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RoboCop 2

RoboCop 2

He's back to protect the innocent.

1990117 minRMidcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
Director
Irvin Kershner
Starring
Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Tom Noonan, Belinda Bauer

After a successful deployment of the RoboCop Law Enforcement unit, OCP sees its goal of urban pacification come closer and closer, but as this develops, a new narcotic known as "Nuke" invades the streets led by God-delirious leader Cane. As this menace grows, it may prove to be too much for Murphy to handle. OCP tries to replicate the success of the first unit, but ends up with failed prototypes with suicidal issues... until Dr. Faxx, a scientist straying away from OCP's path, uses Cane as the new subject for the RoboCop 2 project, a living God.

Where to watch

Where can I watch RoboCop 2?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists RoboCop 2 streaming on MGM+ via Prime Video, Pluto TV (free), The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about RoboCop 2?

RoboCop 2 earns 5 badges, led by Guilty pleasure and Preferred by Men.

  • Reception
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is RoboCop 2 worth watching?

RoboCop 2's Midcredits score is the 35th percentile of all films, from 184K ratings across 6 sources. 35% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

35th percentile

Better received than 35% of films

51st percentile among Action38th percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)41st
Approval (how many liked it)30th

59 /100

41st percentile of all films

58th percentile among Action44th percentile among 1990s

Critics 42 · Audience 60

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.0 — solid but not unanimous.

35% liked it

30th percentile of all films

45th percentile among Action33rd percentile among 1990s
35% rated it 7–1065% rated it 1–6

Critics 31% · Audience 37%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 3 noms overall

95th percentile

184K ratings across platforms

91st percentile among Action94th percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 6% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$25M
Opening weekend$14M
Domestic gross$46M
Worldwide gross$46M

Returned 1.8× its budget — 77th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The sequel is a more straightforward, violent action film that doesn't match the original's satirical bite and emotional resonance.

Fans praised

  • Cain's calm creepiness and philosophical delusions
  • satisfying action and well-crafted practical effects, stop-motion, early CGI
  • dark humor sprinkled throughout, plus social commentary

Detractors panned

  • mean-spirited, gratuitous violence and unpleasant tone
  • incoherent, messy plot with loopholes and tangled threads
  • lacks the original's wit, satire, and emotional depth

What stands out

Effects and spectacle75

stop-motion and CGI praised as excellent for era

ActingDivisive45

Cain underrated but support cast and TV-level performances panned

PacingDivisive45

entertaining in spots but drags and has weak final act

AtmosphereDivisive40

fails to recapture original's satirical tone; more generic action

DialogueDivisive40

some dark humor but lacks first film's wit

Plot and storyDivisive35

loose, messy narrative with drug war and OCP schemes tangling

CharactersDivisive35

Cain memorable but shallow gang and one-note villains

Originality30

rehash of first film's elements without the satire

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 16 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 6 points apart
  • Critics vs users 7 points apart
  • US vs non-US 8 points apart

Watch experience

What is RoboCop 2 like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you thinking.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseThrilling
Heaviest: middle
Register
Satirical · 5% of filmsBrutal · 7% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film critiques corporate greed and drug culture through exaggerated news segments and cynical humor, while presenting its violent action with a straight face.
The rideThe film maintains a high-pressure, tense atmosphere from the opening crime scenes through the climactic robot battle, with peaks of action in the middle.
StructureThe story follows a linear sequence from RoboCop's patrol, to his conflict with Cain and OCP, to the final showdown.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Thought-provokingUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's critique of corporate power and drug epidemic lingers after the credits, alongside its graphic violence.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Monster
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% (this title) · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Corporate villainy: A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeRoboCop fights a corrupt corporation and a drug lord who becomes a cyborg monster, with the broader threat being OCP's plan to take over Detroit.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfCorruption
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 2% · Corruption 3% (this title) · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Power

Corruption · 3% of filmsJustice · 13% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores corporate and criminal power corrupting society, with RoboCop fighting against both.
StanceThe film warns against unchecked corporate power, the dehumanizing effects of technology, and the societal decay caused by the drug trade.

The world

Near futureUrbanInstitutionalScience fiction
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score
SettingA dystopian, crime-ravaged Detroit in the near future, dominated by the megacorporation OCP and the Nuke drug trade.
MusicThe score blends heroic brass with synthetic textures, but is less iconic than the original film's score.

Content guide

Is RoboCop 2 okay for kids?

R

RoboCop 2 is rated R. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (90/100), sexual content at mild (21/100), language at intense (79/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (74/100) and frightening material at intense (79/100). Overall it is heavier than 87% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 17 other countries
  • UK18
  • AustraliaR 18+
  • Germany18
  • France12
  • Ireland18
  • JapanPG12
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil16
  • Belgium18
  • Hungary18
  • ItalyT
  • MexicoC
  • Netherlands16
  • Poland18
  • SK12
  • Spain18
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 92% of all filmsHeavier than 87% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 86%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 14%
Profanity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 71%
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 91%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 77%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: violence, frightening material, language, and drug and alcohol content. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does RoboCop 2 have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in RoboCop 2?

Cast

Peter Weller
as Robocop
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Nancy Allen
as Anne Lewis
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Tom Noonan
as Cain
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Belinda Bauer
as Juliette Faxx
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Willard E. Pugh
as Mayor Kuzak
Dan O'Herlihy
as Old Man
Felton Perry
as Donald Johnson
Gabriel Damon
as Hob
Galyn Görg
as Angie
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Stephen Lee
as Duffy
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like RoboCop 2?

Movies like RoboCop 2 include RoboCop (2014), RoboCop (1987) and RoboCop 3 (1993). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films written by Edward Neumeier, and half are cyberpunk films.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

All 12 share its world: dystopian. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with RoboCop 2?

635 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: dystopian. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.