"REAL STEEL" — ★★★ — Hugh Jackman, Dakota Goyo, Evangeline Lilly, Anthony Mackie, Hope Davis, Kevin Durand; PG-13 (some violence, intense action and brief language); theater listings
About 25 minutes into "Real Steel," I looked over at my wife and said, "Can we go home?"
Well, I'm glad we stayed.
Why the initial urge to bolt? I just wasn't in the mood for what I thought would be a grinding, metal-crunching, two-hour robotic battle laced with a deadbeat dad neglecting his 11-year-old son.
That's where I thought the movie was going, but it surprised me.
Set in the not-too-distant-future, "Real Steel" features Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton, a washed-up boxer who now ekes out a living driving around the country fighting his second-tier robots in any venue that will have him. It seems human boxing has been relegated to the ash heap of pugilism.
Charlie catches a break when he acquires a truly great robot, but his lack of judgment and gambling habit causes him to totally squander the opportunity.
At this low point, our down-and-out hero discovers that the mother of his barely remembered son has died and he's asked to sign custodial papers so little Max, played by Dakota Goyo, can be taken care of by his loving, wealthy aunt.
When in court, Charlie doesn't see the plight of his little boy; he sees an opportunity to extort some money. He approaches the aunt's husband and strikes a deal for $100K with one little catch. There is a planned trip, and the dubious uncle doesn't want the boy to interfere. So, unbeknownst to the aunt, Charlie is required to feign a desire to connect with his boy over the summer, and then he'll sign the papers.
This is the turning point of the film where an odyssey begins that ultimately delivers an entertaining and even heartwarming tale.
On a dark and stormy night — I'm not kidding — we find father and son illegally scrounging for parts in a junk yard. Max slips and is saved from a fatal fall by a robotic arm protruding from the mud. When his father ultimately rescues him, it's a bonding moment that resets everything.
But what about the robotic arm? Seems it's connected to an old sparring model that the boy is determined to retrieve and revive. When the robot is cleaned up, Max not only discovers its name is Atom, he discovers special abilities and an undeniable connection between man and machine. He convinces Charlie to put Atom in the ring — even if they have to start at the very bottom.
It's a healthy dose of "Rocky" mixed with a little "Transformers" and even a dash of "Mad Max." Never fear, there's a love interest, too, provided by Evangeline Lilly as Bailey, the daughter of Charlie's trainer and mentor. She's really quite charming, but this is clearly Charlie, Max and Atom's movie.
Jackman and Goyo simply light up the screen. And then there's Atom. While only a lowly, rather unattractive robot, we find he really has … soul.
It took a while to get there, but ultimately "Real Steel" delivers. I'm giving the film 3 stars.
"Real Steel" is rated PG-13 for some violence, intense action and brief language; running time: 127 minutes.