This is a futuristic movie in which boxing has been replaced by Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, there might be fancy computers but cars still run on gas. Starring Hugh Jackman as a glossy and clean fake-looking loser. It’s reminiscent of Tom Cruise in War of the Worlds where I just kept thinking, hey look a multi-millionaire playing a broke working joe – he just looked too clean. Same as in this one. Hugh Jackman is a likeable enough guy I guess but he’s much better doing clean-cut than rough around the edges. This is why I’m so on the fence about him as Wolverine. No edge.
But whatever.
The Story gets a +1 because among other things, the robot’s name is Atom but he wasn’t the first Fighting Robot. The Look gets a plus +2 (earned solely by the robots), the Overall Casting gets a +1 because of Evangeline Lilly (who like Jackman is a bit unbelievable in her scruffiness but I liked her as Kate on Lost) and the kid (Dakota Goyo). The Commitment to Genre gets a +1 if I consider that the genre is a kid’s movie or robot movie or futuristic movie or boxing movie.
Subtotal: +5.
I will add a point (+1) for the punk guy who actually looked like a punk and not just some guy dressed up like a punk. I will also award it with +1 for the Robot dancing the Robot. Lastly, I will deduct -3 points because of the scene where the Robot seems to look in the mirror, contemplating his existence. Then nuthin’. It would have been stupid if he did but still, why the set-up? And…WHY IS THERE A MIRROR IN A ROBOT’S DRESSING ROOM???
Pant…pant…pant…
I will generously award back +1 for the action which, while not being Rocky or anything, was still pretty fun. It leaves you a bit empty when you’re cheering for the coaching staff and not the fighter.
Final Score: +5.
While I’m always up for some robot fightin’ action (and really, who isn’t? Woody Allen, maybe, but even he has to occasionally get excited about something, right? Ok, maybe not) this movie was utterly predictable from start to finish. But despite the lame Rocky homage and complete lack of surprises, I still found myself rooting for the robot in the end.
I seem to remember in this movie that at one point, one robot uppercuts another and the head and neck do pop up like the game, so at least they were aware of their source material.