Movies - TV
The Twilight Zone Episode That Inspired Hugh Jackman’s Real Steel
By JEREMY SMITH
“Real Steel” is one of Hugh Jackman’s more forgettable movies, but what inspired this underrated flick was an episode in the final season of the original “The Twilight Zone.”
The episode was titled “Steel” and was written by legendary writer Richard Matheson who adapted the episode from one of his short stories.
It’s a tragic tale of Tim “Steel” Kelly, an ex-boxer who, six years after the abolition of the sport, manages a robot pugilist along with his mechanic partner Pole.
Both stories have boxing robots, but the ending of “The Twilight Zone’s” “Steel” is far more tragic and cautionary compared to the Disney family-friendly “Real Steel.”
While the shape of “Real Steel’s” narrative is more of a “Paper Moon”/”The Champ” mash-up, the heart of Matheson's story is nestled within the studio-pleasing machinery.
“Real Steel” is a great watch as an uplifting family movie, but the story of a human teaching a machine to replace him will likely not age well.