Arashikage2

17 May 2012

This movie has little to do with the concept of giant fighting robots. It's a trap of corniness.

Real steel is based heavily on the anime Plawress Sanshiro (akaJumaru). The movie comes out very strong, (grity, flawed, cynical) inthe middle stumbles(talk, talk, talk) and at the end crumblesmiserably(Deus ex machina, corny, implausible end).I have three major gripes with this movie.One. At the beginning the kids mother dies and she is only mentionedagain towards the end of the movie for one minute, nobody never showsany emotion regarding that mater or acts as he should(especially thekid).Two. Fahter and son bondage has no place eating so much time andeventually overtaking the theme of a movie like this. It was never donecorrectly in film because its not done in real life either. If thingsget like that they don't get fixed in real life, people just live withit, but I digress.Three. The fighting mechanics of human shaped, non AI robots wile theywere explored in depth with Plawress Sanshiro and other anime in thismovie are absolutely ridiculous. What are the standards? The rules toenter the ring? Nothing is ever said about the actual sport. How couldan old training robot controlled by a kid defeat professional state ofthe art world champion robots? If you pout it in perspective it wouldbe like a kid with his grandfathers old toy car would win the F1championship of the world. It would be cool if there was a hidden powerinside the robots (ala Xenogears) but its not. The control modes arealso inverted in their usefulness. wile the Joypad is clearly the mostsuperior control device, voice interface is presented as a better one,and ghosting (robot observing real human movements) being even lesspractical is presented as the ultimate control scheme(witch no one usesexcept the protagonists as a last resort of course). One star for a strong beginning, one for the robot dance and one for afew good fight scenes. Actually the only reason I wrote a review was the opportunity tomention Plawress Sanshiro, so that's it. Thank you.

fatsamuraireviews

16 May 2012

Not Just Rock'Em Sock'Em Robots

The trailers made me wonder if I wanted to see a movie based on Rock'EmSock'Em Robots. My biggest fear was that it was going to be another CGIeye candy extravaganza. Well, I am pleased to say it was not. There isa lot more story than just the robots fighting. The effects were acompliment to the story and not the main reason for the movie. In thenear future boxing is taken over by robots. People who once boxed aremoved out for people who can use the robots to do the same kind ofcombat. With the robots doing battle the fights can become a fight tothe death only without the death. The story is about a washed up oldboxer who is struggling to make a living and also reconnect with hisson. This is a green light film.For more on this review please go tohttp://fatsamuraireviews.blogspot.com/

domtaylor

13 May 2012

AMAZING!(mild spoilers)

Real Steel is a really great movie!It's way better than I thought itwould be. It has some immense robot fight scenes and keeps you watchingexcitedly all the way through. This film made me feel awesome aboutmyself.The film is set in the near future when robots box instead ofhumans and shows Charlie(Hugh Jackman)and his son (Dakota Goyo)traininga new robot,Atom, for robot fights.The fact that most,nearly all, thefighting is with robots, the robots can get badly damaged. During thefilm there is robot's arms ripped off, legs torn off and robot's headsknocked off!Real Steel has stunning graphics,action-packed fight scenesand a feel-good storyline! I would definitely recommend this movie asit has a little something for everyone.

12 May 2012

HK Neo Reviews: Real Steel

A wise person name – Johnny Wong once eluded this film as inspired byChow Yun Fat's classic father-son drama – All About Ah Long. Wise wordsindeed. Then again, Hugh Jackman hardly ever puts a foot wrong in termsof movie selections. Here, Jackman is at his best in this father-sondrama disguised in a robotic "Rocky" boxing plot line. It is a moviethat is filled with clichés and more clichés. If you seen Rocky andnumerous underdog boxing movies, Red Steel is exactly that. Saying trueand simple and with an extreme focus on the father-son relationship,Real Steel is ultimately touching, moving, teary and fun to watch. Itis one of those movies that lifts you, inspire you despite its obviousflaws. On an end note – "let's keep this as a secret"… Neo rates it 8/10.- www.thehkneo.com

Frederick Smith

11 May 2012

A Robot that learns to box?

