This movie starts out well enough, hugh jackmann at his best: quietly driving a truck along a dusty road. his character, Charlie, is the cliché boxing, two-timing douche-bag roadrunner type, in this case set in a futuristic time (although the only futuristic pieces in the movie are robots and cellphones, and a truck that for some reason has windows where the driver's feet are), where robots do the boxing for you. Charlie is trying to win fights with the robots he buys or puts together from scraps, but does not demonstrate any skill, interest or dedication. He gets distracted and has no heart for the machines he uses. When he gets the news that his ex-girlfriend dies, he shows no emotional reaction, except for trying to swindle her rich sister for the custody of their only son, which he agrees to take on for a summer in order to receive a paycheck. The rest we can predict from here, and does not deviate from our most boring projections.
What could have been nice about this movie? almost everything. The script could have been smarter, funnier, sharper. The characters feel unnatural, especially the lead Charlie. He doesn't seem to know is he's a good guy or just a loser going along with the success of others. In a good movie, the protagonist classically undergoes a life-changing transformation, in this case the bonding of father and son, which changes the father's attitude towards life in general. However, the change has to be believable. In this case, it lacks severely.
When willing to forgive the corny story, the action also leaves a lot to complain. Where is the cool slow-motion tearing apart of metal? where is the cool martial arts / mma type fighting? the makers could have gone completely NUTS on this, but instead it's not very exciting.
BAD, BAD, BAD. Want action and entertainment? not here..
What could have been nice about this movie? almost everything. The script could have been smarter, funnier, sharper. The characters feel unnatural, especially the lead Charlie. He doesn't seem to know is he's a good guy or just a loser going along with the success of others. In a good movie, the protagonist classically undergoes a life-changing transformation, in this case the bonding of father and son, which changes the father's attitude towards life in general. However, the change has to be believable. In this case, it lacks severely.
When willing to forgive the corny story, the action also leaves a lot to complain. Where is the cool slow-motion tearing apart of metal? where is the cool martial arts / mma type fighting? the makers could have gone completely NUTS on this, but instead it's not very exciting.
BAD, BAD, BAD. Want action and entertainment? not here..