10 Movie Characters Who Got Undeservedly Brutal Deaths

7. Alex Murphy - RoboCop

Method Of Death

Shot. A lot.

Why It Was Undeserved

Alex Murphy's (Peter Weller) death at the beginning of RoboCop pretty much defines cinematic cruelty, and as "cool" an action movie as it might be, Murphy's execution at the hands of Clarence Boddicker (Kurtwood Smith) and his gang is legitimately nauseating, even upsetting.

Director Paul Verhoeven intentionally prolongs Murphy's demise for maximum stomach-churning impact, forcing the audience to witness his hand and arm being shot off before Murphy is peppered with dozens of gunshots to the chest and finally capped in the dome by Boddicker.

But what really makes the scene so sickening is the gang's callous, mocking attitude to Murphy's suffering, laughing at his dismemberment and taking clear pleasure in his anguish.

It's a brilliant scene, of course, and totally in step with the movie's excessively violent tone - a staple of Verhoeven's filmography, no less - while making Murphy's subsequent revenge as RoboCop that much more satisfying.

But as far as revenge thriller set-ups go, this one has an uncommonly unsettling impact, and honestly, who would've expected such visceral staying power from a movie called RoboCop?