Real Steel is an awkward collision of the boxing, mecha, melodrama and road movie genres, and its increasingly ridiculous narrative plods relentlessly towards its inevitable ending, yet it somehow manages to be genuinely entertaining. The direction is lively and frequently interesting, both cinematography and design are quite wonderful throughout, and the film benefits greatly from its three core performers: Hugh Jackman gives one of his best performances as genial loser ex-boxer Charlie; his estranged 11-year-old son is portrayed through an immensely watchable performance by Dakota Goyo, who never becomes irritating or saccharine and whose relationship with Charlie is beautifully played; and Evangeline Lilly provides nicely-detailed support in the improbable role of gym-owning (although no-one else is ever seeen there) robot-fixer love-interest. At the end of the day, it is a futuristic Rocky-with-robots, but the mo-capped robot action is excellent and provides some real spectacle In spite of this futuristic twist, and the considerable amount of high-quality work on display, Real Steel ultimately cannot quite shake off the limitations of its over-familiar story beats.
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