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- Running time:
- 127 minutes
- Rated:
- PG-13
- Cast:
- Hugh Jackman -
- Charlie Kenton
- Evangeline Lilly -
- Bailey Tallet
- Dakota Goyo -
- Max
- Anthony Mackie -
- Finn
- Kevin Durand -
- Ricky
(2 ratings)
Washed-up boxer turned small-time hustler Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman) squeaks by refurbishing rundown fighting machines in the year 2020. Charlie’s former sport has been taken over by massive concoctions of steel and technology, delivering supercharged thrills for millions of fans of the World Robot Boxing League. One of those fans is Charlie’s estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo), who is forced back into his father’s life after the death of his mother and brings a fresh perspective to the family business. What a perfect opportunity to find redemption both inside and outside the ring!
The buzz: One of four movies this year produced by Steven Spielberg (in addition to the TV series “Terra Nova” and “Falling Skies” and two movies he actually directed due for release in December!), “Real Steel” has a much less exciting name in the director’s chair—Shawn Levy of “Night at the Museum” and “Date Night” fame. The screenplay is by sports movie veteran John Gatins (“Dreamer: Inspired By a True Story,” “Coach Carter,” “Summer Catch”), very loosely adapting sci-fi icon Richard Matheson’s short story “Steel” (which also inspired a 1963 episode of “The Twilight Zone”).
The verdict: While summer’s “Super 8” was a Spielberg homage that could’ve credibly come from the master himself, “Real Steel” settles for slack-jawed imitation of Spielbergian traits—fractured family relationships, cozy images of Americana, state of the art special effects. It’s a noisy, corny, entirely surprise-free brand of fast food filmmaking, designed to separate customers from their money with the hopes no one notices how little substance they get with their spectacle. Will Jackman’s down-on-his-luck dad turn himself around and learn to care for the son he barely knows? Could he possibly find romance with that fiercely foxy boxing aficionado (Evangeline Lilly) he’s been cutely bantering with for years? Can father and son turn a discarded boxer ‘bot into a prize fighter worthy of taking on the world champion? It begins to feel like any cliché that came up during production immediately went into the script. Levy ensures the predictable nonsense looks real slick, pulses with adrenaline-pumping music and sound effects, and never misses a chance to sucker punch the audience’s emotions. He also leans on heavily caricatured supporting roles for comic relief—Anthony Mackie’s smooth talking underground boxing promoter represents the biggest waste of talent, Kevin Durand’s good ol’ Southern boy the most obnoxious character, and Hope Davis’ uptight rich man’s wife the closest to expanding beyond a single dimension. In the leading roles, Jackman’s natural charisma can’t enrich a paper thin character and Goyo turns in a typically precocious, if highly-caffeinated, child actor performance. Given the lack of imagination expended on the movie’s human element, it’s even more irritating that the robots demonstrate less personality than the average action figure. At least the depressingly similar “Transformers” franchise serves up its soullessness with a side order of crazy. “Real Steel” just piles on the schmaltz.
Did you know? If audiences buy what “Real Steel” is selling a sequel is waiting in the wings. DreamWorks announced back in April they were already developing a follow-up in case the movie is a hit.
“Real Steel” is also playing in select IMAX theaters. Find local showtimes here.
Follow Metromix's Geoff Berkshire on Twitter: @geoffberkshire
Movie Trailer:
SHOWTIME LISTINGS
Movie theaters and showtimes for Real Steel in Atlanta.
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