Real Steel

Airheaded nonsense. To duck when Alex battles Atom, to tremble when Evangeline Lilly smiles, and to cheer for the most likable guy in Hollywood face-to-face as you watch Hugh Jackman's expressions during the final bloody duel. Bravery for all those who are not afraid to look into the eyes of their younger self. (01/07/2014)

One of the most enjoyable mainstream Hollywood movies of the year. Though it’s packed with clichés about family values, it’s not annoying. The film skilfully blends elements of the ’80s with modern trends and it’s obvious that the filmmakers love their story and characters and care about the result. And that’s something rare in the Hollywood mainstream (Rise of the Planet of the Apes was also surprising in the same way this year, and to an even greater extent). Shawn Levy has finally shown himself to be a very good, enthusiastic director who only needs a high-quality screenplay (Real Steel touches the heart more than Spielberg’s Tintin). The precisely written characters devotedly played by Hugh Jackman and young Dakota Goyo make the film personal and sincere. The emotions between them are enhanced by the brisk energy of the great robot boxing matches, which know exactly where to add and where to take away. Real Steel made me happy and filled me with positive energy. (11/06/2011)

A punch aimed at the masses. Uncle Spielberg didn’t use the robot idea just in Transformers, but added this job on the side inspired by Matheson’s short story. Hugh Jackman is really cool, Dakota Goyo excellent (mustn’t laugh at the name) and I was pleasantly surprised by Evangeline Lilly who is awesome in this picture and has no problem in tossing that whiney Kate from Lost over her head. The story is a classic story of self-searching, strengthening family bonds and fighting enormous robots in the ring. The tricks are really effective during the fighting, with the right stuff of boxing at heart (especially in the finale). Levy’s can direct when he has a decent screenplay in his hand. A movie that charges you with positive energy. (01/03/2012)

A watchable popcorn flick with a clear target audience, built on boxing movie clichés and relying solely on the core robot gimmick. It's pulled forward by the likeable Jackman and the fights in the ring, but it's knocked down by predictability and a runtime that is too ambitious for such a simple film. For one viewing only, but definitely a nice sci-fi nod to the Rocky of the genre. (08/15/2018)

Transformers has a lot of money for breathtaking effects, but Real Steel has heart, which is the most important thing. Straightforward family entertainment with a straightforward script and an annoying wise geezer in the main role. But everything is so nice, and even the annoying wise geezer ends up begin likeable, that it was a lot of fun to watch. In a nutshell, a pleasant surprise, though the robot fights could have been shot with more dynamism and tension, they felt too much like a routine. Overall, though, nice pop-corn fun. (01/06/2012)