Real Steel (2011)
7.054 /10
8658 Reviews
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Charlie Kenton is a washed-up fighter who retired from the ring when robots took over the sport. After his robot is trashed, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son to rebuild and train an unlikely contender.
Videos & Photos
cast
... Charlie Kenton
... Max Kenton
... Bailey Tallet
... Ricky
... Finn
User reviews
No splitting this Atom, it has got a rock solid heart.
Real Steel is directed by Shawn Levy and collectively adapted to the screen by John Gatins, Dan Gilroy and Jeremy Leven from a Richard Matheson short story called Steel. It stars Hugh Jackman, Dakota Goyo, Evangeline Lilly, Anthony Mackie, Kevin Durand, Hope Davis and James Rebhorn. Music is scored by Danny Elfman and cinematography by Mauro Fiore.
Set in the near future, robot boxing is a big crowd pulling sport. After a struggling robot operator is introduced to an 11-year-old son he has never known, they stumble upon a discarded robot at a junk yard....
We can all moan about the mimicry of an idea and the clichés that dominate Real Steel, but you really got to hand it to the makers for what they have achieved. They have crafted a family film that's very much perfect in this day and age. The story is one that any adult Sylvester Stallone fan can acknowledge and appreciate, the human heartbeat pleasingly steady, while the premise of big colourful robots beating the crap out of each other delights youngsters and us adults who are still young at heart. Film pretty much does what any other film of this type does, lays on the syrup in the last quarter where second chances and family strife come thundering through the plotting. Undeniably it's hugely derivative, events are joystick operated to get an emotional response from a family audience, while product placement reins and the script often sags under the weight of unoriginality. But it does uplift the spirit and getting to the end is easy since it's so much berserker fun. Yes it's the robot Atom, the people's champion, yes it's David vS Goliath and yes! It's Balboa vS Creed. Nothing wrong with that really.
The cast don't really have to offer up much beyond being adequate within the context of the material, though a muscular Jackman finds good paternal chemistry with young Goyo. In fact Goyo is pleasingly not annoying, always a bonus is that. Inevitably the robots are the stars, they're a triumph of design and visual effects and a sight for sore eyes, while Levy has a good handle on staging the fight sequences - even when cribbing from Balboa. The near future look is terrific as well, with Fiore's colour photography very appealing. Coining in over $290 million at the worldwide box office (over £180 million in profit), Real Steel found the family audience it was looking for, proving once again that there is a market for simple and effective popcorn carnage. It's not high art or intelligently scripted, but was anyone seriously thinking that was going to be the case here? If you want brains with this premise then seek out Twilight Zone episode "Steel", starring the excellent Lee Marvin, otherwise just sit back and enjoy the ride and let the botty bots and human interest raise the pulse and gladden the heart respectively. 7/10
Home format release is a sparkling print, extras are annoyingly short but the blooper reel is fun, we get a stunt deconstruction, and we learn about the influence a certain Mr. Spielberg had on the production.
Director:
Writer:
Dan Gilroy (Story)
Jeremy Leven (Story)
John Gatins (Screenplay)
Richard Matheson (Short Story)
Genres:
Release Date:
2011-09-28
Run Time:
127 min
MMPA Rating:
PG-13
Reviews of
Real Steel
No splitting this Atom, it has got a rock solid heart.
Real Steel is directed by Shawn Levy and collectively adapted to the screen by John Gatins, Dan Gilroy and Jeremy Leven from a Richard Matheson short story called Steel. It stars Hugh Jackman, Dakota Goyo, Evangeline Lilly, Anthony Mackie, Kevin Durand, Hope Davis and James Rebhorn. Music is scored by Danny Elfman and cinematography by Mauro Fiore.
Set in the near future, robot boxing is a big crowd pulling sport. After a struggling robot operator is introduced to an 11-year-old son he has never known, they stumble upon a discarded robot at a junk yard....
We can all moan about the mimicry of an idea and the clichés that dominate Real Steel, but you really got to hand it to the makers for what they have achieved. They have crafted a family film that's very much perfect in this day and age. The story is one that any adult Sylvester Stallone fan can acknowledge and appreciate, the human heartbeat pleasingly steady, while the premise of big colourful robots beating the crap out of each other delights youngsters and us adults who are still young at heart. Film pretty much does what any other film of this type does, lays on the syrup in the last quarter where second chances and family strife come thundering through the plotting. Undeniably it's hugely derivative, events are joystick operated to get an emotional response from a family audience, while product placement reins and the script often sags under the weight of unoriginality. But it does uplift the spirit and getting to the end is easy since it's so much berserker fun. Yes it's the robot Atom, the people's champion, yes it's David vS Goliath and yes! It's Balboa vS Creed. Nothing wrong with that really.
