What a nice surprise Real Steel is. A movie with cold, ton-heavy steel destroying each other in a ring while maintaining a passionate and emotional story about a father and son reunion. It has big-budget special effects intertwined with a heartfelt family story. It’s the best of both worlds. Director Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum) knows how to mix the imaginary with reality, and does a nice job putting a human touch on a world in which robot destruction is worldwide entertainment.
In the near future, the sport of boxing has been taken over by 2,000-plus pounds and over eight feet tall robots. They are definitely killing machines and the fans absolutely cannot get enough of it in Real Steel. But humans still play a part by controlling the machine’s every move by the use of ringside computer controllers. Now Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman) used to be a boxer, but now he is washed up and is a bot promoter always looking to make some quick cash.
He gets robots that are past their prime and carries them across the country in his big rig to fairs, theme parks, and places you would never want to go to alone. He is good at what he does, but always bites off a little more than he can chew. When he’s not on the road, he stops by his old trainer’s gym, which is now owned by his daughter (Evangeline Lily), and she has been waiting for him to finally clean up his act and get his life together. She is just one of many that Charlie owes money to, and she is more lenient than others. But right when she thinks Charlie will never change, a boy named Max (Dakota Goyo) enters his life.
Max is Charlie’s 11 year-old son who he has had no contact with since he was born. He’s just like his old man when it comes to being stubborn, hard-headed, and a huge fan of bot-boxing. Their relationship starts once Max forces his way on to Charlie’s rig and their partnership begins once Max finds a broken down bot after it saved his life, and they turn it from a machine who is use to receiving punches to one that gives them.
Jackman is weariless as Charlie. He is a guy who seems to be always down on his luck and getting in to things that seem to be way over his head. From the very start, we know Charlie only cares about himself. Even those close to him seem to be ignored or used. But when his son arrives, as much as Charlie tries to keep everything the same, it is impossible to do. And Jackman’s young co-star Goyo is fantastic and has just as much fighting spirit as Jackman. It is their characters’ journey and bond that takes this Rock’em, Sock’em movie to new heights. It gives it heart and affection, things that robots don’t have and can’t provide. Jackman and Goyo handle their father-son duo with great care and devotion, and it certainly pays off.
Real Steel is an underdog story that is fun and full of energy. The bots are cool and when they clash, the boxing sequences are staggering and hand out a huge dose of excitement. At the same time, the movie has an emotionally satisfying story about never giving up on your dreams or your family. It is a battle inside and outside of the ring and you get a ringside seat to it all.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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