Hugh Jackman is the big name in this "On the sofa with the kids on a Sunday afternoon" flick. Set in the near future, he plays an ex-boxer named Charlie Kenton who is involved in the popular sport of robot boxing. Heavily in debt to various promoters, he is on his last legs when his ex dies, leaving him his eleven yer old estranged son, played by Dakota Goyo. Their squabbles et.c lead them to an old discarded robot which appears to have a lot of potential in the ring. You probably already have a good idea of where the story goes. It is predictable in its path but is very enjoyable. It has very loud echoes of Rocky 4 , in that it is the old underdog against the ***SPOILER*** (almost) undefeatable robot and its east versus west. You get a feeling that the old robot may be more than just a clinical machine and of course the father/son gap is bridged as the film goes on, with a custody issue with the Aunt thrown into the mix. It does take too long to explain Charlie Kenton's background in boxing and something hugely lacking was the reason that robot boxing has taken over from the original pugilistic event. I really didn't understand the reason behind this being left out, and could have easily been explained at the start of the movie however this is not a complicated movie so lets not worry too much! It reminded me of when i used to watch films like Short Circuit and Flight Of The Navigator in the late 80's in that you have enjoy the interaction between the kid, the machine and the adults involved.. I can see kids, and some adults watching this more than once and enjoying it every time. It can only be spoiled now if they make a sequel, so if you're reading Mr Gatkins and Mr Gilroy, don't. Leave this as a "one film story" with a happy ending. Seconds out....Enjoy!
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