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REAL STEELMovie Reviews
Action science-fiction story about a washed-up fighter who builds a championship fighting robot with his estranged son. Cast:Hugh Jackman, Anthony Mackie, Evangeline Lilly, Dakota GoyoDirector:Shawn LevyRelease Date:October 7, 2011DVD Release:January 24, 2012From:DreamworksRating:PG-13Length:2 hr 7 min
Real Steel played to moderate reviews. • Stephanie Zacharek wrote for Movieline, "...goes through all the motions, properly and efficiently, and yet it's missing some core warmth.... In the end, we just give in, because that's what the movie expects..." • And James Rocchi wrote for MSN Movies, "...earns no small amount of points for being better than it might have been." More Reviews Below...
Real Steel Positive Reviews (47 Reviews, reviews below)
Alynda Wheat, People: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Robots beat each other up. If you're looking for something more emotionally stimulating than that, you're in the wrong theater."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 169 words, 10/06/11
Mary Pols, Time: WEAK "...the story remains sadly mired in botdom, which leads to some boredom.... It's all just technological fussing; there's no urgency, no point to be made..."(See all of Mary Pols's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 758 words, 10/07/11
David Germain, Associated Press: WEAK(cg) "...dresses up a bad idea -- robots boxing -- with all the computer effects and heavy-metal action that Hollywood can buy.... horribly predictable..."(See all of David Germain's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 793 words, 10/06/11
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...one lively, emotionally satisfying story.... builds to a well-earned emotional climax, handled with real class and affection by Jackman and his unfazed young costar."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 372 words, 10/07/11
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: MODERATE(cg) "Sugar Ray Leonard helped with the motion-capture, and it shows. Good stuff. But the tear-jerking is as shameless as its product placement. We're being hustled."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 222 words, 10/07/11
Claudia Puig, USA Today: MODERATE(cg) "...hampered by leaden, clichéd moments in which a stubborn boy teaches his childish father a valuable lesson. At least the well-paced action is rarely creaky."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 489 words, 10/07/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...it's a real movie. It has characters, it matters who they are... a compelling plot.... Sometimes you go into a movie with low expectations and are pleasantly surprised."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 827 words, 10/07/11
James Rocchi, MSN Movies: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...earns no small amount of points for being better than it might have been.... a well-made, well-managed family fighting fantasy..."(See all of James Rocchi's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 720 words, 10/05/11
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: VERY GOOD(cg) "There's sentiment and manipulation, impressive special effects work, and some electric robot boxing sequences.... a legitimate crowd-pleaser."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,051 words, 10/05/11
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (13 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...a well-wrought piece of entertainment, confidently paced, although its necessary subplots are little more than dutiful filler sandwiched between fight sequences."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 848 words, 10/07/11
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: WEAK(cg) "...feels as if it were made inside the mind of a kid obsessed with robots. For the preteen, robot-loving crowd, that won't be a problem. For everyone else..."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 477 words, 10/07/11
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Perhaps 'Reel Steal' would be the better title.... this recycled reclamation of underdogs saga is neither as bad as it sounds nor quite as good as it could be..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 753 words, 10/07/11
Kyle Smith, New York Post: WEAK(cg) "...so distant from the thrill, that you wonder what the point is. Do you really want to pay to watch an actor playing a kid who in turn plays what amounts to a video game?"(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 707 words, 10/07/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...it's a real movie. It has characters, it matters who they are... a compelling plot.... Sometimes you go into a movie with low expectations and are pleasantly surprised."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 827 words, 10/07/11
Bruce DeMara, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Lovers of blood sport action are going to enjoy the well-staged fighting... tender hearts seeking emotional depth will find the father-son conflict reasonably engaging."(See all of Bruce DeMara's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 609 words, 10/07/11
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "...borrows so much from other films that it might better be titled 'Reel Steal': not only from 'The Champ,' but from 'Rocky,' the 'Transformers' and even some 'Star Wars.' "(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 671 words, 10/07/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "It's utterly predictable, but director Shawn Levy hits his marks with warmth and energy, letting Jackman sell us on the emotions and the effects."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 157 words, 10/06/11
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: MODERATE(cg) "...a cute, occasionally sentimental father-son bonding picture... It might be cheaper, though, just to buy a Rock'Em Sock'Em Robots set."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 543 words, 10/07/11
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "10 percent lovable underdog hokum, 23 percent sentimental family drama and 67 percent rivet-popping punch-ups."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 463 words, 10/07/11
