'Real Steel' is a Real Homage to 'The Champ'

When all is said and done, "Real Steel" is a slightly futuristic version of "The Champ," the classic movie about a washed-up boxer trying to make a comeback while bonding with his estranged son.

For Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman), however, making that comeback has been a bit difficult. After Charlie's last shot at glory, the sport of boxing changed from human contestants to robotic warriors. Spectators wanted more raw carnage than any two athletes could ever deliver, so computer wizards became the power behind the sport.

Heavily in debt, Charlie takes his low-rent robots to state fairs and unsanctioned robot boxing matches, but he typically ends up with a heap of scrap metal for his troubles. While trying to buy another fighting robot, he is reunited with Max (Dakota Goya), the son he abandoned more than a decade ago.

Like his father, Max follows robot boxing with a passion and, by accident, discovers an abandoned sparring robot named Atom. Small and technologically-outdated, Atom could be the unlikely answer to Charlie's money troubles if he would only listen to his son.

From the very first scene of "Real Steel," it's obvious that this is going to be a story of redemption where everything will turn out all right in the end. The journey to get there, however, is still rather enjoyable.

Breaking away from his usual roles, Hugh Jackman is surprisingly effective as a down-and-out boxer grasping at one final chance for glory. Charlie also is on the run from various creditors who have financed his efforts to find a real championship robot.

Evangeline Lilly turns in a solid performance as Bailey Tallet, Charlie's long-suffering girlfriend and reluctant source of funds. Frustrated and nearly broke, Bailey can't resist doing what Charlie asks, even though her father's gymnasium is rapidly heading towards bankruptcy.

It is Jackman's interaction with young Dakota Goyo that makes "Real Steel" something special, however. The Max character is cut from the same cloth as Charlie, but Max obviously is a lot smarter and a harder worker than his absentee dad has been.

Arguably, the real breakout star here is the quiet, nearly faceless robot known as Atom. Designed to take multiple hits from stronger boxing robots, Atom takes a licking and keeps on fighting. Like Rocky Balboa, Atom simply refuses to stay on the mat when the odds are against him.

As a technological upgrade of some classic films, "Real Steel" actually is real fun.

"Real Steel," rated PG-13 for some violence, intense action and some language, currently is playing in theaters.