Film Review: Real Steel

On first glance, Real Steel could be easily dismissed as 'Rocky meets Transformers', and while it certainly has a lot of elements of Rocky in, its only connection to Transformers is that it is A, about robots, and B, a film. In fact, it's another Stallone drama that Real Steel also has a lot in common with, and it makes for a fairly enjoyable ride throughout.

The year is 2020, and robot boxing is one of America's most popular sports. Deadbeat fight promoter Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman) ends up saddled with a son, Max (Dakota Goyo) that he's never properly connected with over the Summer while he tries to find a new robot contender. After Max finds a discarded robot in a scrap yard, it becomes clear that the 'bot has got what it takes...

It's all watchable enough. But it's not the most original story ever, even if it does boast boxing robots. The underdog unexpectedly rising through the ranks towards a battle with the champion is pretty much the plot of the first Rocky film. Hell, the champion robot is called Zeus! (which must be a reference to Apollo Creed, another Greek God named fighter)

And the Father-Son bonding over competitive sports as they travel the country is also the plot from another Stallone movie, Over The Top (which featured arm wrestling as the sport of choice), even down to the bratty kid warming to the Father even when relatives take him away.

But other than that, it's a pretty fun film. Jackman is likable as always, even when his character is pretty much selling his son so he can buy a robot, and there is good support from Evangeline Lilly as Bailey, Max's on/off girlfriend. And even the kid isn't too annoying.

At the end of the day, this films target audience is probably kids and teenagers who haven't even heard of Rocky or Over The Top, but really dug seeing massive robots fight in Transformers. So for that reason, and the fact you actually see the robots fight without cutting back constantly to useless humans, I think we can let the slight plagiarism slide.

***
If you've seen Rocky or Over The Top, and can imagine robots clashing instead of humans, you've seen this film. But it's charming enough, and ideal for youngsters who don't know anything about Stallone!