9. The Family Dynamic
Here is something that actually proved to be an interesting deviation to the source material. In the original film, Murphy's family is mostly written out of the story, probably so the story can pivot exclusively towards all the aforementioned themes of capitalism and corporate greed. In the reboot, José Padilha has chosen to keep these characters around and give them more relevancy to the story, something that seemed like a horrible idea in every trailer released, but actually turned out to provide some interesting and emotional scenes. Part of that struggle between man and machine involves Murphy coming to acceptance that he is still a father with a family to care for, and that is an avenue that should be explored. Despite that, in the end they could probably use a little more characterization, as they really aren't strong enough to be remembered long after viewing the film. Outside of an interesting twist where his son actually witnesses the attempted murder, they do feel relocated to characters that exist solely to be saved in a climactic showdown. Still, it's the idea of Murphy adapting to a new family lifestyle that seemingly shows untapped promise.