Real Steel Finds New Life on Tubi
Real Steel has experienced a resurgence since becoming available to stream for free on Tubi, picking up a new audience more than a decade after its 2011 release.
The Hugh Jackman-led sci-fi drama imagines a near future where human fighters have been replaced by giant robots. Jackman plays Charlie Kenton, a washed-up former boxer who reconnects with his estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo) and an old sparring bot named Atom as a last shot at redemption.
A Collider review praised director Shawn Levy’s creation of an immersive robot-boxing world and the film’s exhilarating bouts, staged with a blend of animatronics and practical effects. At the same time, the review noted a predictable father–son arc, a weak child performance, sloppy dialogue and a poor casting decision for a major role, while crediting Jackman’s grounded turn for giving the story its emotional backbone.
Real Steel is streaming now on Tubi. It was released September 28, 2011, and runs 127 minutes.