All over the world, peace is kept by American drone soldiers, built and sold to the government by OmniCorp. America is split, however, on whether drones should be allowed stateside. On one side, many (including famed news broadcaster Pat Novak, believe that drone-based law enforcement would save human lives, not only because it discourages crime, but because it keeps policemen out of harm's way. On the other, the American public doesn't trust something so unfeeling with so much power. In order to convince the American public that technology is not something to fear, OmniCorp hatches a plan to create a machine with a man inside of it, thus giving them the power of the drone but the personality of a human. When Detroit policeman Alex Murphy is nearly killed by a car bomb, his wife agrees to allow him to be the basis for this experiment. At first, Murphy begs to be killed rather than live in such a state; he's too crippled to live without the suit's help, so he'd rather not live at all. Soon after, he attempts to see the good in what he can be with these powers. OmniCorp tests his capabilities, but his human emotions and fears continue to hold him back, so they have his doctor dope him up with drugs to the point where he can't feel; he is literally a computer with a blank human puppet on the inside. His wife protests publicly, going to the media and screaming that they won't let her see Murphy. When OmniCorp decides the easiest way to do away with this problem is to kill Murphy and claim he died in the line of duty, it's up to him to escape, infiltrate OmniCorp, and take down the corrupt corporation that built him.
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Best part of story, including ending:
The story has intriguing insight into our potential future with technology. While they don't satirize or dig deeply enough into the subject matter, the man vs. technology debate is always compelling.
Best scene in story:
In one scene, Murphy demands to be taken out of the suit. The doctor complies and we see just how little of Murphy's body is left. Murphy screams in horror, and it's a tough scene to watch.
Opinion about the main character:
The main character is, for the most part, an emotional blank slate. He spends much of the film with his emotions deadened by drugs, so it's difficult to personally empathize with him.
