Director SHAWN LEVY sets up a shot on the set of REAL STEEL.

Director SHAWN LEVY sets up a shot on the set of REAL STEEL.

I’ve been looking forward to seeing “Real Steel” ever since I read the synopsis.  It’s not just a boxing film, I wouldn’t be interested if it was, but it’s a story about redemption and relationships.  I’ll be seeing it in just a few weeks and will be able to tell you more about it then, but until then here are some fun facts about the movie.

  • The movie was directed by Shawn Levy.  He also directed “Night at the Museum” and “Date Night”.
  • The movie’s star is Hugh Jackman.  He’s been seen in films like “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” and “The Prestige among others and I’ve never seen any of his films.
  • The robots in the film all have their own distinct look and personality.  They range in size from 7’6” to 8’5” in height and they’re based on their human boxing predecessors with the exception of a two-headed bot aptly named “Twin Cities.”
  • Each robot has its own specific skeletal material which results in punches landing on him making a distinct and recognizable sound.  There’s also an aura sound that each makes when being turned on that is also unique to that robot.
  • Lost” star, Evangeline Lilly plays Bailey in the film.  She never imagined herself making a boxing film but the heartfelt script won her over.
  • REAL STEEL director SHAWN LEVY and star HUGH JACKMAN discuss a scene on set at Crash Palace.

    REAL STEEL director SHAWN LEVY and star HUGH JACKMAN discuss a scene on set at Crash Palace.

    Dakota Goyo, a Toronto-native, was chosen from thousands of 10-year-old boys that vied for the role of Max, the on-screen son of Hugh Jackman.

  • Robot boxing scenes were complete in both motion-capture and full-scale robots.  The motion-capture elements were completed on a stage in LA.  Fighters wore data-capturing jumpsuits as they went through their paces and this data was used to convert the motion into robot avatars.  Then the filmmakers lined up their cameras on an empty ring and the motion-capture data streamed through their cameras, allowing them to watch and frame the robot fighting in the ring in real time.
  • Sugar Ray Leonard served as the film’s boxing consultant and also to trained Hugh Jackman.
  • The costume designer for “Real Steel”, Marlene Stewart, used 1960’s fashions for inspirations for Hugh Jackman’s character.  He sports rugged Americana styles which includes his retro sunglasses.
  • “Real Steel” shows the two world of robot boxing – there is the official league (the WRB) and the underworld.  The WRB is corporate sponsored bouts, with big money, sanctioned venues, and strict rules while in the underworld there are no rules, no restrictions, and the robots fight to the death.

What do you think?  Will you be seeing “Real Steel” when it hits theaters October 7, 2011?

REAL STEEL

DREAMWORKS PICTURES

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Genre:                          Action-Drama

Rating:                          PG-13

U.S. Release date:        October 7, 2011

“Real Steel” is an action drama about a former boxer (Hugh Jackman) who, against all odds,  gets one last shot at a comeback when he teams up with his estranged son (Dakota Goyo) to build and train the perfect contender for the new high-tech sport of robot boxing.

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