You could:
A) Read through the pile of original scripts that you have been using as a makeshift coffee table
B) Look through your son's comic book collection
C) Keep watching Nick-At-Nite since you are overstimulated and can't sleep more than an hour a day anyway
Sadly for Hugh Jackman, or at least his agent, the option picked in real life was C. Thus we have yet another revisioned remake of a Twilight Zone episode coming to a theater near you. Not that the horrendous revisioning of Button Button - in theaters now as The Box - had any influence on the decision.
Yes, Jackman will be starring in Real Steel. A rip-off of the Twilight Zone episode Steel that aired on October 1963 and was based on a short story from 1956. That episode starred a real great actor, Lee Marvin. It was a tale of indomitable spirit and optimism. It was gritty and Black & White. It is so old that whichever Hollywood exec is completely sure that movie-goers by large will have no idea it's yet another copy of a television show episode (not even a series).
Such is the dearth of ideas that Hollywood is willing to take a chance on. Their quest of "bankable" ideas matched with popular entertainers trump any real effort at providing entertainment more often than not. But at least this is not yet another sequel or comic book to movie conversion or video game to movie conversion.
The premise of the film is basically the same as the Twilight Zone episode. It's the future. Boxing is now relegated to only androids. Jackman is the owner of a run-down android that is his last chance at success. The theory of the film, as stated so far, is that this will be a Rocky-esque film. I suppose that means the underdog will win even though there is no reason in creation why anyone would ever believe it should happen. Then again there is always the thought
Look, Jackman is ok. But a boxer? Unless he has a crazy intense workout schedule nowhere near believable shape. Especially if they follow the Twilight Zone script and have him fight a machine. Lee Marvin was a WWII Marine Scout Sniper vet with a purple heart. Jackman is a teen heartthrob (ok, maybe to ladies older than that too). Jackman is basically the guy that is the butt of the Eddie Murphy joke (just taller and Australian).
And all of this says nothing of the filler that will be thrown into the movie to fill up the time that is outside of what was already in the Twilight Zone episode. So roughly about 30 minutes of new material from writers that haven't done anything truly original in decades. That worked out really well in The Box. I expect about the same here.
The only real hope of this film lies in the director. Shawn Levy is known for his Night at the Museum - which was decent - and the atrocious Pink Panther revisioning. That's 50/50 odds, not including the fact that Real Steel is not a comedy. My hopes are not rising.
But there is time before the trailers come out (in 2010). Who knows, maybe a writer with a spark of originality might be hired as a Christmas gift to the public. Or more likely, accountants have figured out that it's time for another great White hope, and theaters are the only place it will really pay off even if it sucks.
4 comments:
A teen heartthrob? Are we talking about the same Jackman here?! I don´t think he has much teen fans, he appealls all audiences and on the contrary from real teen obsessions (Pattinson, Efron) he has some impressive work behind him (The Prestige, The Fountain) and can ACT.
I certainly hope this isn´t going to be a comedy because the topic is original for a movie (what isn´t recycled these days?) so I am definitely looking forward to this.
Eh, are you kidding, right? Jackman is a teen heartthrob? Shawn Levy is the only hope of this film? From which planet are you coming? Cause in this planet Jackman is an A-List Hollywood superstar, that guy you call 'great' is a completely unknown poor fella and Levy a completely terrible director, an equivalent to Stephen Sommers. This article made me laugh hardly and scratch my head thinking 'Is this guy on drugs or something?'...
Anon,
The a-list of hollywood today hardly equates to quality or superb acting overall.
Lee Marvin is a staple of old Hollywood. He is a real Marine, a solid actor, and respected. Perhaps they younger viewers of today are less familiar with him, but that takes nothing away from his abilities and performances.
In comparison, Jackman is a character actor and at best a B-actor. He shimes only because of the lack of quality in films today. The truth is the truth.
If you laugh at the comparison, it's only because you have no knowledge of older and more skillful actors and films. But Hollywood is grateful for your lack of knowledge and opinion.
'The truth is the truth' because you say so? Sorry but there are many people out there who think that Hugh Jackman is a quality actor. I recently saw him on Broadway, in a straight play. Before going I read the reviews and the majority of the New York theater critics agreed that Hugh Jackman once again showed to the audience what a formidable talent he is. Some of them said that he gave a master-class on stage with his performance, others that he's so hugely talented that he wastes himself in the movies because he's meant to be seen live. I agree with them cause I've seen him on stage multiple times as I've seen all of him films. Have you seen him in Erskineville Kings? In the The Fountain? What do you mean 'the truth is truth'? Cause according to the reviewers he gave masterful performances in both films. Have you seen him in musicals such as Oklahoma and The Boy From Oz? I have and so have all those critics and people that regard him one of the most talented actors in recent memory. Sorry but apparently you are on those really few who regard Hugh Jackman a B-actor 'at best'! And that's not a matter of opinion. It's a matter of complete ignorance of who Hugh Jackman is and what he's done as an actor. I bet you've seen him only in Wolverine. But even with such a role the guy managed to become a screen icon and he'll be remembered as one of the greatest action stars in Hollywood history. At least. You see, I'll never forget what Newsweek wrote for his performance in The Boy From Oz: 'A legend in the making'. And I am one of those who believe that Hugh Jackman will be remembered for much more than just Wolverine.
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