又見《機械戰警》 炫酷外衣下的經典重現
Remaking a classic movie is a tricky business nowadays. Stay too close to the original and your work will be considered redundant; veer too far and you risk losing hardcore fans.
如今，翻拍經典影片是件很微妙的事。太接近原版會有“狗尾續貂”之嫌；與原版相差太遠又有可能流失忠實粉絲。After watching Brazilian director Jose Padilha’s reboot of RoboCop — the 1987 classic sci-fi movie by Dutch director Paul Verhoeven — it’s fair to say that the remake comes dangerously close to the latter. But while it may upset some of the faithful fans, it may well win over a few new ones, too.
1987年荷蘭導演保羅•範霍文拍攝了經典科幻片《機械戰警》。在看過巴西導演何塞•帕迪利亞翻拍的最新版本後不得不說，兩部影片的高度類似不禁叫人替翻拍版本捏了把汗。儘管這可能會引發一些忠實粉絲的不滿，但它同樣會吸引一些新粉絲。Some things remain the same. The setting is still a futuristic Detroit (in 2028), and the protagonist Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) is still a good cop who gets seriously injured on duty and is put into a robotic suit to be the city’s cyborg peacekeeper.
新版影片保留了原版中的部分元素。故事依舊設定在2028年的底特律，主角亞歷克斯•墨菲（喬爾•金納曼飾演）仍然是名正直的警察。他在執行任務時身負重傷，後來披上機械戰甲化身機械戰警。
But that’s where the similarities end. Padilha’s remake is set in a world where multinational corporation OmniCorp, led by ruthless CEO Raymond Sellars (Michael Keaton), has become the US military’s major contractor.
然而，新版影片對原版的保留僅限於此。在帕迪利亞翻拍的影片中，由冷麪CEO雷蒙德•塞拉斯（邁克爾•基頓飾演）領導的跨國公司OnmiCorp成爲了美國頭號軍火商。Overseas, its soldier drones are helping to “enforce” the peace; back home, its advanced robotics department is helping injured soldiers to walk again. But despite their best efforts, there’s one area of business they haven’t yet cracked — securing the US’ own streets.
在海外，該公司研發的無人戰鬥機身兼“維和”使命；在美國國內，該公司利用先進的機器人科技幫助受傷士兵重新站立行走。然而，儘管他們已傾盡全力，卻仍未突破一個領域——維護美國本土大街小巷的安全。Just like the 1987 original, the struggle between man and machine forms the movie’s backbone, though here the concept is upended. While the original concerned a machine that realizes that it is a man, this update basically concerns a man who comes to terms with being trapped inside a machine.
和1987年的原版電影一樣，影片主題依舊圍繞人與機器人之間的掙扎；不同的是，新片顛覆了老版影片的理念。在老版影片中，機械戰警（掙扎過後）最終意識到自己本身是人類，而新版影片中，機械戰警則甘心受困於機器之中。That doesn’t mean Murphy, the new hero, gets all sentimental and soft. Along with much improved visual effects, there are some quite solid action scenes that make him reminiscent of Iron Man and Batman.
但是，這並不表示新版影片的主人公墨菲是個多愁善感、軟弱的角色。除了視覺效果方面的改進，該片還展現了一些激烈的動作場面，讓人不禁聯想到鋼鐵俠和蝙蝠俠。Of course, a common problem with action-packed sci-fi movies is their short on intellectual weight. Compared with the 1987 original, which was a smart satire of American culture, the new RoboCop resonates to some degree with its depiction of military drone strikes. Yet it sidesteps deeper questions about the intersection of technology, law enforcement and politics.
當然，科幻動作片面臨的通病是缺乏深度。1987年的原版電影曾巧妙地諷刺了美國文化，新版《機械戰警》則通過對美國無人機空襲場景的刻畫，在某種程度上與前作產生了共鳴。但是，新版影片對科技、執法與政治等深層問題選擇了迴避。But Padilha’s update still works, because it logically transports the core concept into a future that feels closer to our own. And the movie is different enough to exist on its own without ignoring or disrespecting its roots. Given the potential mistakes when re-imagining a classic, you can’t be fairer than that.
儘管如此，帕迪利亞的翻拍版還是成功的嘗試，因爲該片順理成章地將電影核心理念轉移到了一個似乎離我們很近的未來時空。在尊重原版的基礎上，該片的與衆不同足以爲自己爭得一席之地。翻拍經典難免出錯，這是最公平的說法了。
