The 80s are coming back with a vengeance as long forgotten, seminal science fiction properties get snapped up for revisiting. We’ve already told you about upcoming sequels to movies like The Last Starfighter and Tron , but what about 80s ass kicking? Could the decade’s harder edged action movies make it in a modern, watered down America where extreme violence in movies seems to be only acceptable if it’s being used to torture beautiful young women? We may be about to find out, since MGM is working on bringing back Robocop.

The news comes as a footnote in a press release sent out by MGM late last week. It’s part of the next phase of MGM’s evolution in which they plan to focus on their major movie franchises. Among the franchises getting their full attention they list James Bond, Pink Panther, The Hobbit, Thomas Crown Affair, The Outer Limits, Fame, Death Wish, and yes, Robocop.

If you’re a cynical bastard you’re probably already bitching and moaning about the way they’re going to ruin it. Hollywood doesn’t have the balls to make a proper Robocop movie any more do they? Maybe. Or maybe a little bit of Robocop is exactly what we need to shake things up. Granted, the original run declined in quality as it went on; and granted the whole concept is perhaps kind of silly by modern standards. But it could be done, maybe even done right. The world needs a Robocop, let’s give MGM a shot. They revitalized James Bond, why not Robocop?