|
Movies •Books •Music •Food •Tv Shows •Technology •Politics •Video Games •Parenting •Fashion •Green Living •more >

Lunch » Tags » Movies » Reviews » Real Steel » User review

Real Steel
Real Steel

A movie directed by Shawn Levy

< read all 10 reviews

....If Sylvester Stallone Wrote A Movie About Robots...(Cue "Rocky" Chant)

  • Oct 7, 2011
Exclusive to the Lunch Network
Rating:
+2
I knew going into the film “Real Steel” that I was in for something not entirely special and yet I hoped for the best. I mean once you’ve seen the trailer, you already know where everything is headed, and let’s be honest here, the film does feel that it had been inspired by those little toy robots that you mash buttons to get them to do some boxing. I mean, it also comes complete with a boxing ring and the robots in “Real Steel” even have that inspired look. Well, the director behind the film is Shawn Levy who is also responsible for “Night at the Museum” franchise and “Date Night” so you should know what to expect. Also, the script based on the short story by Richard Metheson "Steel" but it feels more like something cooked up in the 80’s by Sylvester Stallone; blending an underdog drama, feel good themes and family film sensibilities.

Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman, Wolverine) is a former boxer and a guy out of his luck as he tries to scrape every little thing he can get from a robot fight. He tries to pit his robot against a bull and of course, the robot loses since animal rights activist would be enraged. It seems like he cannot have a decent kind of luck these days; he is buried in debt and now, he is called for a child custody hearing over a child named Max (Dakota Goyo) he had fathered years ago. Typical Charlie, he makes a deal to sign over custody to his former sister-in-law (Played by Hope Davis) but in turn he gets to spend some time with the kid for a few weeks. But once the father and son begin to be on the road, the two begin to form a bond with the aid of a ‘sparring’ robot called Atom. Now, it seems like deadbeat Charlie is about to have his luck change with the aid of his son and a beautiful childhood friend, Bailey (sexy Evangeline Lilly, The Hurt Locker), as they get a fight with the reigning robot fighting champ called “Zeus”, backed by a wealthy corporation and a Japanese designer.

                      Dakota Goyo as Max, Noisy Boy and Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton in ``Real Steel.''

                      1Atom and Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton in ``Real Steel.''

                       Evangeline Lilly as Bailey Tallet and Dakota Goyo as Max in ``Real Steel.''

“Real Steel” is a film that feels more like a ‘feel good’ family film that uses robots to make it look like sci-fi. There’s nothing wrong with following an established formula, but I am not so sure that the potentials of such a premise was credibly represented. There is no background given as the rise of the robot fights, and aside from the robots, the computers and phones, there is no indication that this movie takes place in the future. At its place, the film borrows elements from the “Rocky” film franchise (there is even a homage to Mr. T), most certainly “Over The Top”, and then meshes them with touches of sci-fi elements from “Robot Jox” and even the 70’s anime series “Daimos”.

Now don’t think that this is a sci-fi film because it most certainly is not. The film focuses on the relationship between Charlie, Max and Atom, as it uses devices that viewers of “Over The Top” would find very familiar. I mean I have to commend the direction for making Charlie a real deadbeat (I mean he is cocky and highly unlikable), and not the likable character Stallone had in that film, it gives some credibility as to why he lost touch, and the thing were he found his 'real' self and inner kindness would carry more impact. But then, I found the area how Max began to be attached to him a little ineffective. Sure, I mean, there is always a blood bond in there and Atom does help thing along, but I found the scenes where Levy uses some tear-jerking moments (extreme close ups of Max and Bailey) to be a little wasted. I mean the tone of the film is extremely cartoonish, this world is so underdeveloped and I find it hard to really care about the stakes. I was also left smiling when I saw a female character that looked like a tribute to Drago’s wife in “Rocky IV” and the whole "go to the body thing" is just taken from the iconic Rocky Balboa. Maybe it is just me, but the devices that made those other films successful were lost in this robot boxing thing. I didn’t feel like chanting “Atom” but I almost snickered into chanting “Rocky”. (I would've fell off my seat if I saw Bailey with a nerdy hat and dorky glasses-ala Adrian)

                   Anthony Mackie as Finn and Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton in ``Real Steel.''

                   Noisy Boy and Midas in ``Real Steel.''

                   Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton, Dakota Goyo as Max and Atom in "Real Steel."

There was an opportunity to capitalize on the hinted at sentience of Atom, but it wasn’t even touched on by the script. But I wouldn’t say that “Real Steel” is a lost cause since it does have its charm and most of it come from Jackman’s charisma and the robot fights do entertain. I was also glad that the film went for the use of animatronics rather than full CGI, it made the robot scenes much more real. It gave the robots a feeling of ‘personality’ rather than a bunch of polygons put together. The film does the crunch of metal against metal quite well; you feel the blows and the way Atom does the boxing moves with Jackman were spot-on. As with any sports movie, there is a final confrontation that really felt like “Rocky IV” as Atom is faced with a much larger opponent. I snickered as I saw the boxing strategy ‘rope a dope’ used by a robot against a robot. But hey, better machines who are beating the tar out of each other than humans right?

