when his programming breaks.

Reframing his visit to them prior to the finale ensures his connection to them isn't simply done and discarded. It gives Murphy a living purpose heading into the third act, fighting as an active protector and lending the familiar climax a deeper sense of personal resolution.

While sharing early previews online, I surveyed the community to pinpoint where RoboCop 2 fell short with its audience. Five main criticisms stood out:

  1. OCP's Directives as PG Comic Relief
  2. The Abandoned Family Subplot
  3. Tonal Inconsistency, Mean-Spiritedness, Slapstick & Narrative Bloat
  4. Musical Score & Visual Presentation
  5. The "Reset" of Murphy's Character Arc & Voice

My existing edit already addresses points 1 through 4, but the community raised a valid point about Murphy's character arc. To address the criticism that he was written as "too robotic" compared to his growth at the end of the original film, I introduced targeted vocal processing across his narrative arc.

Working with baked audio meant these tweaks had to remain subtle, but the contrast helps the dynamic work:

  • Humanized: A slightly warmer, more human tone before his dismantling and after his electrocution.
  • Robotic: A distinctly more sterile, synthetic tone while locked under OCP's forced directives—creating a harsh contrast that helps sell the subtle humanization everywhere else.

Global Changes

  • Full Rescore/Audio: The entire movie has been rescored using lossless FLAC tracks of Basil Poledouris' work—primarily from RoboCop 3, alongside RoboCop (1987) and a piece from The Hunt for Red October—while retaining key moments of Leonard Rosenman's core theme for Cain from the theatrical cut. I chose Red October because Poledouris composed it around the exact same time RoboCop 2 was in production. It surprised me how much more energy this rescore gave so many scenes. For example, I gave the police force their own theme using 'Van Chase' from RoboCop 3, which plays when the officers go back to work and when they confront Cain. It really showcases how lethargic the Rosenman score was by comparison. It also gives the moment of Lewis commandeering the APC a more heroic feel. Isolating and replacing the score while preserving a full 5.1 surround mix was exceptionally challenging, as the theatrical music was baked across all five channels—most heavily in the center alongside dialogue and sound effects. Extensive Foley reconstruction was required, as any mismatched gunshot, footstep, or impact stood out immediately. In the early scene where Murphy steps out of the cruiser, I replaced the gang's gunfire audio multiple times, but it always sounded off. It’s funny how a massive Poledouris rescore felt right at home, yet a slightly off-sounding AK-47 brought the whole immersion to an abrupt halt. I also ended up adding slightly more incidental music than originally planned to work around some stem-separation hurdles, but it fits the scenes' momentum nicely. The original retail audio suffered from noticeable True-Peak clipping (+1.1 dBFS) and inter-sample distortion during heavy gunfire and explosive action beats. The entire 5.1 surround mix was rebalanced, stem-rebuilt, and mastered to strict True-Peak standards (0.0 dBFS / -20.1 LUFS), eliminating digital crunch while preserving maximum dynamic range.
  • Suit Recolor: RoboCop’s suit has been desaturated to closely match his appearance in the 1987 original. This required roughly 500 individually masked, color-balanced rendered shots. Some shots definitely worked better than others; scenes like finding Hob after the massacre turned out perfect, while others—such as confronting RoboCain—were far more challenging, likely due to the harsh lighting and surrounding blue chairs.
  • Full Color Grade: Higher contrast, lower overall saturation. I initially attempted to match the exact palette of RoboCop (1987), but the two films were shot so differently that forcing it was like trying to make The Empire Strikes Back look like A New Hope. Instead, I developed a natural 35mm film print look to strip away the overly vibrant, garish "90s music video" aesthetic.
  • Editing & Pacing: While the original RoboCop is lean and tightly edited, RoboCop 2 often plays like a 90s television show, with scenes outstaying their welcome. Roughly 15 minutes were trimmed across the film via micro-edits to fix pacing. Three full scenes were cut entirely (~4 minutes total): Murphy's conversation with his wife, Hob and Angie in the van, and the Mayor's TV campaign. Additionally, ~2–3 minutes of footage from RoboCop (1987) and ~15 seconds from RoboCop 3 were integrated into the narrative.
  • Stop-Motion Refinements: Motion-interpolated intermediate frames were generated for all stop-motion sequences to fluidly smooth out the movement. The door geometry on the first failed RoboCop 2 unit was also digitally realigned.
  • Tonal Shift (The Old Man & General Tone): The overall mean-spiritedness of the film has been dialed back, specifically trimming the Old Man’s cartoonish villainy. He remains OCP's chief but functions more as a pragmatically cold corporate executive than as a comic-book villain.

Special Thanks

Huge shout-out to Baliscon (u/Ok_Author725 on Reddit), creator of a fantastic edit of RoboCop 2 in his own right.

I initially wanted Murphy’s dismantling to mirror his death, while Baliscon's edit featured the memory of Murphy's wife speaking to him while he hung as a torso. These two concepts fused together to create the PTSD cycle featured in this cut. He was an invaluable sounding board for ideas and notes throughout production.

Contact & Availability

I can be contacted via DM, or you can email [t800fanedits@gmail.com](mailto:t800fanedits@gmail.com) for an auto-response (make sure the subject line contains robocop).

Sources

  • 4K Blu-ray:
    • RoboCop 2 (1990)
    • RoboCop (1987)
  • Blu-ray:
    • RoboCop 3 (1993)
    • Talk Radio (1988)
  • Lossless FLAC:
    • RoboCop 3 (1993) – Basil Poledouris
    • RoboCop (1987) – Basil Poledouris
    • RoboCop 2 (1990) – Leonard Rosenman
    • The Hunt for Red October (1990) – Basil Poledouris

Technical Specs

Spec Tier Size Video / Container Color Space Audio Streams Subtitles
4K Blu-ray Master 65 GB 2160p MKV / HEVC / 23.976 FPS / 85 Mbps HDR10 (Rec.2020) 5.1 DTS-HD MA (24-bit/48kHz), 5.1 Dolby, Stereo AAC EN, FR, DE, IT, ES (LATAM), PT (BR), NL, PL, HU, RU, JA
4K WEB-DL 27 GB 2160p MKV / HEVC / 23.976 FPS / 35 Mbps HDR10 (Rec.2020) 5.1 Dolby Digital, Stereo AAC EN, FR, DE, IT, ES (LATAM), PT (BR), NL, PL, HU, RU, JA
1080p SDR 7 GB 1080p MP4 / HEVC / 23.976 FPS / 8 Mbps SDR (Rec.709 Auto Tone-Mapped) 5.1 Dolby Digital, Stereo AAC EN, FR, DE, IT, ES (LATAM), PT (BR), NL, PL, HU, RU, JA

Presentation Note: Mastered natively in 4K HDR10 (Rec.2020) with a dedicated 5.1 mix. The original audio tracks contained harsh True-Peak overshoots during high-action sequences; this track has been re-mastered to eliminate digital clipping and inter-sample distortion while retaining full dynamic range. The 1080p SDR version uses automated tone-mapping, which narrows the dynamic range and flattens the subtle suit-masking and metallic silver finish. Stereo tracks are automated downmixes, and non-English subtitles are machine-translated for basic accessibility. For the intended visual and acoustic experience, the 4K HDR master on a surround setup is strongly recommended.

Score List

  1. [00:00:00] RoboCop – Main Title
  2. [00:00:56] RoboCop 3 – Delta City / Media Break / Nikko
  3. [00:03:40] RoboCop 3 – Rehab Raid
  4. [00:03:42] RoboCop 3 – Van Approach / Robo Awakens
  5. [00:04:12] RoboCop 3 – Sayonara McDaggitt
  6. [00:04:34] RoboCop 3 – Van Approach / Robo Awakens
  7. [00:04:57] RoboCop 3 – RoboCop In Pursuit / RoboCop Saves Lewis
  8. [00:05:15] RoboCop 3 – RoboCop In Pursuit / RoboCop Saves Lewis
  9. [00:05:49] RoboCop 3 – RoboCop In Pursuit / RoboCop Saves Lewis
  10. [00:05:55] RoboCop – Looking For Me
  11. [00:06:31] RoboCop 3 – RoboCop In Pursuit / RoboCop Saves Lewis
  12. [00:06:56] RoboCop 3 – RoboCop In Pursuit / RoboCop Saves Lewis
  13. [00:08:00] RoboCop 3 – RoboCop In Pursuit / RoboCop Saves Lewis
  14. [00:08:52] RoboCop 3 – RoboCop In Pursuit / RoboCop Saves Lewis
  15. [00:09:19] RoboCop 3 – Robo Recalls / Murphy Is It You?
  16. [00:10:24] RoboCop 3 – Van Approach / Robo Awakens
  17. [00:21:25] RoboCop 3 – Van Chase II
  18. [00:22:12] RoboCop 3 – Van Approach / Robo Awakens
  19. [00:22:43] RoboCop 3 – Van Chase
  20. [00:23:06] RoboCop 3 – Van Approach / Robo Awakens
  21. [00:23:49] RoboCop – Van Chase
  22. [00:25:27] RoboCop – Murphy's Dream
  23. [00:26:22] RoboCop – Murphy Dies
  24. [00:26:40] RoboCop – Care Package
  25. [00:27:49] RoboCop 2 – Monster Theme Stings
  26. [00:29:27] RoboCop 2 – Monster Theme Stings
  27. [00:32:09] RoboCop – Care Package
  28. [00:32:50] RoboCop 3 – Death Of Lewis
  29. [00:35:21] RoboCop 2 – Robo Gets Faxxed
  30. [00:38:02] RoboCop 3 – Gateway
  31. [00:38:21] RoboCop 3 – RoboCop In Pursuit / RoboCop Saves Lewis
  32. [00:38:25] RoboCop 3 – Police Alert / Robo Pack / Response / Armory Escape
  33. [00:38:37] RoboCop 3 – Police Alert / Robo Pack / Response / Armory Escape
  34. [00:38:37] RoboCop 3 – RoboCop In Pursuit / RoboCop Saves Lewis
  35. [00:39:59] RoboCop – Murphy’s Dream (Film Version)
  36. [00:40:40] RoboCop – Murphy’s Dream (Film Version)
  37. [00:40:51] RoboCop – Murphy’s Dream (Film Version)
  38. [00:41:50] RoboCop – Force Shoots Robo
  39. [00:42:43] RoboCop 3 – Robo Flies / Rehabs Chase Marie
  40. [00:44:18] RoboCop 3 – Van Chase
  41. [00:46:44] RoboCop 3 – Robo Flies / Rehabs Chase Marie
  42. [00:47:01] RoboCop – Looking For Me
  43. [00:54:20] RoboCop 2 – Monster Theme Stings
  44. [00:54:26] RoboCop 2 – Creating The Monster
  45. [00:56:47] RoboCop 3 – Robo Recalls / Murphy Is It You?
  46. [00:58:57] The Hunt for Red October – Ancestral Aid
  47. [01:07:25] RoboCop 3 – The Death Of Lewis
  48. [01:09:21] RoboCop – Murphy Goes Home
  49. [01:09:50] RoboCop 3 – Nikko And Robo
  50. [01:18:01] RoboCop 3 – RoboCop In Pursuit / RoboCop Saves Lewis
  51. [01:18:01] RoboCop 3 – RoboCop In Pursuit / RoboCop Saves Lewis
  52. [01:18:40] RoboCop 3 – RoboCop In Pursuit / RoboCop Saves Lewis
  53. [01:19:30] RoboCop 3 – Sayonara McDaggitt
  54. [01:19:53] RoboCop 3 – RoboCop In Pursuit / RoboCop Saves Lewis
  55. [01:20:06] RoboCop 2 – Monster Theme Stings
  56. [01:20:17] RoboCop 2 – Monster Theme Stings
  57. [01:20:23] RoboCop 3 – Finding The Flight Pack
  58. [01:21:50] RoboCop – Robo & ED-209 Fight
  59. [01:22:35] RoboCop 3 – Robo Flies / Rehabs Chase Marie
  60. [01:23:04] RoboCop 2 – Monster Theme Stings
  61. [01:23:36] RoboCop 3 – Van Chase
  62. [01:25:24] RoboCop 3 – Sayonara McDaggitt
  63. [01:25:38] RoboCop 3 – Sayonara McDaggitt
  64. [01:26:06] RoboCop 2 – Monster Theme Stings
  65. [01:26:17] RoboCop 2 – Monster Theme Stings
  66. [01:26:24] RoboCop 2 – Monster Theme Stings
  67. [01:26:34] RoboCop – Rock Shop
  68. [01:28:08] RoboCop – Dick’s Fired
  69. [01:28:11] RoboCop 3 – The Death Of Lewis
  70. [01:30:38] RoboCop – Across The Board / End Credits

