“Real Steel” – Nathan’s Movie Challenge, Week 29
“Are you kidding me with those eyes?”
Real Steel is real sappy.
It takes itself incredibly seriously for being essentially a Rock’em Sock’em Robots movie mixed with seemingly every trope imaginable.
The CG is fine. The story is fine. It’s kind of a glorified Lifetime movie, though. The kid suffers badly from “I’m a child actor” syndrome who’s incredibly unrealistic. He reminds me of a slightly older, slightly better Jake Lloyd (of Phantom Menace fame).
As a kid’s movie, I guess it’s ok – but it also has an odd core message of parental abandonment that never resolves and way too many conveniences and contrivances to make me care about what’s going on.
Real Steel was at the time of this review at #2968 on my Flickchart list of shame (ranked #4008 among the best films of all time). Here’s how it entered my chart:
Real Steel vs. Children of Men
Cinematography alone makes Alfonso’s film the winner.
Real Steel vs. Batman Forever
It’s not Batman & Robin. It’s not that bad. It’s also better than Real Steel.
Real Steel vs. Kindergarten Cop
There’s something about Arnold in this movie that works despite all signs pointing to complete disaster. It’s surprisingly better than you expect, and even more surprisingly has more realistic human behavior on display than Real Steel.
Real Steel vs. Pocahontas
Pocahontas is a big meh. I’ll let Real Steel take the win for having cool robots.
Real Steel vs. Friday After Next
If it was Friday, then Friday would win. The sequels are nowhere near as good. Real Steel wins.
Real Steel vs. Jaws 2
Big dip from Jaws to Jaws 2. Real Steel‘s better.
Real Steel vs. Meet the Fockers
Meet the Fockers is cringingly bad.
Real Steel vs. Who’s Harry Crumb?
Who’s Harry Crumb? – no really, who is he? I hardly remember – other than it’s John Candy. Forgettable in almost every way.
Real Steel vs. Tusk
Tusk goes way off the rails in several places, and suffers from casting that doesn’t jive with me, but it’s more interesting than Real Steel.
Real Steel is now ranked #1303 out of 1484 movies on my Best Movies of All-Time chart.
It’s now #61 on my Cyborg / Android / Robot chart and ranked #51 out of all the movies I’ve seen from 2011.
Next up is The Great Escape and The Dark Crystal. In the meantime, check out the other films I’ve ranked during the challenge.