You've heard of boxing. You've probably heard of robot wars. The next logical step in the evolution is surely bare-knuckle robot-boxing!
Real Steel takes these two elements and transports them into the future, to a time when boxing between men no longer has the same appeal as it does now. In this future, man-made, super-tall robots slug it out in the ring.
Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman), once a world-class boxer, is now a has-been. He spends his time promoting robot fights at small venues, and building robots from scrap metal to enter in prizefights.
Just as Charlie's life reaches an all-time low, he reluctantly pairs up with his son, Max (Dakota Goyo). They build a robot and train it to become the ultimate fighting machine. This is Charlie's last chance to save his relationship with his son - and make a comeback in the world of competitive sports.
'The main characters - a father, his son and a machine - are each abandoned beings,' director Shawn Levy says. 'All three of them have been cast aside and forgotten. The substance of the story is about how this trinity has a chance of returning to grace.'
Levy's love of boxing began as a boy, and led to an admiration for boxing films such as Raging Bull and the Rocky series. 'Real Steel is absolutely a homage to those boxing movies that I watched with my brothers 50 times.'