First Look at Hugh Jackman’s Robot Boxing Movie ‘Real Steel’

The first two looks at Hugh Jackman’s next film, Real Steel, directed by Night at the Museum franchise helmer Shawn Levy just found their way into my inbox and unfortunately they don’t really offer up much considering the nature of the film’s plot line.

Described as a “gritty, white-knuckle, action ride,” Real Steel is set in the near-future, where the sport of boxing has gone hi-tech. Charlie Kenton (Jackman) is 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 his estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo) to build and train a championship contender. As the stakes in the brutal, no-holds-barred arena are raised, Charlie and Max, against all odds, get one last shot at a comeback.

I guess the part I don’t quite understand is why a robot would need to be trained. Wouldn’t it just be programmed to win, throw it in a ring and see what happens? Isn’t this basically what happened in that Robot Wars TV show? Or even better yet, isn’t this a silly extension of the Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots toys?

Along with Jackman, the film stars Evangeline Lilly (“Lost”), Dakota Goyo, Kevin Durand (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) and Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker).

I have added two new images to the RopeofSilicon gallery, which includes a larger look at the image above and a second one with Levy and Jackman. You can click here to check them both out.

Real Steel marks the first DreamWorks film being released by Disney’s Touchstone Pictures under their new deal and it hits theaters on November 18, 2011, the same weekend as the first part of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn and Happy Feet 2.

Movie News

Marvel and DC

X