I suppose I cannot really say that I disliked “Real Steel” but I am unsure if I liked it either. I am a sucker for anime mecha battles and robot boxing seems to be the next best thing, but the one thing I just couldn’t get is that I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to be laughing at certain scenes and I did. The film is just excessively cartoonish and the direction seemed to struggle on some points and what was supposed to be emotional, didn’t feel real. I am not sure, I guess the caricaturist characterization had a lot to do with it, and the trailer really made the movie predictable. That said, “Real Steel” can be real entertaining for kids and the family; after all, who can resist a movie about a kid who dances with his robot and a reunion with his father? Take it for what it is, and you may have a good time.

RENTAL [2 ½ Out of 5 stars]

Poster art for "Real Steel." Teaser Poster Art for "Real Steel."


　
....If Sylvester Stallone Wrote A Movie About Robots...(Cue ....If Sylvester Stallone Wrote A Movie About Robots...(Cue

What did you think of this review?

Helpful
21
Thought-Provoking
21
Fun to Read
21
Well-Organized
24
Post a Comment
October 10, 2011
I love Matheson dearly, but a big budget action flick with life size Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots has no appeal to me whatsoever. I haven't read Matheson's short story yet, but I'd imagine that this is a very liberally adapted from it.
October 10, 2011
Yeah. This didn't feel like a work of Matheson at all, but rather somehting cooked up by Stallone. Not a sci-fi film at all in my view, but more a family film.
October 10, 2011
Definitely seems to be riding on the coattails of "Transformers" and other robot movies.
October 10, 2011
They should have called this one "Rocky Steel" or "Steel The Top" or "Rocky Steel Top" LMAO!
 
October 10, 2011
The TwoJews review got me really interested in this one. I'm hoping to see it one night this week. I believe that this film is either going to be terribly good or terribly terrible, and after reading your review, I'm leaning toward the latter. Nice review!
October 10, 2011
Thanks, Kendall. Someone involved in the production crew of the film sent me this link: http://www.wrb.com/. Apparently folks were supposed to see this before watching the movie. I am just happy they liked my review.
 
October 10, 2011
Going to see this this weekend I hope, great review WP.
October 10, 2011
check this out before you see it: http://www.wrb.com/
 
October 08, 2011
Even I, a self-proclaimed mecha lover couldn't say I was too excited about this one. Something about it just seems askew (even based on previews alone). I don't know why it is mecha makes such a poor translation in live action. Movies like "Matrix Revolutions" and "Avatar" prove that it can be done properly but the moment robotics become the star, it's big trouble. Good review though, your take pretty much mimics my expectations for this one. Looks like "Robot Jox" isn't going to be overthrown yet! lol
October 09, 2011
Thanks, Jay. The thing is H-wood can't seem to take robots seriously and they link them to 'nerds' (no offense to anyone). The technology is there but no one in H-wood wants to take the premise seriously. This may have been better if they adapted the book thoroughly. "Robot Jox" is guilty pleasure for me up to this day...reminds me of MECH WARRIOR.



 
October 08, 2011
I'm not even going to bother with this.
October 08, 2011
well, seems like most of the folks here liked it more than I did. It can be fun, but the script was just screaming "Rocky" throughout.

But she was a plus:
October 08, 2011
Yeah, and I don't follow any of them either.


And it takes a lot more than that for me to see spend my money on a  movie.
October 08, 2011
I saw it for free, so I didn't shell out $$.
October 08, 2011
well, if I can see it that way.... heh, I still won't see it. Got games to play.
October 08, 2011
remember this anime?





October 08, 2011
Yeah, that's those die-cast robots or something like that. They were selling pretty well here for a little while I remember.
 
October 08, 2011
This looks like an action-packed movie. And so, the moviegoers will appreciate the action scenes.
October 08, 2011
Yeah, I do think the right viewer can be entertained by this movie. I didn't dislike it and I almost gave it a 3/5. It is just that I couldn't past some of the film's 'hammy' moments, and instead of having an emotional impact on the narrative, I was snickering. I guess I couldn't get pass the vivid Stallone-movie references, and without them the movie was a shallow exercise.
October 08, 2011
The hammy scenes bothered me, too. They were so cheesy and formulaic, but that's Disney and Spielberg for you.
October 10, 2011
I agree with Gwynne...
 
