What do you get when you cross robots, boxing, absentee fathers, and an underdog story? You get Real Steel, a Shawn Levy film that is full of action and heartfelt moments that are sure to satisfy the whole family. My visual and emotional appetites were completely fulfilled. Of course, Hugh Jackman’s presence didn’t hurt either.
Real Steel tells the story of Jackman’s character, Charlie Kenton, a jerk who loves boxing and making money more than anything, including his son. He sold custody of his son, Max Kenton (Dakota Goyo) in exchange for $100,000 and a summer with him. Charlie was down on his luck when it came to money and how he made it—through robot boxing. Then Max came a long and found Atom, an old sparring robot that was never supposed to amount to anything. From there Charlie and Max battled the odds and their father-son issues in order to become successful.
The casting in this movie was absolutely superb. Jackman played the rough-around-the-edges, abandoning jerk of a father well, as usual, but he also captured hearts with his attempts to win his son’s favor back. Twelve year old Dakota Goyo, a Canadian television actor, was just adorable, leaving the women all around the theater aweing and wanted to take him home for themselves. Goyo showed emotion and maturity far beyond his years and really stole the show for most viewers. He will be one kid to keep your eye on in the future. Other great performances were shown by Evangeline Lilly, who played Kenton’s long time love interest and partner, and Kevin Durand, the money grubbing cowboy that doesn’t play fair. Atom, the robot, didn’t have an actor play him, but I think it is important to note that he is just as crucial of a character to be played as any. Overall, the cast was well rounded and they really knew how to tug at the heartstrings.
I can’t say the same thing about the characterization though. Whether it was John Gatins, the screenwriter’s, fault or just Levy’s translation, Real Steel’s characters had no depth, no motivations. Why would Kenton be so heartless regarding his son? Who knows! Important background information was withheld, leaving the audience a little bit confused as to why the characters are the way they are. That is my sole complaint about the film though.
The visual aspects were unquestionably breath taking, thanks to the cinematography of Mauro Fiore and the visual effects department headed by Dan Akers. Each shot was crisp and well framed, and the whole movie just made my eyes dance with pleasure across the screen. It was aesthetically pleasing, to say the least.
The story was really intriguing as well. We’ve seen stories about boxing before, we’ve seen films set in the future before, we’ve seen the fighting robots before, but we have never seen such a family bonding focus on these ideas. The combination is sure to have a little something for everyone in the family without making you feel like this was a happy-go-lucky children’s film. It was a little rough, showing how the real world can treat you, but still had an optimistic outlook. I personally really enjoyed how the story came to resolution because it was upbeat, yet it wasn’t the predictable happy ending. It wasn’t too “Hollywood.” It has commercial appeal and can be borderline corny sometimes, but at least it had a little bit more of a real life ending than “all the good guys beat the odds and get everything they want.”
Real Steel was a phenomenal film that the majority of people I know and I all enjoyed. It kept everyone on the edge of their seat at some times and on the verge of tears at others. It showed that sometimes if you have no guts, then you have no glory, but sometimes that “real steel” comes from places you least expect it.
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