Basing on the Richard Matheson story, "Steel", director Shawn Levy uses gorgeous driving scenes to drop us into a near future with hints of things to come, (fantastic holographic phones) but also a recent, very relatable past of glitter-dust carnivals and junk yard fights.
I was in the movie from the first Ferris wheel shot.
Hugh Jackman, that terrifically crusty Wolverine, showed us who we are meant to believe he is right away, tripping over his empty Bud bottles in his robot-like transport vehicle, trying to charge the local kids for photos with his 'bot.
This film is not just boxing robots (Noisy Boy, may be the best robot name ever)-- it's got a wildly beating heart. I do hope that the marketing campaign of big shiny metal objects pummeling eachother doesn't mask the true father & son relationship story. Even if it does, it will be a word-of-mouth sleeper hit.
Dakota Goyo as Max is a show stopper, as a rule I am pained (often extremely pained) by child actors, I really believed this young actor. He won me over, the cliff scene is better than it had to be...and yes, i want more robot dancing please.
Karl Yune (younger brother of Rick, a damn good-looking family) was perfectly cast as hardball/high roller Tak Mashido. The Kardashianesque Russian Barbie doll was a bold move, as well... and who was that Will Smith look-alike, he stole all his scenes...
I never did get around to watching Lost, but was charmed by E. Lilly, who did a fine job with her mostly thankless role of girl-on-standby.
The Danny Elfman soundtrack (Eminem! BBoys! Foos!) brings it home, people all around me were tearing up (including my 6'6" hulk of a tough-guy husband)...and at the end, cheers rang wide throughout the packed house.
I bought it all, and it did what I want my movies to do for me, yank me out of my daily reality and put me somewhere else for two hours...somewhere else better.
Bravo Mr. Murphy & Mlle. Susan Montford, you got a contender!
film comes out October 7th...
SEE REAL STEEL TRAILER HERE
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