Real Steel (2011)

Real Steel is a boxing movie starring robots, and the most mechanical thing in it is still the script. You can call every round before the bell: deadbeat dad, wide-eyed kid, junkyard underdog, smug champion with a bigger bank account. Hugh Jackman plays Charlie as such a heel for the first hour that rooting for him takes real effort. Dakota Goyo’s Max does choreographed dance routines with his robot before fights, and your tolerance for those will decide your whole night. Then Atom’s shadow mode kicks in, copying Charlie’s moves punch for punch, and the cheesy machinery works on you anyway. Evangeline Lilly is warm in a part that’s mostly holding a wrench. Anthony Mackie gets a fun little hustler role. The robots look heavy and real, which counts for a lot. It made $299.3 million worldwide on a reported $110 million. A 6.0 because it’s Rocky with a remote control, and Rocky still works even when you can see the strings. $9,137 says you shadowbox in the kitchen tonight and insist it’s cardio.

What works: The robots feel heavy and real, and the shadow-boxing finale is a pure crowd-pleaser that lands even when you can see it coming.

What doesn’t: Every beat is lifted straight from the underdog playbook, and Charlie stays a heel for so long that the turnaround feels rushed.

Who it’s for: Families looking for a big, loud Saturday night movie, and anyone who has ever cried at a sports finale and blamed allergies.