Randy Cordova, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a little 'Kramer vs. Kramer' here, a dash of 'Transformers' there, and it's all topped with a big heap of 'Rocky.' But it's hard to argue with the results..."(See all of Randy Cordova's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 616 words, 10/07/11
Mike Russell, Portland Oregonian: MODERATE(cg) "...sporadically crowd-pleasing but frequently brain-dead... It is wish-fulfillment for children who think their wayward dads can be redeemed by playing video games."(See all of Mike Russell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 377 words, 10/07/11
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...sci-fi without the science, and the fiction is strictly 20th century, straight out of 'Rocky' knockoffs.... loud and dumb..."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 552 words, 10/06/11
Tom Long, Detroit News: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a blast, an unabashed crowd-pleaser that mixes 'Rocky,' 'Transformers,' video games and father-son bonding to great, if corny, effect."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 353 words, 10/07/11
Josh Tyler, Cinema Blend: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Any time there's a robot on screen... Unfortunately, whenever the movie ends up in a scene without a robot in frame, it's a disaster."(See all of Josh Tyler's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 593 words, 10/05/11
Scott Tobias, AV Club: GOOD(cg) "It has an orphan, a dame, and a rusty old fighter nobody believed in, and damned if it doesn't play every terrible cliché completely straight."(See all of Scott Tobias's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 419 words, 10/06/11
Stephanie Zacharek, Movieline: VERY GOOD(cg) "...goes through all the motions, properly and efficiently, and yet it's missing some core warmth.... In the end, we just give in, because that's what the movie expects..."(See all of Stephanie Zacharek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 823 words, 10/06/11
Nick Schager, Slant: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...if familiarity is endemic to this feel-good drama, there's nonetheless also something to be said for competent amalgamation and regurgitation of tired genre tropes."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 627 words, 10/05/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "It's utterly predictable, but director Shawn Levy hits his marks with warmth and energy, letting Jackman sell us on the emotions and the effects."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 157 words, 10/06/11
Edward Adams, Atlanta Creative Loafing: WEAK(cg) "...a sappy family-oriented plot, a phoned-in performance from Jackman, and a couple of unnecessary story stalls that could have been easily omitted..."(See all of Edward Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 807 words, 10/06/11
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: VERY GOOD(cg) "This is a ridiculous movie. And yet, I enjoyed the hell out it. Not just because Hugh Jackman is in it. In IMAX. Though that doesn't hurt."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 781 words, 10/14/11
HIGHBROW PRESS (4 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...a well-wrought piece of entertainment, confidently paced, although its necessary subplots are little more than dutiful filler sandwiched between fight sequences."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 848 words, 10/07/11
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Perhaps 'Reel Steal' would be the better title.... this recycled reclamation of underdogs saga is neither as bad as it sounds nor quite as good as it could be..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 753 words, 10/07/11
Forrest Wickman, Slate: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...a heartwarming sci-fi sports movie.... Jackman is the rare actor who can do brawn with grace, and his charisma and charm frequently save the script..."(See all of Forrest Wickman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 773 words, 10/06/11
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Peter Debruge, Daily Variety: GOOD "The uncanny thing is just how gripping the fight scenes are; Sugar Ray Leonard served as a consultant to the motion-capture performers..."(See all of Peter Debruge's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,017 words, 09/28/11
Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: POOR "...feels like a mashup of spare parts from 'Transformers,' 'The Champ,' 'Star Wars' and Sylvester Stallone's series... punishingly predictable..."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 942 words, 09/28/11
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Perhaps 'Reel Steal' would be the better title.... this recycled reclamation of underdogs saga is neither as bad as it sounds nor quite as good as it could be..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 753 words, 10/07/11
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: MODERATE(cg) "...the future is so half-baked and ill conceived that it calls into question why they even bothered.... it lacks that creative spark."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 898 words, 09/30/11
Stephen Holden, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...a well-wrought piece of entertainment, confidently paced, although its necessary subplots are little more than dutiful filler sandwiched between fight sequences."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 848 words, 10/07/11
17.4 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Real Steel's reviews are separated by an average 17.4 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Real Steel (47 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Real Steel's reviews cover 90.9% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 27,310 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 581 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Real Steel Coverage, Volume & Length (47 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 14.7 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Real Steel's reviews on average broke 14.7 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Real Steel's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Real Steel (47 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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