Okay, we've had robots who learn to think (Terminator, I,Robot,Bicentennial Man), a plane that learned to think (EDI) and computersystems who have learned to think (Colossus, SkyNet), so why not arobot who learns to box? At least this one doesn't do the thinking forhimself, although since there will be a sequel in 2014, who knows. Fornow, let's concentrate on the plot: the age old story of a fatherreuniting with his son. Sure, its been done, but when the acting isgood and the story is given a new twist, it will keep you entertained,if not enthralled. Jackman brings his talents to the forefront in thisrole, a departure from the grizzled Wolverine and the computer hackerin Swordfish, and his performance creates the air of reality in thefilm. Evangeline Lilly is easy to look at and plays the part of thetomboyish woman brought up around athletes, savvy businesswoman, andneglected love interest well. Dakota Goyo fits the role well, and youfeel the emotion when he speaks and looks at Jackman. "What's withthose eyes?" While his role is small, using James Rebhorn as thehusband of the sister in law who wants custody of Max was an excellentmove. I have long admired the ability of this character actor to pullyou into the scene. And speaking of character actors, Kevin Durand isquickly becoming one of the more versatile players, doing good guys andbad guys with equal skill. Real Steal is a treat for the family, a filmthat will entertain and surprise you with its ability to bring you in.Too early to tell if it's a collectible, but you never know.

fairefighter9

10 May 2012

Good action movie

Fans of Hugh Jackman's will be disappointed in his tepid 'I'm just hereto collect a paycheck' acting in this movie. I get the impression thatHugh just kind of drifted through the scenes, totally uninvolved. Hispersonal interactions all seemed somehow forced; as if he was somewhereelse in his mind when he should have been focusing on his costars (whodeserved better from him).The robot showed more genuine emotion. Child performer Dakota Goyo is a delight to watch. I laughed at justabout every punchline he delivered (most at the expense of Jackman'scharacter). Thankfully the film did not degenerate into a sappy love fest withhappy ever after ending. The action was superb and the CGI was the bestI have seen. The transformers movie franchise needs to take notice. Therobots looked very real and the interactions with humans and other botswere just about flawless.

saquib45

09 May 2012

Maybe i just expected too much

I went in to the theater expecting a lot from this movie..I wasdisappointed by the end of it. Hugh Jackman's acting was worse than thekid playing his son..Evangeline Lilly had a very little role- a majorpart of which was cheering for Jackman's robot to win. The plot - lotsof questions left unanswered. Why did the owners of Zeus want to buyatom - the old sparring robot? Does Atom actually understand people?Does he have special qualities? There's a scene where atom is lookingat himself in the mirror..which builds up anticipation in the audienceabout atom having human qualities etc etc..which is very convenientlyis left out by the makers of the movie.Disappointing. 4/10.

tracy_bianchi

08 May 2012

Not an average movie.

I have to disagree with the man who said it was an average boxingmovie. This movie is a wonderful movie. I laughed, I cried, I cheered.I left the theater feeling great. The audience I was with actuallycheered and clapped, I don't know about you , but that is the firsttime I have seen and heard, an audience get to it's feet cheering andclapping, while at the theater. This is more than an average boringboxing movie. It also showed me that when no one else would believe inyou all it takes is one person to show you that yes you can doanything, It also showed me that no matter how many punches life givesyou, you get back up and keep fighting, Don't give up , don't backdown. I would highly recommend this movie.

barrymossel

08 May 2012

Worst movie I've seen in years!

