1998 - RoboCop : Alpha Commando - KayLing88 Entertainment Review

Publication Information

Title : RoboCop (Alpha Commando)
Genre : Animation, Action, Adventure, Science fiction
Created by : Michael Miner, Edward Neumeier
Voices of : David Sobolov
Country of origin : United States, Canada
Original language(s) : English
No. of seasons : 1
No. of episodes : 40
Running time : 30 minutes
Production company(s) : Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Animation, MGM Television, Orion Television
Distributor : The Summit Media Group
Original release : September 7, 1998 – February 3, 1999

RoboCop: Alpha Commando was a short-lived animated series based on the Orion Pictures film RoboCop and the series/films that followed in the 1980s-1990s. It was the second animated version of the character, following on from RoboCop: The Animated Series. The series premiered on September 7, 1998, and ran until February 3, 1999. It was also presented by The Summit Media Group. As of 2013, none of the show's 40 episodes have been released onto DVD. The series is currently streaming on Hulu.

Synopsis

The series is set in the year 2030, and deals with RoboCop being reactivated after five years offline to assist a federal high-tech group, "Alpha Division" in their vigilance and struggle against DARC (Directorate for Anarchy, Revenge, and Chaos), a highly advanced terrorist organization and other forces of evil whenever that may be, globally or nationally.

The series shared many of the same writers who had contributed to the 1980s animated series, but had even less in common with the movies or television canon that it was based on. RoboCop has numerous gadgets in his body that were never in the film, such as roller skates and a parachute. The show also suffers from major continuity errors.

In the first episodes we see RoboCop's son in his memories flashback and he appears to be around 10. We later see his son in the series, to be exactly the same age and even wearing the same clothing, as his memories. The names of Robocop´s wife and son were also changed to Susan and Richie.

The absence of Anne Lewis was never explained. Besides RoboCop himself, Sgt. Reed and Alex J. Murphy are the only characters from the movies in the series. Unlike the movies, and previous TV incarnations, RoboCop never takes off his helmet in Alpha Commando.

Voice cast

David Sobolov as RoboCop
Akiko Morison as Agent Nancy Miner
Dean Haglund as Dr. Cornelius Neumeier
Blu Mankuma as Sgt. Reed - Blu Mankuma, the voice actor for Sgt. Reed, was also in RoboCop: The Series where he played Sgt. Parks, the show's version of Reed.
Campbell Lane as the voice of Alpha Prime

The name change for RoboCop's wife and son is explained in episode 10. After Alex Murphy becomes RoboCop, his family was forced to change their identity to keep RoboCop's enemies from locating them.

Episodes