Review of Real Steel

Real Steel (2011)
7/10
"Real Steel" Succeeds as a Touching and Inspirating Drama with Stunning Yet Not Overdone Action
10 October 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Sometimes I do grow a bit weary of the robots-saving-the-world kind of movies. Surely they are action-packed and fun, but once in a while I want to look for something different. "Real Steel" brings the fresh idea of "boxing robots" and it was a very great experience for me and I will remember this movie for long in the days to come.

While this movie introduces us something new, it has maintained its balance well and further manages to do well in a lot of aspects. The elements of action and drama are nicely balanced, unlike the "Transformers" movies which really focus too much on being a showcase of visual effects and conveniently neglecting the plot. "Real Steel" is nothing like that. It is overall fast-paced with no boring parts. The scenes are appropriately cut. The plot itself is hardly predictable, with a little twists and turns here and there. There are also occasional moments of comedy and some touching scenes.

The acting is one of the best strengths of this movie. It is excellent. Extra credits should be given to Hugh Jackman and Dakota Goyo. Their performances are incredible, which make the film much more heart-warming. They take up major parts of the movie and we get to see a mending and building father-and-son relationship. The other actors are good too, though they do not really have much screen time to show it. Anyhow, the overall performance is just fascinating.

And how can we miss the visual effects and sound effects? They are superbly done throughout the movie. The robot designs are good and sharp. The movements of them are realistic and cool. The action is simply visually stunning. The sound effects are great achievements as well. The ambient sound is nicely done and it makes the fights between the bots a lot more appealing than it already is.

My slight suggestion is a longer ending. It will probably make the movie more complete. I would want more father-son interaction.

"Real Steel" is more than a box-office winner. It has a good story, good acting and good effects. It pretty much has all that is needed to make an excellent movie. Despite strong contenders this year like "Deathly Hallows P2" and "Dark of the Moon" and "Super 8" and perhaps "Rise of the Planet of Apes", I really hope this will at least get an Oscar nomination for visual effects. And I am demanding a sequel. Let's hope it will be made.
15 out of 30 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed