Review of Real Steel (2011) by Durell B — 03 Sep 2012

I ignored this movie when it came out in theatres. Human controlled robots in a not so distant future that fight other robots. I'll pass. Well.. That's at least what I said when it was in theatres.

But thanks to cable television, namely Showtime, I rediscovered this little gem starring everyone's favorite iron clawed X-Men, Hugh Jackman. It may be because my expectations were lower than my credit score but I really enjoyed Real Steel.

There was depth and an actual story that warms your heart. Jackman is a retired boxer that has fallen on hard times and taken up betting by fighting robots. When his ex passes away he is given the task of caring for his son by the courts but he does not want the responsibility.

The story is about how a man and his estranged son come together and reconnect through a common bond of robot fighting. Sounds lame but it is really well done and the CGI is amazing. Great performances, especially from the son.

He perfectly walks a line of being a boy in desperate need of a strong male figure and a pre-teen who is strong and possesses the iron will of his father. Although I more than likely will continue to judge a book by its cover, Real Steel is a rare entry showing not everything is as bad as it looks on the surface.