Hugh Jackman

CHICAGO – For pre-teen boys, a movie about fighting robots probably can’t possibly be too long. For their parents, guardians, or babysitters, the fact that “Real Steel” is a ridiculously-overlong 127 minutes is worth noting. The film plays like gangbusters to eight-to-twelve year old boys (and the PG-13 rating is silly given the general lack of non-robot violence) but wears out its welcome for pretty much everyone else. There are things to like here, but not enough to overcome its bloated personality.

CHICAGO – Musical and film fans that dislike Taylor Swift just dodged a bullet this morning. Universal confirmed earlier today that British actress/singer Samantha Barks would be taking up the role of Eponine in the film adaptation of the award winning musical “Les Miserables,” coming to theaters later this year.

CHICAGO – In our latest action/sci-fi edition of the HollywoodChicago.com Hookup, we have 5 Blu-ray and DVD combo packs up for grabs to the home entertainment release of “Real Steel” starring Hugh Jackman from producers Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis!

CHICAGO – Last February at the Academy Awards, Tom Hooper won Best Director for “The King’s Speech,” Anne Hathaway hosted the Oscar ceremony, and she sang a song during the show to Hugh Jackman to the tune of ‘On My Own’ from the musical “Les Miserables.” Little did we know this was going to be a preview of a highly anticipated film for 2012.

CHICAGO – Try selling a friend on paying to see a movie with you about machine-operated boxing where humans control robots for money.

CHICAGO – Two highly anticipated films have been added to the 47th Chicago International Film Festival lineup: “The Descendants” and “Butter.” The two new films, both having their Chicago premiere at the festival, will play on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011 and Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011 respectively.

Rating: 1.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Wayne Wang’s “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” is such a stunningly inert film that it’s almost worth seeing to watch a movie with no thrust whatsoever. Probably due to a language barrier, the film features two of the least effective lead performances of the year, which keeps the audience from engaging in the story emotionally and just leaves them wondering how this book became a bestseller.

CHICAGO – Hugh Jackman is an awfully likable guy. He oozes the kind of effortless photogenic charisma most movie stars would kill for. He’s also comfortable in his masculinity, and unafraid to expose his inner vulnerabilities and self-deprecation.

Video Game Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – The first hour of “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” is a total blast, a great blend of above-average graphics, interesting story elements, and clever fighting moves that hint at an enjoyable gaming experience to come. The hint is never quite fulfilled, as “Wolverine” becomes as repetitive and frustrating as the blockbuster film that inspired it.

CHICAGO – It was pretty clear by the set-up of his character and his limited screen time in the actual movie that Ryan Reynolds was meant for bigger things with his turn as Deadpool in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”.