Writer: Syahida Kamarudin

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Watch this if you liked: “Transformers”, “The Iron Giant” and “The Wrestler”

Step aside Optimus Prime. There is a new bot in town. It may not be colourful, it may not be shiny and it may not have Peter Cullen's voice (let alone any voice at all!), but it sure floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee!

Ignore the dumb choice of a title. "Real Steel" is a conventional storyline about family and commitment in an unconventional time-frame (year 2020) and around unconventional medium of boxing sport (robot boxing). Unlike "Transformers" (2007) that pretended to be humane and memorable, in actuality, it is the sparring robot called Atom in this movie that has succeeded in doing just that. Combining the geeky love for robots and the manly love for sports and brawls, the fact that this is your usual Disney-esque family drama is forgivable and almost left unnoticed.

"Real Steel" is a story of a relationship between a boy named Max (Dakota Goyo) and his estranged father. It is also the story of a former boxer (Hugh Jackman) trying to forget his past glory by living a commitment-less life one day at a time. And between the two of them is Atom - the mysterious sparring bot that doesn't talk but speaks everything.

Hugh Jackman is triumphant in playing your usual troubled daddy. He made it almost impossible to hate the movie. And although you may feel irritated by Dakota Goyo's character once in a while, the kid who was last seen in "Thor" (2011) really blends well with his one part Bieber-ish haircut, one part vulnerable and naive kid, and two parts smart-alec. Evangeline Lilly ("Lost") plays a character that is not memorable and has no character development, thus nothing can be said about that - although she does well. It's just a pity that other than the three, everybody else forced their way into playing a cool Japanese robot fighter, a cunning Texan redneck or a spikey-haired punk. These forced characters almost felt like the second season of "Glee"! And that is not a compliment.

In short, "Real Steel" is "The Iron Giant" in a real form and "The Wrestler" in a more family-oriented way. It is the best of a choice if you want to watch a movie with your kids without feeling too dumbed down by a childish feel-good movie.

Cinema Online, 03 October 2011