(movie) Real Steel

I came with expectations that I would like this movie, I just didn't expect I would love it so much. The start was a little slow but necessary, with a nice country song and cool cinematography of a man driving in a distance. And then we got to the real conflict, and came to know a very flawed man, selfish in his desires to make easy money and be as irresponsible as he could be. Plus there was an eleven year old boy, who, despite his age, was so mature and gave off this charm that was so genuine and heartwarming.

Sure, it's a movie about robots fighting each other. I sure don't adore boxing movies, as much as I don't really like watching people kill each other brutally. But then again, I never expected that I'd come to root for a robot (yes, you heard that right), to win a boxing match. Atom, the heroic robot, was made to look sympathetic, slightly human, with doe eyes and a plain face. Yes, he was plain, but the fact that he was made him anything other than ordinary.

I like how the main conflict has a mixture of human drama, ties between family and friends, father and son bond, father and robot bond, son and robot bond, and so much more. It's hilarious at times, but the comedic timing is right so it adds warm humor into the movie instead of playing with jokes that look like they were thrown just for the point of it. Then we have the action - which is unbelievably tense and so fun to watch. They did it to the point that we didn't get bored watching a series of robot fights over and over again, and till now I still marvel how they managed. Perhaps there was always something new in the fighting sequence, always a new environment, a combination of winning and losing, and a really touching scene near the end.

My only minor complaints are the poster and the ending. How I wish we could've seen the aftermath - who got custody in the end? What happened after the battle? It would be nice to see that. Then the poster - it's so bland. When it was on the cover of a movie magazine, I didn't even hesitate to look at it because all I could see was Hugh Jackman in a boxing pose, standing in front of a dark robot. I know it's probably to not compete with the high tech looking Transformers, but it doesn't let us know anything. It looks scruffy, boring, like a dark-age movie about fighting for one's honor and the world.. which is nothing like the movie. I wish we had the one I posted above, it's so much better.

So, we both loved the movie. Had an absolutely wonderful time and not a second wasted.