Real Steel (Exclusive Series) (Netflix)

Initial release date: October 2, 2011

Studios: Touchstone Pictures/DreamWorks/21 Laps Entertainment

Tagline: If you get one shot, make it real.

Courage is stronger than steel.

Plot: Charlie Kenton used to be a prize-fighter but lost his chance to win a title when heavy, towering robots took over the boxing ring. Now working as a small-time promoter, Charlie pieces together scrap metal into low-end fighters, barely earning enough to make it from one underground venue to the next. After hitting rock bottom, Charlie reluctantly teams up with his estranged son, Max, to build and train a championship robot for a last shot at redemption.

Cast

Hugh Jackman (Reminiscence) - Charlie Kenton

Dakota Goyo (Dark Skies; Noah) - Max Kenton

Evangeline Lilly (Avengers: Endgame) - Bailey Tallet

Anthony Mackie (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) - Finn

Kevin Durand (TVs Ballers) - Ricky

Hope Davis (Greenland) - Aunt Debra

James Rebhorn (TVs Homeland) - Marvin

Karl Yune - Tak Mashido

Olga Fonda - Farra Lemkova

Writer: John Gatins (Power Rangers; Flight)

Richard Matheson (short story ‘Steel)

Director: Shawn Levy (Free Guy)

Rated PG-13 for some violence, intense action and brief language (127 minutes)

‘Real Steel’ is one of those movies that is unexpectedly great and really entertaining. In a way, the movie is kind of like ‘Rocky’ with robots. And, Hugh Jackman’s character is the underdog who’s trying to get back into the boxing world.

The boxing scenes are really awesome to watch and the visual effects are simply incredible. There’s also a few parts that can give you a little chuckle.

The sub-plot of the 2011 movie, which centers on an estranged father and son, can really be very heart-warming at times. And some of the action that is featured is really exciting and thrilling.

If you want to check out this entertaining boxing-robot flick, it’s available via Netflix. And if you don’t have Netflix, you can rent it via Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV and Vudu for $3.99.

Here are some interesting tidbits about ‘Real Steel’:

• Each of the robots were built in real life and CGI. For certain shots with animatronics, they were controlled by more than 20 puppeteers.

• Much of the robot boxing fights were motion-captured using professional boxers, supervised by Sugar Ray Leonard.

• The film is based on ‘Steel,’ a 1956 short story by ‘I Am Legend’ author Richard Matheson.

• In an apparent nod to ‘Rocky,’ the world champion robot is named “Zeus,” while in the older movie, the champion is named “Apollo” Creed. In Greek mythology, Apollo is the son of Zeus.

• The project was one of the 17 that DreamWorks took from Paramount when they split in 2008.

• Levy chose to set the film in state fairs and other “old-fashioned” Americana settings that could exclude nostalgia and create a warm tone for the film’s father-son story.

• On August 8, 2921, Levy said that he wants to reunite Jackman and also Ryan Reynolds for a ‘Real Steel’ sequel.

https://youtu.be/T75j9CoBVzE