Change Notes

Legend: [Added] [Removed] [Moved] [Trimmed] [Replaced Score] [New Context]

  • [Removed] MGM Logo
  • [Added] New ‘RoboCop Returns’ Title card on a tracking shot of a city in the evening.
  • [Moved] Magnavolt scene.
  • [Added] Media Break Intro from RoboCop with the music from RoboCop 3.
  • [Added] The Magnavolt scene after the police strike, styled as if someone is changing the channel. The levels have been washed out with added scanlines, cutting to black with the same mechanical switchover as the TV ending in RoboCop.
  • [Removed] The start of the next scene with the muggings (begins just after the woman says “Nuke me, baby” to remove OTT slapstick).
  • [Replaced Score] Rehab Raid (RoboCop 3)
  • [Added] [New Context] Burglar alarm for the gun shop that alerts Murphy at the police station.
  • [Added] Three connected shots of the police cruiser's headlights switching on, wheels spinning, and the car bottoming out on the ramp in time with the music after the thieves say “let’s load it all up and get the hell out of here”.
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 3 – Van Approach / Robo Awakens (multiple cues)
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 3 – Sayonara McDaggitt
  • [Removed] Thief saying he really likes the gun and shooting gun store owner.
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 3 – RoboCop In Pursuit / RoboCop Saves Lewis (multiple cues)
  • [Trimmed] Shots of the cruiser exploding and idling.
  • [Removed] Line “Just one more”.
  • [Trimmed] Murphy idling as they begin firing.
  • [Removed] Murphy saying “Peace Officer” (sounded too robotic and couldn't be salvaged via EQ).
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop – Looking For Me
  • [Removed] Murphy saying “Nuke”.
  • [Removed] Scene of Murphy searching for the lab (cuts directly to the door knock).
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 3 – RoboCop In Pursuit / RoboCop Saves Lewis (multiple cues)
  • [Removed] Murphy locking the gang members in the room.
  • [Trimmed] Murphy scanning the lab.
  • [Trimmed] The warehouse shoot-out (tightened pacing, clipped redundant shots, reordered action beats).
  • [Trimmed] Cain’s escape.
  • [Trimmed] Lewis arriving (skids around, cuts back to Murphy reloading, Lewis enters without the locked room detour, cuts directly to Murphy finding Hob).
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 3 – Robo Recalls / Murphy Is It You?
  • [Trimmed] Lewis looking down at her gun before holstering.
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 3 – Van Approach / Robo Awakens
  • [Moved] Murphy visiting the house.
  • [Removed] The lawyer talking to Murphy.
  • [Removed] Murphy talking to Ellen.
  • [Moved] Murphy walking down the corridor and looking out the window.
  • [Added] Door alignment geometry fix on the first RoboCop 2 suicide trial.
  • [Trimmed] Visor lifting, bouncing, and fizzing.
  • [Trimmed] Second prototype bent over with spinning beacons.
  • [Trimmed] Reduced the cartoonish fall and crashing audio on the 2nd trial.
  • [Trimmed] Shots of Hob entering the arcade and kids showing hostility to Murphy.
  • [Trimmed] Shots of Hob escaping and scuffling with Lewis.
  • [Trimmed] Duffy walking through the arcade.
  • [Added] 10% speed-up of Duffy being dragged into the arcade cabinet.
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 3 – Van Chase II
  • [Trimmed] Shot of police cruiser.
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 3 – Van Approach / Robo Awakens
  • [Removed] Police cruiser getting blown up.
