Real Steel (1/24/2012)

Rated PG-13 for some violence, intense action and brief language.

Starring Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly, Dakota Goyo and Kevin Durand

Directed by Shawn Levy (Date Night, Night at the Museum and Cheaper By The Dozen)

Real Steal is the Real Deal.

A gritty, white-knuckle, action ride set in the near-future where the sport of boxing has gone high-tech. Real Steel stars Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton, 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.

This is the best movie I have seen this year.

The funny thing is, 4 months ago when I first watched the trailer I thought it looked like the dumbest movie of 2011. I remember thinking it looks like a cheesey Syfy Channel original movie based on the Rock ‘em Sock’em game I played as a kid. To say I had no interest would be a major understatement. But in recent weeks I started seeing a different trailer. This trailer made it look like their might actually be a decent story, and so, with some pressure from my wife, I reluctantly I bought two tickets for Real Steel.

Let me just say sometimes I love being wrong. Real Steal had a cast, story and giant robots that actually made me want to get up and cheer. Do you have any idea how long it’s been since I wanted to stand up in a theater and cheer???? (By the way it was 1995 when I watched Mel Gibson in Braveheart.)

So let’s unpack it a little. Let’s start with the action stars…the robots. The special effects in the movie are so good, because you can’t tell what robots are real and which ones are computer generated. Not only are they robots you could actually imagine being real things, but they look so cool.

The cast is amazing. I love Huge Jackman and he’s great as the selfish robot fighter and deadbeat dad. I actually found myself not liking him – because he’s so good in the role. Evangeline Lilly and Kevin Durand are also great in supporting roles but it’s Dakota Goyo who steals the show. He’s a lovable little kid who successfully navigates that think line between adorable and annoying.

Finally there is the story…yeah there really is a story. And if you grew up watching the Rocky films, get ready to be cheer for a brand new underdog. And not just in the ring. Director Shawn Levy is so good at telling a human story…and is this case, using robots to do it. In fact, there is a scene in one of the very intense fights where all the action is in the ring. And then time slows down, things go quiet and we see Max take his eyes off the fight and look at his dad. And the way he looks at him is exactly how I want my kids to look at me…with love and pride. This movie had my attention the whole time…but in that moment…it had my heart.

I loved Real Steel and I can’t wait to make it a permanent part of my movie collection…Its Worth Buying.

SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
This movie could easily have been a PG movie, but there are a few things you should know about. The violence in the movie is not overly graphic but can get intense in some scenes. Most of the violence is robots fighting in boxing matches.

There is also a scene where three men beat Charlie “within a inch of his life”. The scene consists of the three men punching and kicking the character, you see his bloody face resulting from the fight. The character’s 11-year-old son is also roughed up during the attack, but is not explicitly beaten.

The only other issue is the language. Max says the A-word two times (one time calling his dad an a**), he also says the S-word once. There are a few other mild bad words.

I would definitely let my 13 and 10 year olds watch this one.

Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):

Q: What’s the message/theme of this movie?
A: The overwhelming theme throughout this movie is asking the question, “What do we value the most?” So what are some things that you value? (Use a sheet of paper that is numbered from 1- 10 and have your student or child rank the top 10 things they value in their life.)

Q: How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
A: In the film, Charlie values money above everything…above his robots, his personal safety and even over his own son. In a very emotional scene Charlie can’t figure out what Max wants from him. He thinks Max will have a better living with his aunt and uncle…because they are very wealthy. But Max is fighting him and Charlie just says, “What do you want from me?” and Max finally says, “I just want you to fight for me.”

So what do you think Max is telling his dad?

Read Luke 10:38-42 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Retell this story in your own words.

How is Charlie like Martha? Do you think Martha learned her lesson? Do you think Charlie did?

Q: How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
A: Take a look at your list again. Is there anything missing? Are there things on your list that could be removed or lowered down on the list?

What can you do this week to “fight for” the things at the top of your list?