Based on a short story written in 1956 by novelist Richard Matheson (who also penned I Am Legend), Real Steel takes place in a future world where fighting robots have taken over in the boxing ring, forcing former prize-fighter Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman) into a life spent in the sidelines. Kenton proves less successful in the robot arena, chalking up monetary debts after suffering a consecutive string of losses. To make matters worse, the has-been gets more than he bargained for when his estranged son is thrust into his custody following the death of an ex-girlfriend. The duo finds a common bond in their quest to build a robot contender that could signal the end of Kenton’s losing streak.

Okay, many of you are probably scoffing at the idea of spending 2 hours watching a washout fighter coaching violent machines. But give it a chance, and this movie may just surprise you.

Real Steel combines the innocent charm of The Iron Giant with the heart-warming determination of Rocky and the animatronic spectacle of Transformers – it’s a potent mixture, and one that director Shawn Levy puts to full effect.

Whether you’re a fan of action movies or not, it’s difficult not be carried along by the sheer optimism of the film, especially with an extremely likeable cast. Even as an irresponsible alcoholic gambler, Jackman exudes enough charisma and cheeky humour to keep Charlie Kenton an amiable character despite the many despicable acts he commits, like selling the custodial rights to his son, Max, to pay off his debts.

Kenton’s relationship with his son starts off shaky as Kenton exhibits no desire to form any emotional bond with the boy, but playful affection gradually begins to colour their interactions.

As plucky Max, child actor Dakota Goyo holds his own against Jackman, and it’s fun to watch the more cynical Kenton play off the youthful arrogance of his equally stubborn son.

Unfortunately, the heavy focus on the father-son relationship means that the other characters do not receive the same attention, like potential love interest Bailey Tallet (Evangeline Lilly), the daughter of Kenton’s ex-mentor. Although her screen time is limited, Jackman and Lilly’s comfortable chemistry ensures that the few scenes they share are memorable enough.

Which is more than you can say for the “villains”, Farra Lemcova (Olga Fonda) and Tak Mashido (Karl Yune), who end up as flat stereotypes of rich European heiress and Asian mastermind respectively.

A more unlikely star comes in the form of Atom, the Kentons’ salvaged boxing robot. Which is startling, because it doesn’t behave the same way as other well-loved movie androids. Unlike C-3PO or Wall-E, Atom doesn’t possess a personality – it is not capable of independent choice or thought, and it doesn’t do anything unless Max and Charlie order him to. Atom is also silent throughout the movie, and its only form of communication is by mimicking the physical movements of Max and Charlie in the training sessions.

Through use of motion-capture technology seen in Avatar, director Levy ensures that Atom’s movements are kept as realistic as possible while displaying the nuanced differences in each character’s gestures, from Max’s carefree running to Charlie’s disciplined fight moves.

Since this movie involves giant machines pummelling the bits out of each other, you’d probably have to expect violence. Fans of combat will not be disappointed by the vicious amount of robot carnage, since having insentient fighters means Levy can pack as much adrenaline-pumping savagery and destruction into the movie as much as he wants without sparking protests from censors.

The end result means that Real Steel works as both an entertaining family movie and a blockbuster action flick. Indeed, Shawn Levy is so confident of the movie’s success at the box office, he reveals a sequel is already in the works, all ready to enter production if the first film is well received.

One sees no reason why it won’t be.

Movie: Real Steel

Rating: 4/5
Opens: Oct 6
Duration: 127 minutes
Language: English

Age Rating: PG-13

Genre: Action, Science Fiction, Drama

Director: Shawn Levy
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly, Dakota Goyo

You’ve heard about Avatar’s mind-boggling cost, at an approximate US$400 million ($557 million). Watching it, you’ll marvel how every cent went into making this spectacular feast for the eyes.

James Cameron, director of Titanic, the highest grossing movie of all time at over US$600 million according to IMDB after 12 years, orchestrates yet another ambitious blockbuster Avatar. With the amount of buzz surrounding it, you half expect it to fall short, but it does the very opposite.

Audible intakes of breath can be heard regularly in the cinema, as wonder after wonder was revealed on screen. To think none of these exist in the real world – that everything was conceived, designed and rendered painstakingly in a studio somewhere in Hollywood truly blows your mind – and this was viewed in a 2D cinema.

The film is set in the year 2154, on Pandora, the apparently savage planet rich in a fossil fuel that the human mining colony is keen to harvest. One thing stands in their way: the natives, the jungle dwelling folk called the Na’vi. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paraplegic ex-Marine is tasked to take the place of his dead twin brother in the Avatar programme, to make contact with the indigenous people using a remotely controlled avatar of one of their own kind, in a last attempt at diplomacy. If this fails, the community will have to be exterminated so they can extract the costly mineral.

There are obvious themes here of how indigenous people are threatened by colonialists and conservation. The Na’vi have obvious similarities to the Native Americans, in their culture, their oneness with nature and their belief in Eywa, their version of Gaia. Thankfully, these politically correct themes don’t suffocate the story by becoming preachy, but aid its telling comfortably.