I am only giving this movie 3 stars because of the fighting robots.This movie was a very bad ripoff from I, robot and Rocky. Only veryvery very bad. The acting was bad, the characters unbelievable, thescript sucked, the story was the worst I have seen in years. Sure,fighting robots are cool, and even with no story at all I would haverewarded more stars. But this story was so bad, that I got irritatedthe whole movie. I haven't said this many times the word f#ck in twohours ever! I was actually hoping for the robot to shout out:ADRIAAAAAAAAN!So, no laughs, no thrills, no fun. Only fighting robots...And that kid, really, don't quit school! You can't act! Hugh, shame on you.

jburtroald95

07 May 2012

Dakota Goyo saves the film, but this could never work as a one-man show.

(But only for the gullible)The latest lightweight, high-tech, big-budget, single-star-headedaction flick to come out of the Hollywood production line aims withconsiderable precision at the male teenage and precocious late primary-school-aged market. Its glossy gimmicks and imagery of a futuristicrobot-based boxing industry will definitely to conjure up exclamationsof "Cool!" and "Awesome!" from the younger half of its target audience,just as with its unofficial pint-sized protagonist, and is likely toattract the attention of many conformist connoisseurs of easygoingblockbusters from the older crowd. Fun-loving director Shawn Levy(Night at the Museum, Cheaper by the Dozen, The Pink Panther) has hithis target audience spot-on, and fortunately it's a highly profitableone, because he only dubiously scrapes along the other demographics inmoments of ill-conceived pathos that leaves its otherwise engrossedaudience sitting there awkwardly in anticipation of the next greatpiece of eye-candy or knowing wisecrack. However, countless similarlyclunky creations have stepped into the wrong with the same flaws andshortcomings and have been endowed with huge box office success, so itis unlikely that anyone else will notice the many holes in Real Steel.Hugh Jackman once again strolls out confidently with a well-trainedAmerican accent, suppressing his roots as usual because of his filmchoices, and plays a haughty yet down-to-earth would-be hero who as thefilm opens is struggling to pay his accumulating monetary debts, bothlegal and not, and the recklessness with which he goes about his rolein the robot boxing business certainly doesn't help him. Too many timeshe'll enter cockily into a "winner takes all" fight, just as he did inthe good old days of human boxing, with a poorly-handled robot, andloses everything. He is a bland combination of two overworked clichés.Most aggravating are his brushes with his obnoxious arch-nemesis Ricky(Kevin Durand) who, being a Texan cowboy, is also bland combination oftwo overworked clichés. He lives in an apartment owned by his childhoodfriend, Bailey (Evangeline Lilly) who likes him very much, but, withouthis overdue rent, is being dragged down with him into the abyss offinancial ruin. She also stands to lose the beloved gym of her closelate father, who was also a boxer and the mentor of Charlie, Jackman'scharacter, making Bailey another bland combination of two overworkedclichés.Unexpectedly, the solution to their troubles ends up being Charlie'sabandoned, bastard 11-year-old son Max (a terrific first-time leadperformance from Dakota Goyo) who Charlie must look after because hismother has recently died and his legal guardians, Aunt Debra (HopeDavis) and Uncle Marvin (James Rebhorn) are going on a trip to Italy.Max's character, as far as the characterisations from John Gatins'largely pedestrian script goes, is unfortunately just another blandcombination of two overworked clichés – a very transparentreincarnation of Jordan Fry's Mike Teavee in Charlie and the ChocolateFactory (2005) – but the young actor impressively upstages his moreexperienced adult co-stars by making him a lovable, truthful, spunkyand endearing character who is, even more embarrassingly, the best partof the movie, despite being the least expensive. He cunninglyblackmails his father into taking him along to the robot fights, anduncovers and nurtures the small but tenacious robot Adam – a cutelittle thing, who, despite being being himself a reincarnation of theadorable Wall-E, is also genuinely endearing – that gives the top 'botsin the league a run for their money. At the forefront of theseantagonists is the seemingly invincible Zeus, designed and controlledby sleek, sexy foreign designers who are so much the very quintessencea bland combination of two overworked clichés that their whole subplotis not even worth describing.Real Steel is certainly watchable, but unbearably squirmy at the sametime, and best enjoyed in small doses. Writing about for this long isstarting to drive me crazy. There are simply so many holes in thispicture that it is impossible for me to cover them all in one reviewwithout going drastically over the word limit, just as it is impossiblefor the still very young and delicate Dakota Goyo to single-handedlycover all the holes in this huge tank. Still, he saves as much water ashe can, preventing this from being a complete failure. What would allof these hapless grown-ups, both in the film and in real life, dowithout him?

akash_sebastian

03 May 2012

Real Seel is Real Fun !! - a Good Watch.

