Slashing The Seats

In the first of a semi-regular series, we look at the supporting characters that make the movie. The underrated cult heroes who truly deserve the spotlight.

It’s no secret I’m a big Robocop fan. I quote the movie regularly and often inappropriately and have been known to shout down anyone who claims there is a better film. However, the eponymous cyborg isn’t the best thing in it. Not by a long shot. And not even ED-209 can hold a candle to one of the most amazing characters in action movie history – the one and only Clarence Boddicker.

Why is Mr Boddicker such a wonderful character?

I think it begins with the look. Most of the time the leader of a gang of corporate-backed psychotic bank robbers would be played by a big guy. Someone who can hold their own in a fight. Boddicker is played by Kurtwood Smith, who looks like an accountant. In my mind, I’ve created a backstory for him that explains his rise to leadership by bestowing on him utter ruthlessness and a massive psychotic streak that carries over into the movie.

His lines are amazing. From his preparing to throw one of his gang at a cop car with the sinister – ‘Can you fly Bobby?’ to the – apparently improvised – ‘Oooohhh, Guns! Guns! Guns! Tigers are playing to-night! Never miss a game’ which ends a standoff with fellow gang-leader Sal, he is endlessly quotable.

And what about how utterly cruel and amoral he is? One could argue – as I’m sure many first year film students have – that he is the ultimate creation of  greed and the corporation. The sadistic nature in which he kills Murphy is a shocking moment, but his enthusiasm almost turns the whole scene around, making the villains the guys you want to side with. You know the only reason he finishes Murphy off, with one of the best headshots in movie history, is to stop his annoying screams.

He has all the best toys. Ridiculously large guns, a car that gets really shitty gas mileage (but is HUGE) and grenades that look like futurist ornaments. His suits even make me want to reassess 80s fashion. He is suitably equipped for kicking ass and taking names and looking good doing it.

He almost beats Robocop too. Almost. Of course Robo has to win, but he gets totally wrecked doing it. And Boddicker has already killed him once. It’s only a lucky shot with a sharpened USB stick that puts Clarence away, spurting blood in massive arcs as he goes down, a suitably epic death for such a totally awesome character.

There have been few villains like Clarence Boddicker in cinema. They usually come in the Muscle-Bound Idiot or Expensive-Suited Overlord variety. Clarence transcends these stereotypes and creates one of the best-loved and most unusual badasses in action movie history.

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