Today’s quick review: Real Steel. In the near future, Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman), a down-on-his-luck robot boxing operator, discovers that he has a preteen son (Dakota Goyo) that he never wanted. Finding a common interest in robot boxing, the two work together to restore Charlie’s flagging career. Real Steel succeeds on several levels. Hugh Jackman delivers a strong performance as a disinterested father just enough redeeming qualities to make the character likable. Dakota Goyo plays off him well, with the right balance of innocence and jadedness, and their emotional arc is the backbone of the movie. The boxing itself is fast-paced and visceral. The punches are weighty, and the robots feel more than capable of taking and delivering superhuman beatings. The fight locations greatly emphasize the sense of excitement that comes with the matches. From the former lion habitat at an abandoned zoo to a towering atrium lined with spectator-filled balconies, the arenas in Real Steel give the impression that robot boxing is an irrepressible force that crops up wherever there is a place to fight. The story is fairly typical as both a boxing story and a father-son story, but the combination of the two, along with the sci-fi elements and the movie’s capable direction, is more than satisfactory. Overall, Real Steel delivers exactly what it promises: plenty of robot action wrapped around a strong emotional core. Every aspect of it is well-executed, and I strongly recommend giving it a watch. 7.1 out of 10 on IMDB.