The cast don't really have to offer up much beyond being adequate within the context of the material, though a muscular Jackman finds good paternal chemistry with young Goyo. In fact Goyo is pleasingly not annoying, always a bonus is that. Inevitably the robots are the stars, they're a triumph of design and visual effects and a sight for sore eyes, while Levy has a good handle on staging the fight sequences - even when cribbing from Balboa. The near future look is terrific as well, with Fiore's colour photography very appealing. Coining in over $290 million at the worldwide box office (over £180 million in profit), Real Steel found the family audience it was looking for, proving once again that there is a market for simple and effective popcorn carnage. It's not high art or intelligently scripted, but was anyone seriously thinking that was going to be the case here? If you want brains with this premise then seek out Twilight Zone episode "Steel", starring the excellent Lee Marvin, otherwise just sit back and enjoy the ride and let the botty bots and human interest raise the pulse and gladden the heart respectively. 7/10
Home format release is a sparkling print, extras are annoyingly short but the blooper reel is fun, we get a stunt deconstruction, and we learn about the influence a certain Mr. Spielberg had on the production.
I wonder if this was originally written to be a Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots movie, but when they couldn't get the rights they just decided to make it anyway. In either case, it's not very good. Amazing that you could take a movie about anthropomorphic **robots** and manage to still make it into a cliche sports film.
_Final rating:★½: - Boring/disappointing. Avoid where possible._
Cast & Crew of
Real Steel
Cast
... Charlie Kenton
... Max Kenton
... Bailey Tallet
... Ricky
... Finn
... Aunt Debra
... Marvin
... Tak Mashido
... Big Sister
... Little Sister
... Farra Lemkova
... Kingpin
... Bill Panner
... Large Texan Man
... ESPN Boxing Commentator
... San Leandro Gentleman #2
... ESPN Boxing Commentator
... Starblaze Arena Reporter
... Virgin America Spectrum Ring Announcer
... Virgin America Spectrum Ref
... Twin Cities Controller
... Bing Arena Announcer
... Bing Arena Ref
... Older Gentleman
... Blacktop Controller
... Underground Promoter
... Robot Promoter
... Atom Performance Capture
... Sergei Lemkova
... Fight Fan (uncredited)
... Upscale Fight Fan (uncredited)
... Rodeo Cowboy (uncredited)
... Bar Patron (uncredited)
... Ricky's Henchman (uncredited)
... Upscale Boxing Fan (uncredited)
... Rodeo Cowboy (uncredited)
... Kingpin's Henchman (uncredited)
... Panoramic Fight Fan (uncredited)
... ESPN Commentator (uncredited)
... Rabid Fight Fan (uncredited)
... Vendor (uncredited)
... Crash Palace Fan (uncredited)
... Photographer (uncredited)
... Zeus Robot Handler #1 (uncredited)
... Fight Fan (uncredited)
... Usher (uncredited)
... Fight Fan (uncredited)
... Vendor (uncredited)
... Farra's Body Guard (uncredited)
... Starblaze Security Guard (uncredited)
... Fight Fan (uncredited)
... Helicopter Pilot (uncredited)
... Judge (uncredited)
... Japanese Reporter #2 (uncredited)
... Zoo Fight Fan (uncredited)
... Ricky's Girl (uncredited)
... Rich Man (uncredited)
... Self (uncredited)
Crew
... Producer
... Story
... Original Music Composer
... Casting
... Executive Producer
... Director
... Story
... Executive Producer
... Casting
... Editor
... Screenplay
... Producer
... Executive Producer
... Producer
... Production Design
... Executive Producer
... Executive Producer
... Executive Producer
... Visual Effects
... Special Effects Technician
... Storyboard Artist
... Prosthetics
... Costume Design
... Makeup Department Head
... Stunt Coordinator
... Director of Photography
... Animation
... Utility Stunts
... Choreographer
... Songs
... Co-Producer
... Associate Producer
... Co-Producer
... Hair Department Head
... Music Editor
... Music Supervisor
... Sound Re-Recording Mixer
... Sound Designer
... Music Supervisor
... Sound Designer
... Set Decoration
... Supervising Sound Editor
... Music Editor
... Sound Designer
... Supervising Art Director
... Sound Mixer
... Sound Re-Recording Mixer
... Script Supervisor
... Still Photographer
... Short Story
... Animation Supervisor
... Visual Effects Supervisor
... Digital Effects Supervisor
... Animatronics Supervisor
... Concept Artist
... Set Decoration Buyer
... Hairstylist
... Construction Coordinator
... Art Department Assistant
... Construction Coordinator
... Set Dresser
... Makeup Artist
... Art Department Assistant
... Assistant Property Master
