Real Steel

Name: Real Steel
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Drama
Released: October 7, 2011
Duration: 127 min
Rating: 56
Cast: Evangeline Lilly, Hugh Jackman

2011

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 34 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 422 Ratings

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7.1	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 422 Ratings

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Real Steel

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Movie Details & Credits

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | Release Date: October 7, 2011 | PG-13

Starring: Evangeline Lilly, Hugh Jackman

Summary: A gritty, white-knuckle, action ride set in the near-future, where the sport of boxing has gone hi-tech. Charlie Kenton is a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring. Now nothing but a small-time promoter, Charlie earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots fromA gritty, white-knuckle, action ride set in the near-future, where the sport of boxing has gone hi-tech. Charlie Kenton is a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring. Now nothing but a small-time promoter, Charlie earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the next. When Charlie hits rock bottom, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max to build and train a championship contender. As the stakes in the brutal, no-holds-barred arena are raised, Charlie and Max, against all odds, get one last shot at a comeback. (Touchstone Pictures)

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Director: Shawn Levy

Genre(s): Action, Sci-Fi, Drama

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 127 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

Lisa Schwarzbaum

Oct 5, 2011

Real Steel is directed by "Night at the Museum's" Shawn Levy, who makes good use of his specialized skill in blending people and computer-made imaginary things into one lively, emotionally satisfying story. Read full review

Carrie Rickey

Oct 6, 2011

It is earsplitting, crowd-pleasing, and, no doubt, 'bot-pleasing, too. If you told me I would get emotionally and viscerally involved in two machines punching the hard drives out of each other, I would tell you you were crazy. I would be wrong. Read full review

Movieline Stephanie Zacharek

Oct 6, 2011

It goes through all the motions, properly and efficiently, and yet it's missing some core warmth. Watching Real Steel, I kept thinking of Brad Bird's retro-modern cartoon "The Iron Giant," and of how that picture humanized a metal alien so effortlessly. Read full review

Joshua Rothkopf

Oct 4, 2011

Executive-produced by Steven Spielberg, the movie's special effects are seamless and far more cleanly cut than any of Michael Bay's hash. But the element that lingers longest is a subtle strand - also woven into last week's "Take Shelter" - of recessionary anxiety. Read full review

Joe Williams

Oct 7, 2011

What it lacks is the human element. Charlie is more of a rat than a rascal, and instead of working hard to build and operate his robots, he's literally going through the motions. Read full review

Stephen Holden

Oct 6, 2011

An underdog drama with clanging metal-on-metal action, Real Steel feels scientifically programmed to claw at your heart while its battling robots, which have a semblance of human personality, drum up your adrenaline. That said, I'm not sure that the movie itself has more than a semblance of a heart. Read full review

Kyle Smith

Oct 7, 2011

Real Steel is to action what the Anthony Weiner habit was to sex: It's so virtual, so distant from the thrill, that you wonder what the point is. Do you really want to pay to watch an actor playing a kid who in turn plays what amounts to a video game? Read full review

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User Reviews

Ironmonger

Oct 8, 2011

I am in a robotics team, so i might be a little biased towards robots, but i think this was the best fighting movie of the year!!!!!!! I was looking forward to this movie soo much, and it STILL beat my expectations!!!! It is a classic movie of a father getting to know his son better afterI am in a robotics team, so i might be a little biased towards robots, but i think this was the best fighting movie of the year!!!!!!! I was looking forward to this movie soo much, and it STILL beat my expectations!!!! It is a classic movie of a father getting to know his son better after leaving him alone with his mother and they are seeing each other for the first time because the mom died. However, the fact that the dad is a pro boxer and that he fights extremely high tech robots is a very good plot line. He is kind of a bum that is trying to earn money to pay off many debts, but he ends up getting a really cool son instead. If you like Rocky Balboa and transformers (mainly the robot part, not so much the transforming part), then you will think this movie is epic!!!… Expand

6 of 11 users found this helpful65

Aurora96

Jul 27, 2012

This movie is legendary. It is everything you want in a family film and more. It has robots and intense fighting scenes but this film also weaves in a real sense of heart, humanity. It makes you laugh, cry, shout, snicker and say awww. Not only a movie that is filled with adrenaline, butThis movie is legendary. It is everything you want in a family film and more. It has robots and intense fighting scenes but this film also weaves in a real sense of heart, humanity. It makes you laugh, cry, shout, snicker and say awww. Not only a movie that is filled with adrenaline, but also a movie with a great deal of heart. It is in line with great classics like Rocky, definitely a movie that you will want to watch over and over. I do not know what is wrong with the people who give it a low remark, i think they are insane or just plain dumb. The kids 10 years old, give him a break!! And bad acting, bad music, bad storyline?! What the **** is wrong with all of you?! The reader of my review, PLEASE trust me when I say that they are outta they're mind, it is an amazing movie and you'd be filled with regret if you didn't watch it. It is amazing and I applaud the ones who created it, thank you.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Horsemad7009

Mar 5, 2012

Real Steel is a fantastic film, with great visual effects and amazing actors and I will highly recommened it to everyone.

However there are two problems with the film One, The begining, its VERY slow and makes the watcher feel that the film is going to be rubbish, though as the filmReal Steel is a fantastic film, with great visual effects and amazing actors and I will highly recommened it to everyone.

However there are two problems with the film

One, The begining, its VERY slow and makes the watcher feel that the film is going to be rubbish, though as the film goes on the plot gets better.

Secondly, Charlie (Hugh Jackman) is a very unlikeable character, though it didn't ruin the film for me as he got more likable as the film went on, but he can make the viewer want to get up and strangle him.

Max(Dakota Goyo) has also been recieving pretty harsh reviews, and to me you either love him or hate him. Luckily I really liked his character, who I found you could easily symphasie with I would highly reccomend this film… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

subhadip1524

Jan 6, 2012

Cheer,clap,shout, everything you will do when u will watch this movie. i am totally agreed with the comment by @Badgerbrad. "You may get a tear in yor eye". According to movie is movie is just Awesome..Watch it for sure to see what motion pictures can do..

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

grandpajoe6191

Feb 13, 2012

"Real Steel" is real. It has the visual action with a cheesy but good story. A good entertainment to watch with your kids or family.

7 of 8 users found this helpful71

Zilcell

Nov 18, 2011

I thought that the idea in Real Steel was bad but there was a lot more to it than I expected. It had a good story and great performances from all the actors.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

ChrispyBaconn

Sep 26, 2020

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It could be a good movie, if the kid wasn’t such a little **** All this little **** stain did was yell and scream and got all the credit. This kid is the one reason this movie was frustrating to watch.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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44	#44 Most Discussed Movie of 2011
51	#51 Most Shared Movie of 2011