I agree that the screenplay is quite corny & clichéd, including themesof father-son bonding, champion-vs-underdog fight (the David-vs-goliathaspect), former-champion-now-trainer, etc.It's been long since I've seen a good boxing movie. And this oneincludes giant robots. And who wouldn't enjoy giant robots fightingeach other. The boxing matches, with it great special effects and theacting by the side actors, were quite fun to watch. You would hang byyour seat cheering 'Atom' till the end.It's not a great boxing movie, but an enjoyable & entertaining decentattempt.Hugh Jackman gives a pretty descent performance, not Oscar worthy, butgood.Shawn Levy might have given half a dozen average comedies earlier, butwe might say he's improving. And Since the movie is produced bySpielberg himself, the movie couldn't have been a disaster.Definitely better if you watch it on big screen.

Manraz Khalsa

02 May 2012

Dependence On Technology

Set in a not-so-distant future where human fisticuffs are now passé andthe new craze is all robot-boxing, Real Steel stars Hugh Jackman asCharlie Kenton, a washed-up ex-pugilist who struggles to make a livingfrom getting his low-end robots into underground fights. Brash andshortsighted, Charlie pits his mechanical fighters against rivals thatare impossible to defeat; no wonder he's buried in debt, and each ofhis robots badly destroyed. Just when things can't possibly get anyworse, he's burdened with the responsibility of his estranged11-year-old son Max (Dakota Goyo), a stubborn kid who insists thatCharlie rebuild an outdated scrap-yard robot named Atom, and train himfor the fight circuit.Directed by Night at the Museum's Shawn Levy and produced by StevenSpielberg, Real Steel is equal parts noisy action movie, and father-sonbonding drama. The boxing scenes are thrillingly filmed, including aclassic David vs Goliath climax; it's the film's emotional journey thatfeels like pure cheese. Borrowing its blueprint from the classic sportsfilm The Champ, father and son resolve their differences, the kidbecomes a partner, his dad grows up, and everyone turns into a betterperson.A less charismatic actor might have collapsed under the weight of suchformulaic writing, but Hugh Jackman holds on to his dignity till thevery end, where he feeds every move to Atom by shadow boxing. DakotaGoyo has some endearing moments as the precocious Max, especially thosebits where he teaches Atom some nifty dance steps. But if Real Steelworks, it's purely and singularly on the strength of its hulking metalwarriors that pack a solid, determined punch.I'm going with two-and-a-half out of five for Real Steel. Thethunderous action alone makes up for the strictly standardstorytelling.

sachinsethi-mib2011

30 April 2012

Robo-Rocky Revisited!!

There was a lot of buzz around with the response the movie got withrave reviews, but none the less this Robo-boxing movie was one of thepick off movie of the year with another power-packed performance byHugh Jackman. The movie was filled with apt amount of everything :Drama, Romance, Fights, Father-son Relationship, Comedy etc. The Concept of futuristic Robo-boxing was presented and executed tonear perfection with the advanced graphics. Another high point of themovie was its background score which provided the right kind ofadrenaline rush that gets amplified on many an occasions. The best partof the movie were the ones wherein the shadowboxing was executed by theRobo- be it in the final round or Robo Dancing on the steps of theWonder Kid played by Dakota Goyo, which certainly added the charm andinnocence to the movie. The best part of the movie was when HughJackman was fighting the last round having Robo shadow box in the ringagainst all powerful Machine Robo. This movie stands tall based on its strong storyline/plot, heartpounding Background score and Steel Plated power packed performances bythe two central characters played by Dakota Goyo and Hugh Jackman. I am giving this movie a 9/10 rating. A good enough watch for allgenerations and especially to those who wanna see a Robo incarnatedRocky like the great Sylvester Stallone in the ring beating the Hellout of the opponent.

siddharth_10031989

30 April 2012

An Awesome Display of Perfection

After so many days........ This is one movie that has really shadowedmy mind! Excellent Story, Brilliant Acting, Awesome Animation andBoxing Sequence........ I Stood Up On My Chair At the Multiplex AndClapped On The Boxing Match...........The Storyline went So Nicely that took everyone in The movie moredeeper. the Depiction of a father son relationship was very good.Moreover, The Music Was Outstanding! Groovy Music Made My Foot ShakeAll the Way!Excellent Work By Hugh Jackman and Dakota Goyo........This One Is Really a Spielberg's Quality Of Movie!! Hail Steven! :)

capone666

30 April 2012

The Vidiot Reviews...

Real SteelThe worst thing about robot boxers is their inability to grasp theconcept of "taking a dive" without self-destructing. Fortunately, the pubescent manager of the steel-plated pugilist in thissci-fi movie has got too much integrity for bribes.Following his mother's death Max (Dakota Goyo) becomes the ward of hisaffluent aunt (Hope Davis).But with a vacation on the horizon, she must bribe his father, anex-boxer (Hugh Jackman), to safeguard him until her return.Under his supervision, Max recuperates a robot, which he and his dadenter into bouts. On the eve of their title shot, however, Max is removed from the eventafter his dad's creditors come looking for their cut.In spite of its cheesy lines and flamboyant bouts, Real Steel has realheart underneath its steely exterior. And while watching boxing with your absentee father can be healing,beating him up would be more rewarding. (Green Light)vidiotreviews.blogspot.com

delightful-life

29 April 2012

I enjoyed it more than Transformer!

A very very nice robot movie. I enjoyed it more than Transformers 1!Yes, I agree with the critics, its the regular Hollywood fare, the kidwas slightly annoying, yes, but wasn't he supposed to be like his dad,genetically annoying? And he has been tossed around and he is angry, soI think what they were showing was correct. Thats why in the end he issweeter and more like a normal kid.The movie is a lot like rocky, the strength of the underdog. And THEbest part of the whole thing is - ITS REALISTIC.The robots are super cool. When I say it like this, I know, if I wereto read this, I would just think, Oh, that guy is some robot freak. Imyself am surprised! They never overdo it, and they keep showing usdifferent different robots. And I think the best part is, the robotsdon't talk. A big relief. ;-).........This is also a great KIDS MOVIE. Much better than the many Disneymovies that had come out this year. The kid is involved throughout andhas as much presence as Hugh Jackman.There is a good morale weaved in. In the beginning we see Jackmanhaving good and powerful robots, but he never has any respect for them,because he has no respect for himself. And like all regular adults heis just money minded, and just can't see the greater beauty. The kidcomes and seeing his innocence and positivity, like all normal kids,Jackman starts respecting his life more, and this is so nice to see.:-).............And it was really nice to see Kate from the Lost TV series. She wasperfect as the tough strong girl, preserving her father's legacy. Sheis sort of the robot mechanic.Go see it. I promise at the very least, you won't feel as if you wastedyour time. :-)...............Cheers!

Shankru_Spam_Begone

25 April 2012

About a heavy fight

Essence of sin, guilty and the crust of feelings. A film about battlemechs, gestures and fear. But in same time, a speech about limits.Limits of love, understanding and faith. At fist sight, it is a gaymovie. But it is only an impression. The heart of film is sense ofexistence. The abdications, the courage and the empty hours. The worldwho lives in us, behind the words or images. And the weigh ofsacrifices. A film about victims. And the fragility of truth. A dramabut one with very large roots.A true story and piece of a fight. Thesexual aspect is a little detail. Because the sentiments, angry, fearand joy of the kid involved is a part of everyone. Gay, straight, man,woman. That is the secret. The minor secret. The last images are notonly testimony of a father but the simplicity of real sense of oursearches.

