Perhaps it was the choice of a different place from other major world premières (the BFI IMAX rather than the Odeon Leicester Square) but Robocop World Première was definitely, artistically speaking, below expectations.

Two Robocop(s) walked along the blue carpet taking pictures with the fans while two life-size replicas guarded the BFI entrance.

No signs that caught fire, no loud music, no thousands of screaming fans, no futuristic cars …Nothing.

On the red, sorry, in this case blue carpet otherwise we met  actors as Bill Bailey and obviously the cast and crew from the movie.

Plot

In 2028 American’s  crime is out of control on the streets.  Alex Murphy is a great cop working in Detroit but also a devoted husband and father.

When he is severely injured  in a car bombing, the scientist Dr. Dennett Norton (Gary Oldman) saves his life and Murphy reborn as an half-human half-machine called RoboCop.

Bill Bailey

Bill, last summer you did a great show live. Do you prefer to be on stage or on set?

Hard question. I think on stage. No, on stage without doubt. I love when you do something live and you are able to see people reaction.

So there will be a new show soon…maybe this summer?

Sure. It is not planned yet but for sure there will be soon a show.

Felicity Jones played your daughter in the funny movie Chalet Girl. Did you see her in The Invisible Woman?

No, unfortunately not yet. Did you see her? How was she?

Yes, I saw her and she is stunning. On Chalet Girl you worked also with Ed Westwick. If you must spend 3 words about Felicity and 3 about Ed…what would you use?

Well, Felicity is very talented, she is charismatic and she is really illuminated…as a star. Ed is really funny, he is impossible good looking, but you already know that right? And as I said he is so good and funny that you can’t not love him”.

Abbie Cornish (Clara Murphy – RoboCop’s wife)

How did you work on your character?

Let me see..This is Robocop, an half-man and half-machine, something strong and masculine. I had to play the thoughtful wife and mother so I went to act from my heart and I really enjoyed it.

José Padhila (Director)

Why you think the world needs a new Robocop? Why it needs it now?

I think it’s not just something fictional. What we see it’s here, it’s just around the corner. All this violence. And we already changed the war using machine. And there are a lot of questions that we need to ask to ourselves. Ethical and political questions.

You said that this Robocop is different. It is not a remake but something new. What is so different?

The original movie is so great there is no point to try to make it again. So we did something more philosophic. Murphy’s character is more philosophic, he had to deal for example with the fact that he is not longer able to make love to his wife. I love for example one Keaton’s line. He says “a product with conscience”. This it’s what we tried to do.

Joel Kinnaman (Alex Murphy – RoboCop)

Here all the journalists were a little bit shocked. The day before the première Mr. Kinnaman said on radio that it was Gary Oldman to learn something from him and not the other way.

Honestly I thought it was a joke because I read about it and I didn’t hear the tone in the voice. But, when I heard him answer the question I just asked, I realized that maybe it wasn’t so much a joke.

Q: You shot RoboCop in September, just after the media complain about Ben Affleck as new Batman. Were you afraid that the same thing could happen to you too?

No. Why? I was sure that was I was doing and the way that I was doing it was great. I never thought of not being up to the audience expectations.

Gary Oldman (Dr. Dennett Norton)

I was lucky enough to interview Gary Oldman few days before the première at the Critics Circle Film Awards where he accepted the Dilys Powell Award.

Your thought on Ben Affleck as Batman.

I think he is a great choice. And after all you have to see only the chin, only the mouth, you know ..so.. where is the big deal? He is a fantastic actor and he’ll be good, he’ll be really good. But I don’t want to know who will be Gordon in the new series…and I don’t want talk about it so I say goodbye to you all because I know in which direction you want to take me. (he smiled and left).