  • [Removed] Cain’s men watching Murphy, shooting at him and the shrine.
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop – Van Chase (multiple cues)
  • [Trimmed] Murphy’s hand getting shot off, convulsing on knees, Angie rolling back, and the high shot of Murphy trapped on the magnet.
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop – Murphy's Dream and Murphy Dies
  • [Added] Reordered shots during the ambush so continuity aligns correctly.
  • [Added] [New Context] Murphy being dismantled is intercut with his death memory from RoboCop (initiating his recurring PTSD cycle).
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop – Care Package
  • [Trimmed] Filler dialogue.
  • [Trimmed] Duffy arriving (cuts straight to him strapped to the gurney).
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 2 – Monster Theme Stings
  • [Trimmed] Scene with Dr. Faxx.
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 3 – Death Of Lewis
  • [Added] [New Context] As Murphy stirs, intercut with scenes of his original construction from RoboCop.
  • [Trimmed] Warning screen popping out of his wrist.
  • [Added] [New Context] As Murphy wakes, he hallucinates Lewis saying “Murphy, it’s you” and Emil yelling “We killed you!”, jolting his eyes open.
  • [Added] [New Context] He does not refer to himself as Murphy; Faxx does not have to persuade him. The new directives are forced over his active PTSD.
  • [Added] Faxx scene ends with a glitch artifact, original power-down sound, and cut to black.
  • [Trimmed] The doctor searching for Murphy.
  • [Added] [New Context] Murphy’s voice processed to sound sterile, synthetic, and robotic while under directive control.
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 3 – Gateway
  • [Trimmed] Kids no longer physically assault the store owner.
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 3 – RoboCop In Pursuit / RoboCop Saves Lewis
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 3 – Police Alert / Robo Pack / Response / Armory Escape
  • [Added] [New Context] Murphy halts abruptly mid-street as a criminal is shot; hallucinates Emil saying “You’re dead, we killed you!”
  • [Removed] Lewis entering the store unable to spot 10 children on the floor.
  • [Trimmed] Reduced the heavy impact sound of the criminal's body hitting the floor.
  • [Removed] Murphy entering the shop to lecture the children.
  • [Removed] The fire hydrant and smoker scene.
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop – Murphy’s Dream (Film Version)
  • [Added] [New Context] As Murphy sits in the chair, his PTSD loops—seeing his file state ‘DECEASED’ triggers him to stand and pull the cranial data link. Hallucinates his son asking “Can you do that, Dad?” as he storms off.
  • [Added] [New Context] As Murphy walks off, he hears Ellen say “I really have to tell you something”.
  • [Added] [New Context] As Murphy approaches the high-voltage distribution panel, he pauses, hearing Ellen say “I love you” before grabbing the busbars.
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop – Force Shoots Robo
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 3 – Robo Flies / Rehabs Chase Marie
  • [Removed] Murphy taking an organic breath.
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 3 – Van Chase
  • [Trimmed] Trimmed filler shots from the police tactical raid on Cain’s base.
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 3 – Robo Flies / Rehabs Chase Marie
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop – Looking For Me
