Do you want to see ‘Real Steel’?

Real Steel (2011)

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All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 5.9/10
Reviews Counted: 203
Fresh: 121 | Rotten: 82

Silly premise notwithstanding, this is a well-made Hollywood movie: Thrilling and exciting action with just enough characterization.

Average Rating: 6.1/10
Critic Reviews: 34
Fresh: 20 | Rotten: 14

Silly premise notwithstanding, this is a well-made Hollywood movie: Thrilling and exciting action with just enough characterization.

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Average Rating: 3.8/5
User Ratings: 67,805

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Movie Info

A gritty, white-knuckle, action ride set in the near-future where the sport of boxing has gone high-tech, Real Steel stars Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton, 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

PG-13, 2 hr. 6 min.

Drama, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Directed By: Shawn Levy

Written By: John Gatins, Shawn Levy, Richard Mathis

In Theaters: Oct 7, 2011 Wide

On DVD: Jan 24, 2012

Box Office:$85.5M

Walt Disney Pictures

Real Steel Trailer & Photos

More Photos (81)

Cast

Hugh Jackman
Charlie, Charlie Kenton
Dakota Goyo
Max
Anthony Mackie
Finn
Evangeline Lilly
Bailey Tallet
Kevin Durand
Ricky
Hope Davis
Aunt Debra
James Rebhorn
Marvin
Karl Yune
Tak Mashido
Olga Fonda
Farra Lemkova
John Gatins
Kingpin
Sophie Levy
Big Sister
Tess Levy
Little Sister
Gregory Sims
Bill Panner
Torey Adkins
Large Texan Man

Critic Reviews for Real Steel

All Critics (208) | Top Critics (34) | Fresh (125) | Rotten (83) | DVD (10)

Its remote-controlled emotional responses leave little room for genuine uplift.

October 17, 2011 Full Review Source: New Yorker

| Comments (16)

Bruce Diones

New Yorker

Top Critic

Thanks to an admittedly corny script, some amazing fight scenes, and a terrific cast, "Real Steel's" actually a winner by split decision.

October 7, 2011 Full Review Source: Richard Roeper.com

| Comments (7)

Richard Roeper

Richard Roeper.com

Top Critic

Surely a story as elementary and essentially derivative as this one could be told in less than 127 minutes.

October 7, 2011 Full Review Source: Film.com

| Comments (7)

Eric D. Snider

Film.com

Top Critic

They should call this overloud, underwhelming movie Real Steal.

October 7, 2011 Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor

| Comments (23)

Peter Rainer

Christian Science Monitor

Top Critic

Aas the plot proceeds from boy-meets-dad verbal sparring to an uneasy peace to the underdog-vs.- champion title bout, it becomes increasingly easy to forgive its many nicks.

October 7, 2011 Full Review Source: Denver Post

| Comments (3)

Lisa Kennedy

Denver Post

Top Critic

Real Steel is a blast, an unabashed crowd-pleaser that mixes Rocky, Transformers, video games and father-son bonding to great, if corny, effect.

October 7, 2011 Full Review Source: Detroit News

| Comment

Tom Long

Detroit News

Top Critic

Love this movie and the Blu-ray contains a flawless transfer. I wish they did a bit more with the features, but what's here is decent. This isn't "reference" quality work, but the movie is one everyone should see.

April 22, 2012 Full Review Source: Eclipse Magazine

| Comment

Michelle Alexandria

Eclipse Magazine

Wow, they actually made Rock Em Sock Em Robots - The Movie! Even more surprising is how amazing this movie is. Filled to the brim with heart, soul, grit, and fun. One of the best movies of 2011.

April 22, 2012 Full Review Source: Eclipse Magazine

| Comment

Michelle Alexandria

Eclipse Magazine

Real Steel is constructed from two incompatible movies that should never have co-existed: serious science fiction set in a plausible near-future and a gooey, sentimental family drama.

February 17, 2012 Full Review Source: SFX Magazine

| Comment (1)

Richard Edwards

SFX Magazine

When you have fighting robots, does it really matter if the story gets sappy?

February 3, 2012 Full Review Source: KC Active

| Comments (2)

Dan Lybarger

KC Active

The visual effects are a slick combination of real robots and CGI, and -- especially on the new Blu-Ray release -- the result is gloriously seamless.

