Film Review: "Real Steel" (2011)

"Champions aren't born. They're made" in Real Steel. This Science Fiction film directed by Shawn Levy, adapted by John Gatins and based on the 1956 short story Steel by Richard Matheson. In the near future, robot boxing is a top sport. A struggling ex-boxer feels he's found a champion in a discarded robot.

Between 2003 and 2005, Dan Gilroy penned an adaptation of Matheson's 1956 short story and was purchased by DreamWorks for $850,000. The project was one of seventeen that DreamWorks took from Paramount Pictures when they split in 2008. Peter Berg was initially interested in directing the film, but it never materialised. Ultimately, in September 2009, Levy was hired to direct. In November, Hugh Jackman was attached to star. Additionally, Les Bohem and Jeremy Leven reworked Gilroy's screenplay, but Gatins worked on a new draft. Levy worked with Gatins to revise the script, spending a total of six weeks fine-tuning the script. By mid June 2010, Evangeline Lilly, Anthony Mackie, Karl Yune, Kevin Durand, James Rebhorn and Dakota Goyo rounded out the film's cast. At the same time, with a budget of $110 million, principal photography commenced and wrapped in late September. Filming took place throughout Michigan, USA. The animatronic robots were created by Legacy Effects, and the visual effects were provided by Industrial Light & Magic. For certain shots with animatronics, they were controlled by more than twenty puppeteers. Levy opted to have more practical effects and puppeteering of the robots at the behest of executive producer Steven Spielberg. Boxing hall-of-famer Sugar Ray Leonard served as an advisor and gave Jackman boxing lessons so his moves would be more natural. Disney originally scheduled the film for a November 18, 2011 release date, but it was moved to October 7, 2011 to avoid competition with The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part I.

The film stars Jackman, Lilly, Mackie, Yune, Durand, Rebhorn and Dakota Goyo. The castgave terrific performances. Jackman was outstanding as the charisma driven, stubborn Charlie Kenton. Goyo had a magical quality which made him the film's central heart and made him get as much or more spotlight than his co-star as Max Kenton. Finally Lilly was fantastic as the kind, compassionate voice of reson and love interest for Jackman’s Charlie. Lilly and Jackman had a near perfect relationship and chemistry that made me believe that these two characters had been friends for a long time.

Real Steel, though innovative with its stunning robot fight scenes, is nothing more than pure 2000s make believe. The film’s plot is gimmicky, heavy-handed and cliché, all because of the direction of Shawn Levy, the man responsible for bringing us some of the most tawdry movies of recent years, such as the ridiculously awful Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) and The Pink Panther (2006). He has an instinct for making serious emotions look tawdry. While the film may look good now, but it will fade like every other one of his movies and every "Hollywood" movies ever made.

Simon says Real Steel receives: