It’s not Rocky, it’s Real Steel, but you would think you were watching the great boxing film in another dimension.  Now on Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack the gritty, action packed fight film blows the lid off some extreme robots on it’s way to being an entertaining movie for those who like a good punch fest.  I liked this film for the action, comedy and father-son relationship and now that it’s on Blu-ray, on my home entertainment system, it’s still got me hooked.

It’s the year 2020 and human-to-human boxing has been moved aside for the exciting 2000 pound 8 foot steel robot contenders who draw crowds and gambling from around the world.  It’s a big business with huge purses for the right boxing events.

Down on his luck ex-boxer Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman) has just had his bot destroyed in a bout and heads back to his hometown gym.  The only thing left for him to do involves signing papers so his deceased ex-wife’s parents can take custody of his son Max (Dakota Goyo).  Needing money to purchase another bot Charlie makes a big money deal with his ex-wife’s father in exchange for his signature and to leave the boy alone.  The deal however has one glitch; Charlie would have to keep max for the summer while his ex-in-laws takes a trip to Europe. When Max gets to go on the road with Charlie for a robot fight however, their relationship gets complicated.

Real Steel has an explosive script and director Shawn Levy fills every inch of and home screen with hard-hitting robot action.  Much like Transformers, the robots here move about so realistically that it’s like having a ringside seat in the future of boxing.  Levy keeps the film moving at a fast clip making the 2 hours plus an exciting event.

A standout performance by Dakota Goyo as Max makes the film work.  The feisty kid has his mind set on winning big when he finds a worn-out ‘fighting robot’. Goyo works well with director Levy turning out a stubborn yet emotional character that becomes very likable. The movie is so good I included it in my Top Ten Feature Films for 2011.

Real Steel  is rated PG-13 for some violence, intense action, and brief language, but nothing more than you see in the Transformer films.  If you like this film, then rent a film called Over the Top starring Sylvester Stallone another exciting father/son film.

BONUS FEATURES:

2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack  (1 Blu-ray Disc + 1 DVD)

REAL STEEL SECOND SCREEN – You can interact with you computer or iPad while you watch the movie on your Blu-ray player.  You will get hours of never-before-seen content.  You can go ringside with Director Shawn Levy on an action-packed journey into the world of Real Steel that you control.  In addition you will be able to see cutting edge technology used to create the robot battles.

Additional Blu-ray bonuses are:

Countdown to the Fight—The Charlie Kenton Story

Sugar Ray Leonard: Cornerman’s Champ

Deleted and Extended Scenes with introductions by Shawn Levy

—Extended “Meet Ambush”

—Deleted “Butterfly” Storyline

PLUS On the enclosed DVD are these Bonus Features

1-Disc DVD (1 DVD)

Making of Metal Valley

Building the Bots

Bloopers

Real Steel also comes in a 3-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack that includes the Blu-ray with all the bonus features mentioned about, a DVD with the bonus features and a Digital Copy of the film to use for mobile options and your computer.

FINAL ANALYSIS: A good story with awesome action to boot. Feature rating (A), Bonus features (A), Overall experience (A)

DISC SPECIFICATIONS:

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Dakota Goyo, Evangeline Lilly and Anthony Mackie

Directed by: Shawn Levy

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some violence, intense action, and brief language

Genre: Action/Adventure, Science Fiction/Fantasy and Sports

Street Date: January 24, 2012

Released by: DreamWorks Pictures

Feature Run Time: 127 Minutes

Aspect Ratio:  Blu-ray: 1.85:1,DVD: 1.85:1

Audio: Blu-ray: 5.1 DTS HD-MA; 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby Digital, DVD: 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby Digital