I’ve always really enjoyed RoboCop 2; sure, it might not be quite up there with the original classic but it’s damn close and maintains the satire and graphic violence that made the original so memorable.
We all know the name Frank Miller as his work in the world of comics and screenwriting is well respected. I knew he was involved with RoboCop 2 but I wasn’t aware that his earlier draft of the script made the film quite different.
The overall story remains the same but there were certain scenes that were changed, namely we get a few more flashbacks to Murphy’s family. This is triggered during the opening scene when we are introduced to Hob (Gabriel Damon), the foul mouthed kid who shoots Robo in the face.
The opening commercials are different with a hilarious sounding sex robot ad from Erotech; the fake ads were always one of my favourite aspects of the RoboCop movies and this one sounds incredibly entertaining.
A site known as the RoboCop Archive has further details below:
Cain is referred to as “Kong” in this draft. “Kong” is pretty intelligent here. Philosophical like the Cain in the movie. He’s also far crueler, Cain kills Duffy by slicing his throat open. He recites some religious quotes before he does. Kong then proceeds to look upwards at God as blood pores from the bent cop’s ripped throat. Fax is seen by “Kong” as a Virgin Mary type figure (he figures he’s Jesus). Until he kills her with the gunarm for trying to shut him down in the Civic Centrum! Kong pretty much sees everyone who goes up against him as the Devil’s men.
Fax goes a lot further in trying to mess up Murphy. She loops the footage and audio of Murphy being shot all around the Robo Chamber. In one riveting, funny/frightening sequence… Dr. Love [a.k.a. Dr. Fax] attempts to break Murphy’s will by throwing him into such incongruous situations as a surprise birthday party and a reunion with his estranged wife, all the while overloading his RoboVision with thousands of platitudinous directives–“Disagreement Is Counter-Productive,” “Arguments Don’t Settle Anything,” “Cooperate.”
Catzo (Michael Medeiros) has more dialogue in every scene he’s in.
There is a scene where Cain is praying to God, and is reciting religious lines again. One of his thugs comes in and interrupts him so he shoots him – then continues praying.
Cain wants to kill Murphy as he sees his immortal state as a violation of God – that Murphy is trying to be a God. The script doesn’t flesh it out very well though. I think this is a shame as that’s an interesting aspect that hasn’t really been explored yet in any of the RoboCop movies to date.
Construction of DELTA CITY is well underway though it has little to do with the plot. Workers have been getting murdered so RoboCop 2 is to be built to provide security for them in dangerous Old Detroit.
The Cain Cyborg speaks (only a few lines though) and retains his intelligence from his former life – like Murphy. His dialogue infers he loves being immortal and that he believes he is Jesus.
Murphy’s emotionally wrecked. Lewis continues to bring out Murphy’s humanity throughout.
Fax actually wants to get Murphy out the way and wants him dead so her cyborg can take over. This wasn’t made as clear in the finished movie.
Murphy doesn’t disappear for 20 minutes in the middle of the screenplay as he does in the movie. There is a scene where Murphy learns from the good female technician that OCP are going to kill the Mayor – he storms out to save the Mayor. He gets there too late when everyone but Hob is dead like in the movie.
The Old Man says “this could look bad for OCP Johnson”, Holzgang replies “Both units are about to be contained, Sir”. We immediately cut to two ED-209’s, each approaching RoboCop and Cain from opposite sides. Murphy turns on one of the units, but Cain beats him down.
One of the ED-209’s blasts Cain. This pisses Cain off who blows it into pieces with his rocket launcher. The other ED clouts him one on the back of his head with its gunarm. Cain spins around, and gets smacked by ED again. Cain punches it through the head with its punch-arm and the unit shuts down. Meanwhile, Murphy is crawling away – some police open fire and he turns his attention on them. After dispatching of them, he can’t see Robo and once again goes after the police. Robo goes inside gets the Nuke and it’s basically the same as the movie thereafter.
You can check out the full story outline by clicking here.
Source: RoboCop Archive