The plot is uncomplicated, the premise having been worn thin by previous films – think The Last Samurai and Disney’s Pocahontas – and becomes predictable at many points. For instance, it’s hardly a spoiler to say Jake meets the Na’vi princess, Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and slowly but surely falls in love with her. However, the characters, which have an entirely new language created for them, have emotional depth and are as believable as walking trees, elves and hobbits from Lord of the Rings, which also used Weta’s technology.

From the start to the end, the film draws you in, thanks to superb execution, and its lengthy 161 minutes flit by all too soon.

Amazingly, despite Pandora’s other-worldliness, the alien world looks convincing. The vegetation looks something like what the Amazon Rainforest might look like if transplanted on another planet. Watching it, one regains the awe of a child, discovering the world anew, except this time it isn’t our world. By day, there’re sprawling landscapes, majestic waterfalls, floating mountains and fantastical beasts. By night, everything takes on a neon quality, as though someone turned on ultraviolet lights.

Avatar also manages to mix live action with animation credibly, so that it neither looks cartoonish nor awkward, and fixes the ‘dead eyes’ issue that motion capture films like The Polar Express have. In contrast, the Na’vi’s large wide set eyes convey real emotion, thanks to a video camera attached to the actors’ heads that captured their every subtle expression and the stellar performance by the cast.

Most notable among the unseen cast was science fiction genre’s latest darling Zoe Saldana. Recently seen in Star Trek (2009), her feline grace, animalistic wrath (when called for) and stirring performance, made you feel for her lead character. Another standout, to no one’s surprise, was Sigourney Weaver, who plays the lead scientist on Pandora. Weaver, who worked closely with director James Cameron on his Aliens series, effortlessly juggles the dual traits of the anal-retentive Dr. Grace Augustine and her caring and nurturing nature towards her team of scientists and the Na’vi.

As with James Cameron’s previous gun toting films such as the Terminator trilogy and Aliens, any weapon-obsessed junkie will appreciate the amount of guns, robots, bombs, and helicopters that the film is endowed with. For the rest of us, the climatic final battle sequence is eye-poppingly epic and exceptionally portrayed, that will interestingly have you rooting, not for the big blue planet, but for the blue people.

Release Details:
Opens: Dec 17
Duration: 161 min
Language: English
Rating: PG
Genre: Action/Adventure
Director: James Cameron
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox

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The Origin: What you need to know
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is the prequel to the X-Men movie series as well as the 4th in this Marvel movie franchise. Scenes from Wolverine’s past are revisited, from his messed-up childhood and experiences fighting at the front lines of three major wars, (American Civil War, WWI, Vietnam War), to his past dealings with Team X, a secret operations CIA team, as well as the events leading up to his mysterious memory loss.

How we feel…
While the movie’s plot is essentially about revenge, it doesn’t descend into predictability thanks to eventual twists in the story which, when coupled with the engaging action sequences, (like the jumper-styled fight scene between Wolverine, Sabretooth and Deadpool on the top of a nuclear reactor), makes watching this show one worth the time and money.
This movie keeps you in your seat. It’s entertaining, and though the plot is average, the action makes up for everything. Especially considering Wolverine and Sabretooth’s regenerative capabilities, the fight choreography has its fill of lethal moves
You can definitely count on this spin-off trashing previous instalments of the series like X-men 3: The Last Stand. I would say that this movie delivers on a level comparable in performance to that of comic contemporary Spider-Man 3 but it still loses out in terms of level of suspense and emotional depth to The Dark Knight.

The Good
The numerous fight sequences are definitely a visual treat such as the stylish storming out of an African hideout by Team X.
The thrilling and dramatic opening scenes which featured half-brothers Logan and Victor (aka Wolverine and Sabretooth) can’t fail to impress. This is the part of the movie where you’ll witness them doing their rendition of Korea’s Brotherhood: Taegukgi. It was touching, adrenalin and testosterone pumping, giving you a high comparable to watching Rocky and listening to The Contender theme song at the same time.
Watching them made me want to sign up for national service immediately.

The movie also has its share of humour. Audiences will be treated to the sight of a butt-naked Hugh Jackman streaking across the countryside, drawing much giggling from the female audience. For the record, this UrbanWire reviewer felt more awkward than amused.

A plus side to this instalment is its deeper characterisation of its characters as compared to earlier films in the series, which had too many mutants and too little focus. The premiere of other characters not shown in the original X-Men movie series, including Agent Zero, Deadpool and John Wraith, Fred Dukes and Gambit, was also a plus point, making the movie that much more exciting.

Audio was decent, the sound effects and music in the background felt cleaner and more polished than that found in The Incredible Hulk, which was more ‘crish crash bam ka-bluey!’

But wait, this isn’t to say that X-men Origins: Wolverine is soft and safe like a nice little tea party. No.
There are satisfyingly loud explosions, the reverberating thump of flesh against metal. There was the familiar clattering of bricks piling into a heap. Indeed, the sound effects do convey the impact to the devastating hits taken by each character, and shaped the ambience in the film. Meaningless noise had no place in this movie.

