Real Steel
Hugh Jackman may be on the cast list for Real Steel but it's the robots that seem to be grabbing everyone's attention as boxing it take to a whole different level in the movie.
Executive Producer Steven Spielberg was active in the design of the robots and told Director Shawn Levy early on that he should not make everything digitally, although the technology exists to do so.
Spielberg says, "In the digital world, the actors are reacting to practically nothing. When it’s actually a physical representation of the main attraction, the main event, and the actor can actually interact with it and touch it and look it in the eye, the performance blossoms.
It’s good for the actors to have something real, something tangible in the space to act with. That was the only advice I gave Shawn: Every chance you get, build these robots full
size."
And there is a whole host of boxing robots on show in Real Steel:
Atom: Atom may not be the biggest or flashiest bot in the ring, but he is the most extraordinary. He is the 'hero' robot.
Discovered in a junkyard by Charlie and Max, Atom is a sparring bot but shows that he can be a fighter.
With the ability to understand commands Charlie's boxing skills are once again useful as he trains Atom for the big time!
Zeus: He is the champ of the WRB. He is enormous. He is described as 'The Death Star.' Zeus is painted reflective black.
He has piston-programmed punch mechanisms in his arms. Not only has he never been beaten, but also, no other robot has even survived beyond the first round with him.
Midas: Coloured in gold and red, he sports a mohawk. He’s a brawler. He follows no rules. He’ll use whatever means necessary to win a fight.
Noisy Boy: This robot is a former league bot. When he started losing fights, he was exiled to doing boxing exhibitions in South America and Asia.
He’s now back, but he’s no longer league caliber, so he’s fighting in underworld venues.
Ambush: Ambush is a low-rent circuit bot. The best fight that Charlie can arrange for Ambush is literally against a piece of livestock.
Twin Cities: With a block-shaped upper body, Twin Cities is a vicious two-headed robot.
Metro: With one green arm and one blue arm, both of which are different shapes and sizes, Metro looks like a beat-up Frankenstein.
Real Steel is out now.
Tagged in Shawn Levy