... Graphic Designer
... Painter
... Makeup Artist
... Art Department Coordinator
... Propmaker
... Props
... Set Dresser
... Hairstylist
... Construction Foreman
... Leadman
... Set Designer
... Makeup Artist
... Propmaker
... Art Department Assistant
... Carpenter
... Set Designer
... Set Designer
... Set Dresser
... Set Dresser
... Hairstylist
... Propmaker
... Set Designer
... Set Dresser
... Hairstylist
... Hairstylist
... Painter
... Assistant Hairstylist
... Art Department Coordinator
... Propmaker
... Set Dresser
... Hairstylist
... Key Hair Stylist
... Concept Artist
... Construction Buyer
... Set Designer
... Set Designer
... Assistant Art Director
... Concept Artist
... Concept Artist
... Construction Foreman
... Set Designer
... Set Dresser
... Storyboard Artist
... Assistant Makeup Artist
... Construction Coordinator
... Property Master
... Makeup Artist
... Art Department Production Assistant
... Graphic Designer
... Key Makeup Artist
... Conceptual Illustrator
... Painter
... Painter
... Storyboard Artist
... Dolly Grip
... Electrician
... Casting Assistant
... Grip
... Grip
... Extras Casting
... Electrician
... Key Grip
... Lighting Technician
... Techno Crane Operator
... Second Assistant "A" Camera
... Additional Lighting Technician
... Camera Operator
... Grip
... Lighting Technician
... Casting Associate
... Steadicam Operator
... Grip
... ADR Voice Casting
... Camera Operator
... Lighting Technician
... Rigging Grip
... Dolly Grip
... Electrician
... Camera Operator
... Key Grip
... Rigging Grip
... First Assistant "A" Camera
... Grip
... Grip
... Grip
... Aerial Director of Photography
... Best Boy Electric
... First Assistant "B" Camera
... Key Grip
... Second Assistant Camera
... Casting Assistant
... Grip
... Casting
... Best Boy Grip
... Gaffer
... Compositor
... Compositing Supervisor
... Animation Supervisor
... CG Supervisor
... Compositor
... Compositor
... Pre-Visualization Supervisor
... Visual Effects Coordinator
... Digital Compositor
... Digital Compositor
... Digital Compositor
... Digital Compositor
... Senior Animator
... Visual Effects Assistant Editor
... Compositor
... Digital Compositor
... Digital Compositor
... Digital Compositor
... Digital Compositor
... Digital Compositor
... Digital Compositor
... Digital Compositor
... Digital Compositor
... Visual Effects Producer
... Visual Effects Production Assistant
... Compositor
... Visual Effects Production Assistant
... Compositor
... Compositor
... Digital Compositor
... Digital Compositor
... Digital Compositor
... Digital Compositor
... Visual Effects Production Assistant
... Digital Compositor
... Visual Effects
... Visual Effects Coordinator
... Visual Effects
... Visual Effects
... Visual Effects Assistant Editor
... Visual Effects Supervisor
... Compositing Supervisor
... Digital Compositor
... Digital Effects Supervisor
... Visual Effects
... Visual Effects
... Digital Compositor
... Digital Compositor
... Visual Effects Coordinator
... Visual Effects Editor
... Digital Compositor
... Digital Compositor
... Visual Effects Coordinator
... ADR Recordist
... Post Production Assistant
... Digital Compositor
... Matte Painter
... Visual Effects
... Visual Effects Producer
... Visual Effects Production Assistant
... Visual Effects Supervisor
... Digital Compositor
... Visual Effects
... Digital Compositor
... Matte Painter
... Visual Effects Producer
... Visual Effects Production Assistant
... Visual Effects Production Assistant
... Foley Editor
... Digital Compositor
... Visual Effects
... Visual Effects Producer
... Digital Intermediate Colorist
... Visual Effects Technical Director
... Foley Mixer
... Special Effects Technician
... Special Effects Technician
... ADR Recordist
... Post Production Assistant
... ADR Mixer
... Special Effects Assistant
... Boom Operator
... Foley Mixer
... Digital Intermediate Producer
... First Assistant Editor
... ADR Mixer
... Foley Mixer
... First Assistant Sound Editor
... Special Effects Technician
... Foley Artist
... Color Timer
... Post Production Assistant
... Dialogue Editor
... Special Effects Assistant
... Special Effects Assistant
... Dialogue Editor
... Supervising ADR Editor
... Special Effects Assistant
... Special Effects Coordinator
... ADR Mixer
... Sound Engineer
... Colorist
... Special Effects Assistant
... ADR Mixer
... ADR Recordist
... Boom Operator
... ADR Mixer
... ADR Mixer
... Foley Artist
... Extras Casting
... First Assistant Director
... Music
... Stunts
... Stunt Double
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Choreographer
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