Review by Jim Vejvoda on http://movies.ign.com/articles/119/1196426p1.html
Inspired by rather than strictly adapted from the Richard Matheson short story Steel (itself previously produced as a Twilight Zone episode starring Lee Marvin), Real Steel is a heartfelt and often stirring father-son tale with a high-concept premise -- robot boxing -- that works far better and plays out less ludicrously than you might expect.
Set in the not too distant future, the film follows hardscrabble hustler Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman), who was a boxer back before human pugilism was banned in favor of giving audiences the sort of deathly carnage only robotic gladiators could provide. Now he manages has-been robot boxers on the county fair circuit while racking up debts from shady people such as a good ol' boy former rival of his played by Kevin Durand.
That's when Charlie's former sister-in-law (Hope Davis) and her wealthy husband (James Rebhorn) drop off his long-abandoned son Max (Dakota Goyo) to watch for the summer as part of a custody deal (there's more to it than that, but I won't spoil it). Charlie and Max initially have no use or affection for each other, but eventually bond over their interest in robot boxing. Charlie and Max's underdog journey towards reconciliation and redemption is symbolized by Atom, an old-generation robot whose remains they discover in a junkyard. Atom is the proverbial little guy who takes a beating and comes right back swinging. In him, Charlie finally has a shot at the comeback that he never quite got as a boxer.
Real Steel's premise has been trivialized and mocked as being Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots meets Stallone's Over the Top. While such comparisons are somewhat valid, the movie is much more than that. Director Shawn Levy has finally ended his long night at the museum by delivering a movie unlike any of his prior flicks. This is an emotionally authentic film anchored by a father and son that you genuinely care about and want to see reunited, and enlivened by some sweet robot-on-robot violence.
You wouldn't expect to care much about either the people or the robots, but it all somehow works both emotionally and viscerally. Real Steel could have been the year's cheesiest movie -- there are definitely some Capra-corn moments near the end and where you feel the gears of the Hollywood Formula Machine grinding away -- but the end result is surprisingly heartfelt. This is the "boy and his robot" movie that Transformers always should have been.
Jackman and Goyo completely invest you in the relationship between Charlie and Max. They have wonderful chemistry together, and use humor to help make their characters endearing even when they're not on their best behavior. The rest of the cast is serviceable, namely Evangeline Lilly as Bailey, a former flame of Charlie's who owns the run-down gym he lives in. Anthony Mackie pops up as a fight promoter, while Davis and Rebhorn wreak of privilege in their roles as Charlie's former in-laws. But it's the scene-stealing Goyo who you'll remember most once the lights come up. He avoids all the cutesy and precocious crap that usually makes screen kids irritating, instead just coming across as a likable, regular kid.
The robot fight scenes are well-done (the production employed the latest in SimulCam and performance-capture tech to allow the director and cast to see the robots on their monitors while shooting). Shockingly, we now have a giant effin' robot movie where you can actually tell the robots apart when they're fighting. Also, the filmmakers smartly limit what the robots can do. They don't talk, they are operated via remote-control by human pilots and aren't sentient (although there is a hint that Atom might have something more to him than the rest). They are essentially giant toys, but like a kid with their toy you grow attached to them.
This film may take place in the future, but it's set in a real, relatable world populated by characters who are not much different than us. Real Steel is the most pleasant surprise of the still unfolding fall movie season, one worth checking out for its poignant story, sweet characters and raucous bouts of robot brawling.
Score
3.5 out of 5
