Synopsis for
RoboCop (1987) More at IMDbPro »

The movie opens with a news report advertising the way of life in this future, which seems to be far from ideal. Among other stories, three police officers have been murdered and a fourth is critically injured due to a crime lord named Clarence Boddiker (played by Kurtwood Smith).

At the local Metro Precinct in Detroit, officers respond to a variety of cases when a newcomer named Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) arrives, having been transferred in from another department. Sergeant Warren Reed gets Murphy a set of riot armor and introduces Murphy to the other cops, who are not happy about how the department is being run. The police were bought out by a company known as Omni Consumer Products (OCP), and are now being run as a sort of private security firm. Sergeant Reed then announces that the fourth officer (mentioned in the opening newscast) did not survive. This angers the cops, who are considering going on strike until OCP creates better working conditions.

Murphy is brought upstairs where he sees a criminal trying to escape. A female officer quickly arrives to beat the suspected criminal into submission. This second officer is introduced as Anne Lewis (played by Nancy Allen), a feisty yet fubsy spinster who has been around the block a few times. Reed decides that she will be partnered with Murphy. They leave to go on patrol. Murphy insists that he drive the car.

Meanwhile, a presentation is taking place at OCP Headquarters. Dick Jones (Ronny Cox) has created a new type of law enforcement robot: Enforcement Droid (ED)-209. Jones asks a younger executive to assist in a demonstration by aiming a gun at ED-209. But ED-209 does not sense the end of hostilities and brutally guns down the younger executive.

The company's CEO (known only as "The Old Man," played by Daniel O'Herlihy is not happy with Jones' performance. Another executive, Bob Morton (played by Miguel Ferrer) reveals that he has a backup plan in the event that ED-209 would not function properly, which he calls "RoboCop." The Old Man is impressed by Morton's idea and decides to put his project up as priority. Dick Jones is not pleased at being upstaged.

Lewis and Murphy are out on patrol. Murphy is relaxing by spinning his siedearm on his fingers, a move he learned from a television show that his young son watches. They get a call about an armed robbery and head into action.

The person behind the robbery is Clarence Boddicker, mentioned in the opening newscast. Murphy and Lewis chase them to an abandoned warehose where they are separated. Lewis is knocked unconscious by a fall, but Murphy is taken to the rest of the gang and attacked with shotguns. His body is brutally ripped apart while Lewis can do little more than watch. Finally, Boddicker shoots Murphy in the head. Murphy is rushed to a nearby hospital but there is little that the doctors can do and he is declared dead.

The next few shots are seen from an unknown perspective as Bob Morton and his staff work to commence his "RoboCop" project. RoboCop is built with a unique set of schematics and state-of-the-art equipment. He is also given three "Prime Directives" to operate under- Serve the Public Trust, Protect the Innocent, Uphold the Law. Unknown to Morton and most of his staff, a fourth directive (listed only as "Classified") is also uploaded.

Several months later, RoboCop is brought to the Metro North Precinct and assigned to work with Sergeant Reed's cops. Lewis, still at the same Precinct, sees RoboCop at the targeting range performing the same type of gun-spin maneuver that her old partner once used. RoboCop pays her no mind and takes a car to go out on patrol.

RoboCop first breaks up a robbery, using his armored body to merely defect the bullets. Then he saves a woman being abducted, by targeting through her dress and shooting a criminal in the leg. RoboCop finally ends the night by breaking up a hostage situation at City Hall, allowing news reporters to film this cyborg officer for the first time.

Bob Morton is thrilled by the success of his product, and the fame that RoboCop brings him. But Dick Jones is still very angry about Morton's upstaging him, and vows revenge.

Later the next night, RoboCop is at rest when he begins having strange dreams. He sees Clarence Boddicker shooting him in the head along with several other criminals. RoboCop leaves to find these men when he is confronted by Officer Lewis. RoboCop has no reaction to Lewis, until she refers to him as "Murphy."

Elsewhere, a man named Emil (Paul McCrane) is robbing a gas station when he is stopped by RoboCop. Emil recognizes RoboCop, screaming out "We killed you!!" RoboCop takes Emil into custody and uses the police mainframe to look up Emil's data and known associates. One of the names on the list is Clarence Boddicker, whose rap sheet includes charges for the murder of Officer Alex J. Murphy.

RoboCop goes to Alex Murphy's last known address and finds the house listed as "For Sale." Walking through there triggers more memories of a wife and son, and RoboCop angrily realizes that HE is Alex Murphy. He goes to hunt down the men who killed him.

Meanwhile, Bob Morton is ambushed in his home by Clarence Boddicker, who is revealed to be working for Dick Jones. Boddicker orders the two high priced hookers that Clarence was doing coke with to leave. "B**CHES LEAVE!!" he screams at them while waving his gun in the air maniacally. Boddicker kills Morton and goes to hide out with his business associates in a cocaine plant. RoboCop locates them and kills most of the residents, brutally beating Clarence. Clarence begs for his life, revealing his connection to Dick Jones. RoboCop realizes that he is an officer at heart and cannot murder Clarence.

Back at Police Headquarters, the officers have voted to go on strike (a result of OCP cutting back their salaries and pension plan, along with having lost 5 officers in the past week). RoboCop brings in Clarence Boddicker, who demands his phone call. He calls Dick Jones, who arrainges Clarence's release.

RoboCop confronts Dick Jones and attempts to arrest him, but mysteriously shuts down. Jones explains that RoboCop was programmed to not take action against an OCP Official (this is his Fourth Directive). Jones activates ED-209 to attack RoboCop. RoboCop is damaged, but manages to escape by running down stairs (which ED-209 cannot climb). Several officers attempt to stop RoboCop for his reported "attack" on OCP, when Lewis comes along and saves him.

Lewis and RoboCop retreat to a hidden factory. Robocop removes his helmet, revealing the face of Murphy. Murphy asks what happened to his wife and son; Lewis responds that they moved away after Murphy's funeral to start a new life.

Having been released from jail, Clarence rallies his gang of thugs to go out and kill RoboCop. Dick Jones gives them special .50-caliber rifles to destroy the robot. Lewis leads the gang on a car chase where most of the members are killed, including Emil (who is melted by a vat of toxic waste, and accidently run over by Clarence). Lewis is injured while Murphy is pinned down by scrap metal, but Murphy is able to stab Clarence in the neck, ending Boddicker's reign of terror.

Lewis and RoboCop return to OCP, using the giant rifle stolen from Clarence's gang to finally destroy ED-209. RoboCop attempts to arrest Dick Jones once again, replaying a video recording of their last conversation where Jones admitted to killing Bob Morton.

Jones grabs a gun and takes The Old Man hostage, demanding a helicopter to safely evacuate. The Old Man angrily fires Jones, thus voiding Directive Four and allowing RoboCop to take action. RoboCop shoots Dick Jones, who flies out a window, screaming as he speeds toward the pavement below. The Old Man thanks the cyborg for his actions, asking what the cop's name is. RoboCop pauses for a second before responding: "Murphy."