MOVIE ITSELF
Think of Rocky, but for kids, that’s what you get in Disney’s Real Steel. Hugh Jackman plays a loser father who is unwilling to take care of his child. But, the boy (Max) has to stay with his father temporarily while his adopted parents goes on vacation. It isn’t very hard to figure out where the story goes.
The film utilizes its CG very well, the robots fighting each other looks amazingly good. There is no real emotional content in the film, not for us adults anyways. But, this is a Disney production, and kids will more likely enjoy the film. The robots are fun to watch, and it really is a simulation of playing video games, or Rock’em Sock’em robots, depending on which era you are from. The father/son team finds a junky robot and helps it become a good fighter. The kid mostly controls the robot, as the father coaches on the side.
Movie Itself: B-
VIDEO QUALITY
The video quality is once again, very good. Disney is on a tear with their Blu-ray releases. Color palettes are great, both outdoors and indoors, and even in the dark. The details are consistently good from the rugged and raw, to the glitzy and glamorous arenas that the pair ventures to. The CG in the film looks great, and the Blu-ray transfer does not undermine the quality of the CG, as the robots look very crisp and clear. The video transfer really enhances the overall quality of the film.
Video Quality: A
AUDIO QUALITY
The audio quality for Real Steel is good, it’s mostly sharp and clear, and the separation between the dialogue and the background noise is distinct. There is a minor problem with the balance though, sometimes the dialogue seems too low, while the music is too loud. This is a bit of a nuisance more than anything, as you have to adjust the volume accordingly. But, this doesn’t happen very often. The sound of the Robots smashing each other is impressive, no unintended crackles, or distortions, just the sound the way the sound designer intended it to be.
Audio Quality: B+
EXTRAS
The Extras are mostly behind-the-scenes footage, such as how they filmed the most challenging scenes of the film. Also, the self-explanatory titled “Building the Bots.” The Extras also include a few Bloopers, a few Deleted and Extended scenes, and a Director’s commentary track, which is fairly generic, but still informational nonetheless. It also comes with a DVD copy of the film.
Extras: C+
OVERALL
Real Steel is an entertaining film, especially for kids. Sure, the story is predictable but the vehicle for the film are the robots, and Disney made them well. The video quality is great, and the audio quality is very good. Real Steel Blu-ray would make for a good collection, for the ‘Family film’ section.
Overall: B
Release Date: Jan. 24, 2012
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