Movies Reviews

Real Steel – Movie Review

By Anne Brodie Oct 6, 2011, 14:13 GMT

A gritty, white-knuckle, action ride set in the near-future, where the sport of boxing has gone hi-tech, "Real Steel" stars Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton, a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring. Now nothing but a small-time promoter, Charlie earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the ...more

Is it because Hugh Jackman is so darn likeable that this movie is so darn likable?  It is impossible not to admire and enjoy this talented, gorgeous, upbeat Aussie who can do it all.  You can even love him when his character is a bit of a jerk in the first act.  But can you see past him?   

Shawn Levy’s spirited tale of a man and a boy and a robot is far better than seems possible given the fact that it’s about battling robots.  That’s an idea that could go off in many undesirable directions but thankfully, it hits home.  It’s a feel good movie that features a kid Max (Dakota Goyo) who can dance and act like there’s no tomorrow, robots that don’t have emotion per se, but create emotional interest, and... Hugh Jackman.

Jackman is Charlie, a long in the tooth battle bot entrepreneur (this is the future, btw) at the end of his tether.  His bots are falling apart at an alarming rate, he hasn’t enough money for a room and his late wife’s sister wants custody of the son he hasn’t seen in ages.  He will care for him for the summer, and hand him off when the school year begins.  And in the meantime, he’ll live a hard scrabble life, kid or not.

This is the first Disney film, I think, in which a father tries to sell his son.  He agrees to give fill custody to his sister-in-law for a huge cash settlement; he needs the money and he has no real interest in this kid or any others.

He can’t make ends meet and the extra expense and worry of an 11 year old is not on his radar, especially as he prepares for the big battle paydays.  There are few who would qualify less than Charlie as a babysitter, but he agrees, knowing he’ll be free in September. 

Max is pretty hard headed himself and after a rocky start, they slowly begin to realize that they are more simpatico than they look on paper.   They sleep in Charlie’s robot truck, live hand to mouth, and run up against an arse kicking cowboy (Kevin Durand) who demands the return of a loan Charlie can never hope to repay – unless his bot wins an upcoming battle.   Or six.   Life isn’t easy but at least Charlie and Max are getting along.

Turns out Max is pretty handy with computers and helps get the latest bot ready, with a hand from Charlie’s good friend Bailey (Evangeline Lily).   Charlie’s old school and the computer programs for latest models are a little beyond him, so Max helps out, giving the bots more abilities than Charlie could have imagined, and thus they rebuild their future.

The world of battling bots is a fascinating place for Max.  He discovers he has the gift of showmanship. Before the bots go into the ring, Max leads them in a dance, and as they are programmed to mirror his every action, they become a cool duo, creating rock star moments in front of thousands of cheering bot fans.

Levy is a terrific director, having mastered the CGI world in the Night at the Museum films, and comedy in Date Night as well as children’s interests in a long list of specialty television and movies.  He is in territory he knows.

Battling bots is a little off the beaten path at first glance, but it turns out Levy’s good natured, optimistic view of the world is what makes this film sing ...  along with Hugh Jackman!  And Dakota Goyo!   It’s a winning trio of talents, a special chemistry and a can’t-fail story that’ll have audiences cheering.

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Written by John Gatins, Dan Gilroy and Jeremy Leven
Directed by Shawn Levy
Opens:  Oct 7
Runtime:  127 minutes
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for some violence, intense action and brief language
Country: US
Language: English