Selling a household name like Hugh Jackman in a sci-fi action film about giant boxing robots is nothing short of a film marketer’s wildest dream, providing near-infinite possibilities for partnerships, licensing, and other creative marketing tactics, the most prevalent being a cross-promotion for the HP TouchSmart. Developed as part of a 30-picture distribution deal between Touchstone and DreamWorks, Real Steel was swinging for the fences in terms of drawing a mass audience. I’ll admit it, when I first saw the trailer, I just thought that studios were slapping a different name on a film about Rock’em Sock’em Robots…hell, the first targeted search promotion item on Yahoo! under those once-popular toys is a Fandango ad for Real Steel movie tickets. Still, I have always been a fan of Jackman’s, and the 10-year-old in me couldn’t wait to let my imagination go wild while watching giant robots beat the snot out of each other. Against all expectations, early critical reviews for Real Steel were positive, so I was curious to see if the undoubtedly hefty marketing budget behind this potential fall blockbuster was truly justified.
Far from perfect and taking a considerable amount of time to build momentum, Real Steel nevertheless ended up being an energetic and entertaining adventure that stylishly presents simplistic fun. From a special-effects standpoint, the film is awe-inducing, as there is something undeniably cool about watching various designs of intimidating robots walk alongside humans and then engaging in brutal combat. Admittedly, Real Steel tries a little too hard to play-up a heartwarming angle with Hugh Jackman as an absentee dad who eventually learns a valuable life-lesson, but it is clear that each actor has fun with their respective roles, whether that is Evangeline Lily as the sassy potential love interest or Dakota Goyo as the stubborn, outspoken, and surprisingly funny kid. Nevertheless, by the time the final matches start, you will find yourself wishing that robots replace human boxers sometime in the near-future. As long as you don’t go in expecting the next Rocky and remember what it was like to use your imagination, I guarantee that you will find something enjoyable in Real Steel.
Overall Recommendation: High