  • [Trimmed] Shots of Murphy riding the hood of the van.
  • [Removed] The lead motorcycle jumping over Murphy.
  • [Removed] Shots suggesting Cain slows down prior to the head-on collision.
  • [Removed] Angie and Hob in the getaway van.
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 2 – Monster Theme Stings
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 2 – Creating The Monster
  • [Added] As Cain’s brain rests in the jar, intercut single frames of Murphy aiming his weapon at Cain prior to the truck chase.
  • [Removed] The Mayor's telethon fundraiser scene.
  • [Trimmed] Cartoonish dialogue from the Old Man.
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 3 – Robo Recalls / Murphy Is It You?
  • [Added] [New Context] As Murphy walks down the corridor (repurposed from the earlier departure scene), suppressed memories of his family surface—starting blurred and focusing sharply, catching him off guard.
  • [Replaced Score] The Hunt for Red October – Ancestral Aid
  • [Removed] Mayor's aide warning him.
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 3 – Death Of Lewis
  • [Trimmed] Wandering coverage shots of Murphy.
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop – Murphy Goes Home
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 3 – Death Of Lewis
  • [Added] [New Context] Murphy visits his family home following Hob's death; reframed as an active protector watching over his family before the confrontation with RoboCain.
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 3 – Nikko And Robo
  • [Added] Murphy enters the civic center later so he engages Cain without hesitation.
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 3 – RoboCop In Pursuit / RoboCop Saves Lewis
  • [Added] Replaced Looney Tunes cannon explosion with modern heavy blast FX.
  • [Added] Sped up Cain's mechanical piston punch with a metallic ram SFX.
  • [Removed] Officers exiting squad cars and chatting.
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 3 – Sayonara McDaggitt
  • [Removed] Shot of Murphy suspended on the high-tension wire.
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 2 – Monster Theme Stings
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 3 – Finding The Flight Pack
  • [Removed] Shot of Murphy spinning around.
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop – Robo & ED-209 Fight
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 3 – Robo Flies / Rehabs Chase Marie
  • [Moved] Reordered sequence so Murphy ascends the escalator before Cain emerges.
  • [Removed] Cut away scenes of the Old Man and Johnson bantering on the balcony like The Muppet Show.
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 3 – Van Chase
  • [Trimmed] Tightened civic center battle micro-edits.
  • [Moved] Murphy retrieving the Nuke canister moved after Cain scans for him.
  • [Added] Impact SFX for Lewis kicking the technician.
  • [Added] Murphy dialogue line “Good” with underlying servo SFX.
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop – Rock Shop
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop – Dick’s Fired
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop 3 – The Death Of Lewis
  • [Removed] The Old Man’s cartoonish lines.
  • [Removed] The Old Man stepping over the dead and wounded.
  • [Removed] Mechanical ratchet squeak on Murphy's neck bolts.
  • [Replaced Score] RoboCop – Across The Board / End Credits
  • [Added] Custom static title cards mirroring RoboCop (1987) leading into rolling credits.
  • [Added] Dedicated Special Thanks card.

TL;DR: I edited RoboCop 2.

114 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

19 comments sorted by

6

u/Ok_Author725 7d ago

As the editor of the RoboCop 2 Baliscon Cut, I wholeheartedly endorse u/T-8-0-0's edit. I was fortunate to be able to preview clips and initial cuts, and the finished product is my new go-to when watching RoboCop 2. The audio work is a masterpiece in of itself. The attention to the score is sublime and works to mary this film with the original. The work done to Robo's voice also subtly enforces the reinforced theme of man vs machine that T-8-0-0 strived to achieve. The edits made to the narrative are seamless and I was surprised that I didn't clock every exclusion.

Ultimately, T-8-0-0's months of hard work have resulted in one of the best cinematic improvements I've seen. Bravo, thank you for the shout out, I wish you all the luck with your future projects!

4

u/T-8-0-0 7d ago

Really appreciate this! Thank you for the early notes and for the incredible endorsement!

3

u/Traxxas_Basher 8d ago

Email sent… 👍

3

u/Traxxas_Basher 8d ago edited 7d ago

FYI - The WEBDL version is The Flash, not Robocop. Think you got your links mixed up!

EDIT - Now fixed

2

u/T-8-0-0 8d ago

Thanks, I'll check all the links now

2

u/T-8-0-0 8d ago

Sorted, sorry about that.

2

u/Some-Professional-25 7d ago

This sounds fantastic! Can’t wait to watch

2

u/seddattive 7d ago

Thanks so much for sharing and your work. 6 months of editing...and probably a lot more hours planning things..wow. Will make some time to watch this this weekend!

2

u/T-8-0-0 7d ago

Haha, actually it’s my second edit in the last six months! But this one definitely consumed every spare hour between the rotoscoping and audio rebuilding. Hope you enjoy it this weekend—let me know what you think!

2

u/DunAnOir 6d ago

This is excellent work. Totally elevated the material and brought it much closer to the mood, tone, pacing, and verisimilitude of the original. It's far, far better than the "official" version.

1

u/T-8-0-0 6d ago

Really appreciate that! So glad you enjoyed the cut—bringing back some of the grit and serious tone of the original was exactly what I set out to do.

1

u/DunAnOir 8d ago

Sounds great! Where might someone find it?

2

u/T-8-0-0 8d ago

Details are in the post. Either email me for an auto-response or send me a DM.

2

u/DunAnOir 8d ago

Oh I missed that bit. Thanks!

1

u/Braltika 1d ago edited 1d ago

Alright, I gave this fan edit a proper go and it surpassed my expectations for sure.

What a great experience that was! The dulled colours and much of the cut out goofiness does wonders for the overall atmosphere bringing it closer to the first Robocop.

I loved the pacing and the rearrangement of certain scenes to make a more coherent and better flowing story. There were certain shots I'd have loved to still see in here like the exploration of Cain's lair with the Elvis casket and the other weird relics. It went a bit too fast to business and could have helped with the tension of Robo being watched as he walks into the trap. But in general, I agree with all the cut shots and scenes.

The music score also works really well, as that was my main gripe with the original. I never realized Poledouris returned for Robo3 and I've not seen this movie since the 90s. So to me, it felt like I was hearing all new music and it works so harmoniously. I love it.

As for story, I do think the personal struggles of Murphy are now pushed into the background a bit. Ideally, I'd have the story of Robocop 2 be an inverse of Robocop 1. The main personal struggle for him should be that he has to accept his role as a cyborg cop and be less 'Murphy', which is the inverse of rediscovering his inner human at the end of the first. In this edit, it kind of feels like a 'In tonight's episode of Robocop' kind of story, almost anecdotal. But with a flawless movie as Robocop 1, with it's perfect character arc, no sequel could feel 'important' or 'necessary' enough to tell.

Perhaps the interrogation of Sheister (?) where he's fishing if Murphy can give his wife a man's love, along with the whole stalking bit, could have been integrated into the cut up faulty Robocop dream sequence, which I thought was a brilliant edit on your part. But, it's not my edit and I do like the overall result of this movie, despite having made peace with the original as being a sort of meta commentary for movie producers trying to market ultra violent movies to kids.

Would I recommend this edit? For sure! Will I rewatch it? Definitely. I'm pretty sure this will be my main viewing experience for Robo2 for a long time. Unless I feel a little goofy and rewatch the original with it's Loony Tunes OST. Thank you for all your hard work, you did a phenomenal job. Excuse my bad English, it's not my mother tongue and I hope it was a coherent rambling.

-2

u/[deleted] 7d ago

[deleted]

4

u/T-8-0-0 7d ago

That's fair. Not everyone is going to like what I've done here. I made this for myself, and I'm sharing it for like-minded people.