Film review: Real Steel - sucker punch

The movie looks really good, with a lot of the shots having a gritty futuristic feel to them

Perhaps ‘Real Steal’ rather than Real Steel would have been a more appropriate title for this film, which regurgitates familiar elements from many genre classics, including tired clichés like the ‘estranged father bonds with son’, the ‘underdog rises against all odds’, and the ‘boy forms sentimental attachment with his robot’ themes.

Set in the year 2020, the film presents a future where humans have been replaced by robots in the sport of boxing. The irresponsible Charlie Kenton, played in an engaging performance by Hugh Jackman, is a former boxer, who has had his own robot annihilated in a fight and is left owing money to a group of loan sharks. After learning of the death of his ex-girlfriend, he is left to decide the future of their spunky pre-teen son Max (a strong performance by young actor Dakota Goyo).

To get back in the boxing game, Charlie makes an arrangement with Max’s affluent aunt and uncle: before granting them full custody in exchange for a large sum of money, he will take Max for three months. What Charlie doesn’t know is that Max is an avid video-gamer, with skills in the robot boxing arena. As the film progresses, Max’s life is saved by a weak yet very cute sparring robot, Atom, with whom he predictably forms a bond, as he does with his father, Charlie. Eventually, skinny Atom rises to the top against the odds, standing up to seemingly indestructible robot champions. Meanwhile, Max and Charlie form a strong relationship — the kind fathers and sons only can in movies, with Max even asking his father ‘to fight for their relationship’ at one point.

Despite the cheesy script that belongs strictly in the recycled section, the film delivers its jabs in a mostly entertaining and charming manner.  This is because its more poignant scenes are scored perfectly with a strong and emotive soundtrack, but more so because it’s highly imaginative futuristic robot boxing setting makes for compelling viewing. The movie looks really good too, with a lot of the shots having a gritty futuristic feel to them. Also, its action scenes are skillfully edited and brilliantly choreographed, and make for some exciting fight segments. In the end, while this film from director Shawn Levy doesn’t quite win by majority decision, it certainly delivers more than a few haymakers.

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, December 4^th, 2011.