Weekend Movie Trailers and Reviews: Is 'Real Steel' a Contender?

It has been a surprisingly good couple of weeks for movies, as films like "50/50" and "Moneyball" received positive reviews and "The Lion King 3D" and "Dolphin Tale" overperformed. Will this weekend's new slate of movies continue the trend? Maybe, but it might be a long shot. Nevertheless, there's still some good stuff to see this weekend, whether you want a thoughtful film or just a bunch of fun.

Real Steel

Rated PG-13, 126 mins.

They might as well have called it "Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots," but then I guess they would have had to pay royalties. This feel-good sports(?) movie has Hugh Jackman playing a washed-up boxer who is now in the robot boxing business. That's right, robot boxing: you control the robots from the sidelines, and they take the actual hits. Somehow there manages to be an underdog story in here (robots can be underdogs too, I guess), and Jackman teams up with his estranged son, so the film is family-friendly too.

It's just about as ridiculous as it sounds, but that's kind of the point. You don't go to a theater to see a robot boxing movie and expect deep plot and intricate dialogue. You expect robots to punch each other. And in "Real Steel," there's plenty of that. Evangeline Lilly also stars in an effort to draw "Lost" fans/people who like freckles.

Rotten Tomatoes has "Real Steel" at a reasonable 59%, just below "fresh." While the premise is a bit silly, the action is still a lot of fun, and unlike other giant robot movies, there's still an emotional, human component to this story.

See it if: Uh, did you see the part about the fighting robots?

The Ides of March

Rated R, 98 mins.

Ryan Gosling plays a campaign assistant to George Clooney's candidate in the days leading up to a big primary election. But a big scandal throws a wrench in the process, and the young assistant finds himself right in the middle of it. Since it's a thriller with some twists and turns, most of the plot details are under wraps... but the trailers talk a lot about loyalty, so it seems that Gosling might choose to turn on his candidate. Deception! Intrigue! Voting districts!

George Clooney produced, wrote, directed, and starred in this political thriller, and also managed to assemble a top-notch cast around him. With Gosling, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman behind him, this could be the best cast of the year, and most likely a guarantee for an ensemble SAG award.

Rotten Tomatoes has "The Ides of March" at a solid 81% among critics. Though some hoped for more biting political commentary, this is still a solid drama with an outstanding cast.

See it if: You want to see if having Clooney and Gosling in one movie results in a handsome explosion.