Well, I have to say that while it’s not the same adrenaline rush (there’s just something far more magical about watching it on a huge screen), it did leave me charged and feeling good. So if you want a feel-good movie to share with your kids, I truly encourage you to give Real Steel a try!
That being said, if you never liked Rocky then you’ll want to pass up Real Steel because it truly is a Rocky remake… but with a twist.
What I loved about this film is how amazing the fight scenes were—and not one human being was injured in the course of the fighting!
As a little girl I loved boxing… I loved the thrill of it, the skill of it, that excitement of it. Then I discovered how damaging it was to the human body, and being the sensitive soul that I am, I boycotted the sport. But not without regrets as I seriously enjoyed a good fight.
So the whole idea of robots taking the beating instead of humans…and using all the same moves…well, how could I not get excited?!
The film takes place approximately 15 years in the future where human boxing has been replaced with robot boxing. The main character, Charlie Kenton, was a human boxer, and when the sport shifted to robots, he reluctantly made the switch. Sadly, he sucked in his new profession, became a drunk, and basically gambled away his future.
Then one day he gets a call that the mother of a son he abandoned at birth has died and he must attend the custody hearing. At the hearing, he realizes that his child’s aunt is married to a rather wealthy man and agrees to give up his rights as a father in exchange for money, and a summer with his son, Max. (Yes, that’s very bad!)
Charlie uses the money to buy a new robot, and instead of taking the time to learn about the robot, he takes him to a fight and basically kills him. Frustrated and angered over his own stupidity, he takes Max to a dump to collect parts in hopes of putting together a new robot. That’s when Max discovers ATOM, a shadow-boxing robot, who had been thrown away with every piece still in tact.
Max cleans up ATOM and decides that he’s capable of fighting, but Charlie disagrees. After a little persuading, Charlie gives ATOM a try and is surprised to discover just how good a fight he can be.
Match after match, ATOM proves himself a worthy opponent. Then he’s scheduled to fight the champion of the World Robot Boxing League and all bets are off.
But there’s so much more to the storyline than fighting robots, or a sleazy dad taking advantage of a bad situation and selling his son for money.
It’s a story about second chances, of righting wrongs, of forgiveness, of human growth, of trusting your instincts, of learning what it really means to be a father. And that’s what makes this film worth watching over and over again.
Finally, some have argued that the robots not being intellectual enough to box on their own (think Transformers) was a turn off, but I found it rather charming. They remind me of the old Rock’em Sock’em robots I used to play with as a child.
But I think what I liked most about going this route is the fact that the robots being controlled by human beings—and without emotions—makes it easier to accept their skulls being bashed in, and far more exciting!
Order the Real Steel combo pack on Amazon.com for just $28.
Disclosure: The reviewer received a complimentary copy of this film to review.
For a limited time, Dreamworks is offering $5 OFF the purchase of the Real Steel 3-disc Combo Pack. Those interested should visit http://www.steelgetsreal.com/, and click on the offer in the upper right corner of the page. Offer ends 1/29/12.
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