When I first heard about Real Steel I though the concept sounded kind of cool, but I couldn't generate too much excitement due to the fact that Shawn Levy had been announced as the director. I mean, why would you get enthusiastic for a project from the maker of The Pink Panther remake or Night At The Museum. But it turns out producer Steven Spielberg was right to choose him as Real Steel is, hands down, one of the most unashamedly entertaining films of the year.
The plot is nice and simple. Estranged father (Hugh Jackman) and son (Dakota Goyo)bond in a summer competing in the world of robot boxing. That's a strong foundation to build a strong script which is tightly paced and rich in character development....if a little familiar to Disney dramas and boxing movies alike. Spice it up with some beautiful contemporary glossy photography, the best effects ILM can produce (the robots are better than their Transformers counterparts and are indistinguishable from their animatronic twins), a rousing Danny Elfman score and a good, old fashioned song soundtrack (with The Prodigy, Foos, Limp Bizkit, Alexi Murdoch, etc).
One of the key reasons for this working so very very well is the casting. The father character Charlie is a pretty unlikable fellow being selfish, greedy, unfocused and ignorant. Thankfully Hugh Jackman is a genuine 100% movie star with the acting ability and charisma to pull off the role and make him both likable and sympathetic, despite his foibles (it's been mentioned this would have been a perfect role for Mel Gibson 20 years ago and I have to agree.) Surprisingly child actor Goyo gives Jackman a run for his money with a wonderfully judged performance that balances a strong-willed, stubborn child , an innocence and wide eyed enthusiasm plus a maturity beyond his years that makes this kid the perfect person to play the son of Hugh Jackman's dad. And it's a pleasure to see Evangeline Lily once again, after the end of Lost last year, in a tough yet tender supporting role that benefits from the work she puts in to bring the character to life.
Hats off to Shawn Levy for pulling this off. Tonally it's spot on...a modern day incarnation of the movie Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment specialised in back in the 80's. It puts the drama and characters up front and centre, with the action and effects a secondary consideration. And damn those fight are good. They might just been pixels smashing the bejesus out of each other but thanks to the emotion Jackman and Goyo invest in them, and the fantastic staging Levy has cobbled from a million boxing movies, you end of rooting for Adam the underdog Rocky Robot.
While it's sentimental at times, it's emotion that's never unwelcome or forced. This is a warm family movie possessing that rare human touch which is sadly lacking in the frenetic, shallow family fare of modern PG rated cinema. As a friend reported to me before I saw Real Steel, "You'll what to stand up and shout HIT HIM!!!".
Ain't that the truth.
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