The Bad
Just as things always go wrong in the life of superheroes, a movie made about them is no exception.
Jackman, who was also the movie’s producer, and Schreiber shared chemistry good enough to carry the film through. But, perhaps because of the genre, their repertoire of acting skills couldn’t be fully showcased. And personally, the show could have done with a better William Stryker, who was just too ‘cardboardy’, or how about a more expressive Emma Frost? Come to think of it, maybe even Lynn Collins could have done better in her role as Logan’s wife, Kayla Silver Fox, who just has perpetually ’stoned out’ expressions.

And I know I’m being picky but with the way Gambit was dressed, I was expecting him to break into some Willy Wonka-esque tap dance routine at some point in the show. But, then again, it’s an action flick, and who cares what’s being said when all you want is to see is something exploding?

However, what truly disappointed me was the poorly executed, CSI-styled explanation when it was revealed that Logan had been blindsided. It made the show feel cheap and half-hearted that instant.
While the plot is tied up pretty alright, I had to work my brains a little to settle the ‘who’s-in-it-for-what’ bit (I can see why Wolverine was shaking his head). The plot explanation left me feeling cheated, as if I just witnessed an epic journey that could’ve been resolved by a tiny on/off button.

The Conclusion

Enjoyable, but not particularly memorable

Rating: 7.2/ 10
Release Date: 29 Apr
Rating: PG
Genre/Type: Action/Adventure; Comic Book Adaptation
Running Time: 108 minutes
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston
Director: Gavin Hood (Rendition (2007))

Do remember to stay for the ‘post-credit ending’, as well as a ‘secret’ final scene after the final credits.

To some, the word “light” may mean fluorescent or neon illumination. But there are those who perceive “light” as something more, associating it with an epiphany or the knowledge of one’s purpose. And therein lies the beauty of Gary Gibson’s latest work as he creatively meshes cold science, philosophy and spirituality to create a sense of wonder and mystery of the dark oblivion beyond us.

Having written 2 other Science Fiction novels, Angel Stations and Against Gravity, Gibson is no stranger to the genre. He’s an artiste who communicates his ideas through the stars, constantly reminding us of the vastness of space, the frailty of life and the evils of the heart. Gibson has a strange way of making you feel tiny among the magnitude of events that he crafts, almost as if to weave a tinge of despair into the fabric of the text. This, as Gibson has shown, is not entirely a bad thing, for hopelessness can indeed inspire.

Stealing Light happens during the 25th century, when space travel is entirely possible. Humans now have access to “faster than light” technology, enabling us to traverse outer space with ease, time travel however, is sadly still unavailable. Nonetheless, the technology effectively makes the galaxy a neighbourhood pond and Einstein look like an idiot. However, there’s a catch. The technology was not invented nor discovered by humans. Instead, it was conditionally provided to us by a bunch of marine aliens called “The Shoal”.

In return, humans had to promise never to figure out the technology for themselves and to only travel to areas permitted by “The Shoal”. With this, humanity populates many parts of the galaxy and a whole new order begins.

By far the most interesting aspect of the book is its characters, and of these, the protagonist Dakota, stands out. The book is mostly told through her eyes but occasionally drifts to other significant characters’ point of view to let readers have a better understanding of the events unfolding. Dakota is the classic unwilling participant of the novel’s epic happenings. Drawn by fate and against her will, she is dragged kicking and screaming into the flow of circumstance. In this way, Gibson uses Dakota to illustrate the illusion of choice in a world full of evil. This is similar to Frodo in Lord of the Rings where he is “forced” to carry an ultimate evil because he is the only one capable of doing so.

The story unfolds as a group of humans called “The Freehold” discover a “derelict” space ship of non-Shoal origin and they illegally seek to unlock its secrets so as to hijack the technology as their own. Discovering that Dakota possesses the ability to control the ship, they force her to do so. Along the way, the shocking secrets of the Derelict are revealed, together with its implications on not just mankind but on all sentient life.

Space travel has been discussed countless times in this genre and Gibson is certainly no pioneer. However, he does introduce novel traits in his style. For one, past, present and future are mixed throughout. Gibson likes to take the reader on a ride through different times and events, revealing truths only when necessary. There’s also a hint of philosophy in his writing, almost as if he’s sharing his personal beliefs about life, which are both nihilistic and existentialistic.

Description is a strong point in this book. Gibson takes time to accurately express the emotions and events that each character experiences, down to the most minute of details. He describes the hopelessness and despair that Dakota feels effectively. Often, this makes you feel like there’s no God and no one is in control over the universe. However, there are times when he can be long winded, often harping on things that the reader already knows. The events in the book are also presented in great detail, but sometimes you catch yourself just skipping sentences as it gets repetitive. One may even feel that the story was much longer than it should have been.

Staying true to its genre, scientific jargon is present throughout the book. Terms like “Magellan Novae”, “Gravity wheels” and “Artificial intelligence” are frequently mentioned and play big roles in the story. So if you’re a sci-fi fan, this will definitely warm up to your space imaginations. And fortunately for the rest of us, Stealing Light still offers some unique elements through philosophical insights that are enough to keep our attention above all the tech jargon.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Stealing Light is available at all good book stores at $49.49.