1
More Real Steel reviews
review by . October 06, 2011
posted in Movie Hype
'Real Steel' 'Two Jews On Film' Have A Split Decision Over This Family Action Flick (Video)
By Joan Alperin Schwartz      The year is 2020. Things look pretty much the same as they do now...Except in the world of boxing. Humans have evolved to the point where they no longer get excited by watching men and women pummel each other. Score one for us.      What we have instead is 'Robot Boxing' which I have to say is...really, really cool...especially the way it's depicted in this new fantasy, action film, called 'Real Steel' directed …
review by . October 08, 2011
posted in Forbidden Planet - Sci-Fi Books & Films!
Boxing movies have been a staple of Hollywood for decades. Some of the earliest celluloid offerings documented pugilistic bouts in films such as Raging Bull, The Fighter, and the iconic Rocky series and helped boxing cement itself in both popular and cinematic culture. In the film “Real Steel”, Hugh Jackman plays Charlie Kenton, a down-on-his-luck promoter whose best days are definitely behind him. In the near-future setting of the film, robots have replaced humans in the boxing ring …
review by . October 08, 2011
posted in Movie Hype
Star Rating:         In Shawn Levy’s Real Steel, hulking robots fight each other in back-alleys and sports arenas as frothing crowds cheer them on. This blending of science fiction and fantasy, coupled with the adrenaline rush from the sheer spectacle of brawling metal behemoths, automatically makes the robots more interesting than the human characters. I honestly don’t know if this flaw can be attributed to the underlying concept, which I think is in the …
Quick Tip by . July 02, 2012
posted in Movie Hype
Most of the rating is because of Hugh's and Dakota's performances as an estranged father and son forming a bond while bring an underdog fighting robot from underground fighting to the big time. Yes, there are a lot of similarities to Rocky, but I do believe this film does not rely on the underdog-does-good theme. I also was blown away with the special effects and CG work that looked so real.
review by . January 13, 2012
posted in Movie Hype
James and I watched Real Steel on Blu-ray last night and I am happy to say that surpassed my expectations! I am a Hugh Jackman fan (I mean, who isn't?) and I was intrigued by the idea of watching robots box. I was hooked after the first ten or fifteen minutes and gave the movie my undivided attention. The actors and directors did an amazing job with this film. My favorite part was when the kid was teaching the robot to dance. My husband looked at me and said "if we ever get a robot, that's the first …
Quick Tip by . November 23, 2011
posted in Forbidden Planet - Sci-Fi Books & Films!
OK, I pirated it off the net. Just passed half way thru I started scanning forward through the flick. I have deleted it from my computer. I had completely forgotten it until looking down this list. Hopefully it won't be long until I forget it again. Not even as good as Cowboys and Aliens.
Quick Tip by . October 08, 2011
Hugh shows he can be a leading man playing someone who is not heroic. The acting takes center stage over the incredible special effects. Shaw Levy did a great job balancing the complex and eye catching effects with the heartfelt story line. All of the principles did well. My only complaint is that there was a bit too much reliance on the smart, cute kid story line. On the other hand Shawn (and Hugh) took a lot of time to bring out the best performance out of Dakota Goyo playing Max, the son of Hugh's …
see all Real Steel reviews (10)
About the reviewer
William ()
Ranked #1
Please "Like" Film and Movies and Keep the Economy strong....LOL!!                  My Interests: Movies, Anime, History, Martial … more
Consider the Source

Use Trust Points to see how much you can rely on this review.

You
woopak_the_thrill
Your ratings:
Movie poster
Brotherhood of the Wolf ( …
DVD release by Tai Seng (U.S.)
SWORD IN THE MOON
The Crow
The Crow (1994 film)
Thor (film)
Thor (2011 movie)
rate more to improve this
Recent reviews by woopak_the_thrill
'Star Trek Into Darkness'
Star "Twweeaakk" The Coming of Khan!
a review of Star Trek Into Darkness
The Grandmaster (2013 Chinese film)
Renowned Director Wong Kar-Wai's Biopic On The Life …
a review of The Grandmaster (2013 Chinese film)
Pawn (2013 film)
Good as Far as Low-Budget Crime Thrillers Could Go
a review of Pawn (2013 film)
see more reviews
About this movie

Wiki

Add wiki

Tags

Movies, Action, Fantasy, Inspirational Stories, Feel Good
see all

Details

Director: Shawn Levy
Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Release Date: 7 October 2011 (USA)
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Screen Writer: John Gatins, Dan Gilroy
see all (7)
First to Review

"'Real Steel' 'Two Jews On Film' Have A Split Decision Over This Family Action Flick (Video)"
© 2013 Lunch.com, LLC All Rights Reserved
Lunch.com - Relevant reviews by real people.
()
This is you!
Ranked #
Last login
Member since
reviews
comments
ratings
questions
compliments
lists