'Real Steel' A Review

'Real Steel' is a fun, simple, predictable movie. The formula is age old, the only new thing is fighting robots, and I guess that's enough. It's best not to think to hard about the movie, just sit back and enjoy. Hugh Jackman is our down-on-his-luck former boxer trying to make it back to the top. The year is 2020 and human boxing has been replaced by robot boxing.

The movie opens with Charlie(Jackman) at a rodeo pitting his robot against a two ton bull. How the bull is actually suppose to have a chance, I don't understand. Charlie makes a bad bet and get's distracted by a pretty girl at a crucial moment and the bull destroys his robot. He welches on the bet and as he's sneaking off he's approached by two men. They tell him his former girlfriend is dead and he needs to go to a custody hearing for his son.

He takes custody of the kid, Max, and thus begins their reconciliation. They teach each other things and grow. Max finds Atom a sparing robot that they teach to box and brings them together as well as success and confidence. There is a climatic 'Rocky' type fight at the end with the undisputed robot champion.

It's cheesy and you can see every twist in the plot coming a mile away. But its fun and the chemistry between Jackman and Max is playful and sweet if not totally convincing. There are some major holes in the plot as far as how these robots work and what, if any, artificial intelligence they have. But who cares. It's a decent movie about a father reconnecting with his son...and robots fighting.

Rent It.