February 3, 2012 Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid

| Comment

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

By no means is Real Steel an original film, at least in terms of its base story, but that doesn't mean it's not an effective, tear-jerking kids movie.

January 29, 2012 Full Review Source: IGN DVD

| Comment (1)

R. L. Shaffer

IGN DVD

An affectionate and comprehensively detailed presentation of a surprisingly decent tent-pole movie.

January 26, 2012 Full Review Source: Slant Magazine

| Comment

Chuck Bowen

Slant Magazine

Clash time between the machines is nigh overwhelming in this never-before-seen context, and that's the payoff here.

January 16, 2012 Full Review Source: Cinema Signals

| Comment

Jules Brenner

Cinema Signals

"Real Steel" has all the brainless fun of Rock'em Sock'em Robots and the heart and rousing fight sequences of "Rocky."

January 11, 2012 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis

| Comment (1)

James Plath

Movie Metropolis

Never in a million years did I think that I would enjoy a boxing robot movie from the director of Night at the Museum.

January 4, 2012 Full Review Source: Ebert Presents At The Movies

| Comment

Ignatiy Vishnevetsky

Ebert Presents At The Movies Source: Ebert Presents At The Movies

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December 26, 2011 Full Review Source: Movies for the Masses

| Comments (4)

Joseph Proimakis

Movies for the Masses

'Real Steel' about an estranged son and his father, a man who's been beaten down by repeated failures, a needy boy who finds something he can believe in, and, of course, it's a sports movie, too, because it's sort of a metallic 'Rocky.'

December 22, 2011 Full Review Source: KWQC-TV (Iowa)

| Comments (2)

Linda Cook

KWQC-TV (Iowa)

This much is clear as soon as they meet: father and son have matching attitudes, both resentful of their sudden connection and very tough on the outside even as they're really vulnerable.

December 7, 2011 Full Review Source: Time to Play Magazine

| Comment

Cynthia Fuchs

Time to Play Magazine Source: Time to Play Magazine

A film that feels as if it's been written by a five-year-old who's been allowed to create it as some sort of bizarre birthday present this is undemanding all the way

November 19, 2011 Full Review Source: The Sabotage Times

| Comments (2)

Laurence Boyce

The Sabotage Times Source: The Sabotage Times

The robots are fun, but the script never gets beyond cliches

November 14, 2011 Full Review Source: Movie Habit

| Comment (1)

Robert Denerstein

Movie Habit

Characters' smug, this-is-so-cool!ness and jingoistic, heartland subtext tries to knock us into submission. The hero's one of those animatronic adults in kid's clothing.

November 11, 2011 Full Review Source: Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)

| Comments (3)

Brian Gibson

Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Real Steel

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i really had a good time with this one. i watched it on a day when my brain was fried, so to soak in simple entertainment was needed and watching these robots beat the tar out of each other was awesome. not usually my kind of film, but reminded me of the types of films i grew up with and loved as a kid, and watching

October 7, 2011

danny d

Super Reviewer

I feel sorry for the clever computer special effects people, their brilliant work is ultimately ruined thanks to an awful story, awful acting and awful direction. The general idea is sound but a near distant future where Robot boxing has taken over from Human boxing ultimately due to peoples blood-lust doesn't really

April 16, 2012

Anthony Lawrie

Super Reviewer

Real Steel Quotes

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1. Max: Now you're concerned for Aunt Debrah? You sold me for 50 grand!
– Submitted by Josanne M (21 days ago)
1. Max: People's Champion?.... Sounds good to me.
– Submitted by Hirai N (2 months ago)
1. Little Sister: 15 dollars, seriously?
2. Ricky: No, I need 15 dollars IMMEDIATELY.
– Submitted by Hirai N (2 months ago)
1. Max: I challenge Zeus to a fight!
– Submitted by Sadie K (2 months ago)
1. Max: Don't worry. Your secret's save with me.
– Submitted by Augustine T (3 months ago)

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Latest News for Real Steel

October 17, 2011:

Box Office Guru Wrapup: Real Steel Holds Off Footloose
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October 10, 2011:

Box Office Guru Wrapup: Real Steel Is the Real Deal
This weekend, Hugh Jackman scored an easy victory over George Clooney in the battle of People...

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