Tag Archive: Robert Zemeckis

Movie Review – Real Steel

Caught this one at the dollar theater last week, and I must say, wow.

No really, I must say it.  Wow.

Yes, I was one of those who scoffed initially at the trailer. “They’re making a Rock ’em Sock ’em Robots movie?” I asked incredulously.  “Gee, can’t wait to see Hungry Hungry Hippos.”  But I’ll admit I was curious.  Mel, more so than me, and she’s been pestering everyone to go see it while it was still in that so-affordable-you-cant-complain-if-it-does-suck price range.  So we went.

Admittedly, the story is very formula, about a dead beat dad who abandoned his son early on, and now only wishes to scrape enough money together to purchase a new fighting robot, by waiving his fatherly rights for a price.  Of course the kid has to spend the summer with him, and they take their budding relationship on the road, going from one robot boxing match to the next.  Mix the basic story of OVER THE TOP and ROCKY with the truck stop atmosphere of ANY WHICH WAY BUT LOOSE and throw in generous helpings of robots mashing each other to a pulp and you get the basic idea here.

But the surprise factor is how good the film is.  Hugh Jackman is his usual self.  Good, but doesn’t act much. (Nearly an identical character to SWORDFISH with different motivation) but I have always liked Jackman and am willing to let that slide.  The film sports an impressive pedigree, based on the short story Steel by I AM LEGEND scribe Richard Matheson, which was previously adapted as an episode of “The Twilight Zone”.  The idea that in the near future human boxers are replaced with robots–which can take even more brutal poundings and thus create more spectacle–is an intriguing and believable one.  It seamlessly bridges the worlds of boxing and WWE and “Battle Bots”.  The film is executive produced by Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis, has a fantastic score by Danny Elfman (but doesn’t sound anything like Elfman), features boxing scenes supervised by Sugar Ray Leonard, and is aptly directed by NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM helmer Shawn Levy.

“Sometimes you go into a  movie with low expectations and are pleasantly surprised” wrote Roger Ebert about this one.  And he’s totally right.  REAL STEEL hits all the right moments to be effective, has just enough characterization to flesh these beings out into real people, and of course, impressive special effects and robots.  It succeeds as great family entertainment, and would be on my top films of 2011 list just for how enjoyable it was.

Got me all excited to see BATTLESHIP now. (not really, no.)

REAL STEEL – A-