Dominic Kasheimer

25 April 2012

Cheesy... Loads of cheese!

You better like cheese if you are going to watch this movie. Only thinggood about this film is the CG. Acting is bad and not believable andthe stories line is cheesy as hell, like a whole 50 lbs wheel of sharpcheddar! WTF is up with that damn truck he drives? Windows by you feet?This film is suppose to take place in the late 2020s, why is it thenthe only advanced technology are cell phones, robots, clear holographicdisplay boards and a truck with windows by your feet? I'm glad Idownloaded this from torrents cause I would never forgive myself if Iever payed to watch something like this. It isn't even worth the spaceon my hard drive. Then you wonder why the film industry is doing sobadly. It's because of the shear number of films that are producedevery year that are garbage. Instead of producing 100 films of sub-parquality every year slim that down and focus on quality.

Phillip King

23 April 2012

Very surprised, and pleasantly so.

When this movie was first trailered I panned is as being anotherattempt at taking yet another childhood memory and trying to slap amovie around it to cash in. I couldn't have been more mistaken.Real Steel takes all the finer points of the Rocky films, twists themaround a little bit, and adds the new concept of a somewhat futuristicrobot boxing league without disintegrating into some cheeky MMA moviewith Transformers. The story progresses with a "coulda been acontender" prizefighter, Charlie, who had all the heart of a championbut just not enough at the end getting a second chance when he has tocheck his priorities and his pride when faced with the realities of thelife he's chosen and the son he ran away from, Sam. Granted, parts ofthe story are quite cliché, but it keeps things moving quickly enoughso that it doesn't suffer from it.The viewer has to make a few assumptions at the beginning of the filmand take into consideration that 8-9 years into the future is more thanenough to bring about some changes both economically and socially inAmerica. Technology has advanced exponentially, as it often does, andso has education as well. Sam, as an 11yo boy, is a master programmerand machinist with the attitude to boot. There's obvious role reversalwith Charlie taking a back seat and giving in as the adult to Sam'smore aggressive natures. Character development is also awkward early onas Sam's initial logical thought process is quickly replaced by brashconfidence and blind determination after he discovers ATOM whileCharlie's bravado and senseless "Ready! Fire! Aim!" tactics arelikewise replaced by strategic planning and reserved confidence at thesame time. Once this happens, the child/adult relationship seems tobecome more of a typical one.All in all, there is little to complain about with this film as it wasa thoroughly enjoyable experience from beginning to end. This is nowhere near the greatest movie ever, but I feel as though it's thegreatest movie I've seen in a while from the standpoint of pureentertainment. At certain points of the film I had to restrain myselffrom both vocally and physically cheering ATOM on, especially in thelast fight sequence against Zeus. Perhaps this is because of my initiallack of expectation with the film, but none the less it was well worththe price of admission and the time spent watching.

surojit ghosh

22 April 2012

Its a movie , makes you believe that you can win against the worst of worst situation

This is a movie..which got me goose bumps..at each scene of fight..it'sa story about a Man..his son & their robot fighting strong & powerfulrobots. a week robot who stands tall to extreme of situations. Acting was superb, especially the special effects of robots..betterthan transformers..and this is my opinion ..I feel this movie has theright mix of action & emotion. It's a movie worth watching..tight, compact..it holds you tight tillthe end. In it's Genre one of the best. By the Title or the poster oreven the trailer...lower expectation from the movie was quite natural.However, as you start watching it and go deeper & deeper , it keeps upcoming with jab, punch , upper cut to your lower expectation & fillsyou with adrenaline, tears,joy. A perfect movie for weekend. By SurojitGhosh