Real Steel

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Real Steel

PG-13

Released Oct 7, 2011

2h 7m

Action

Drama

Sci-Fi

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

60%

Tomatometer

234 Reviews

73%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Charlie Kenton used to be a prizefighter but lost his chance to win a title when heavy, towering robots took over the boxing ring. Now working as a small-time promoter, Charlie pieces together scrap metal into low-end fighters, barely earning enough to make it from one underground venue to the next. After hitting rock bottom, Charlie reluctantly teams with his estranged son, Max, to build and train a championship robot for a last shot at redemption.

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Critics Consensus

Silly premise notwithstanding, this is a well-made Hollywood movie: Thrilling and exciting action with just enough characterization.

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Logan Hill

New York Magazine/Vulture

It's more of a throwback to Horatio Alger's Ragged Dick, a rags-to-middle-class-respectability tale about the humble joy of old-fashioned decency.

Nov 14, 2018

Full Review

Tom Charity

CNN.com

It's as corny as Kansas, but the mix of old fashioned heart and new fangled animatronic cyber tech will make this picture a winner for fathers and sons.

Nov 14, 2018

Full Review

Shawn Levy

New York Times

All things considered, it is a well-wrought piece of entertainment, confidently paced, although its necessary subplots are little more than dutiful filler sandwiched between fight sequences.

Nov 6, 2018

Full Review

Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

As hokey as that sounds, "Real Steel" will catch you with a body blow of father-son emotion.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 28, 2025

Full Review

Iván Kazi

EscribiendoCine

The truth is that it is a fun film and its few inconsistencies are insignificant compared to the outstanding special effects and the compelling thematic thread. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 6/10

Sep 27, 2023

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

A tired old cast re-pressed and coated with a shiny new layer of wax.

Rated: 2.5/4

Mar 7, 2023

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Drake H.

I love it can’t wait till they come out with the second one

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/16/25

Full Review

Cuenta P

Absoluto cine El boxeo artificial nunca superará al real y eso se vio en la última pelea (pelea robada)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/09/25

Full Review

Precious T

A favorite childhood movie of mine. Rewatchable and lovable every time I revisit. An unforgettable underdog story about robots going at it. Not everyone's favorite, but will forever be mine. Five-stars for the heart and soul this movie displayed.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/02/25

Full Review

Paul S

There were some holes in the story and it was a little predictable, but overall this movie was incredible. The animation for the robots was amazing, and it was so much fun to watch. This is definitely one of my favorite underdog stories. I definitely recommend it for action and boxing fans!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/28/25

Full Review

Juan Andres T

The plot is very good, you can see how it reflects friendship and the value of family, the process that the movie has is too good, although in some parts it becomes very boring since it has no dialogue or anything. Juan Torres.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/15/25

Full Review

thiago s

Filme mais ou menos, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são mais ou menos, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

07/07/25

Full Review

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Shawn Levy

Director

Hugh Jackman

Charlie Kenton

Evangeline Lilly

Bailey Tallet

Dakota Goyo

Max

Anthony Mackie

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Kevin Durand

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Synopsis

Charlie Kenton used to be a prizefighter but lost his chance to win a title when heavy, towering robots took over the boxing ring. Now working as a small-time promoter, Charlie pieces together scrap metal into low-end fighters, barely earning enough to make it from one underground venue to the next. After hitting rock bottom, Charlie reluctantly teams with his estranged son, Max, to build and train a championship robot for a last shot at redemption.

Director: Shawn Levy
Producer: Don Murphy, Susan Montford, Shawn Levy
Screenwriter: John Gatins
Distributor: Walt Disney
Production Co: 21 Laps Entertainment, Montford Murphy
Rating: PG-13 (Intense Action|Brief Language|Some Violence)
Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 7, 2011, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $85.5M
Runtime: 2h 7m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital

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