Product Placement Steals the Real Steel Show

I finally made it to the movies this past weekend for the first time in months to see Real Steel. Great movie, but talk about excessive product placement! Don't get me wrong, coming from a promotional products company, I'm all for product placement - but there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it. The right way is done tastefully and is hardly noticed; the wrong way is done to the point that not a single review of the film fails to mention it.

I don't usually pay too much attention to the product placement in movies or television shows because it's inevitable. People use products, and one of those brands of products is going to win out. You know it's over-the-top product placement when even I think it's excessive.

From the X-Box 720 to the Bing arena, I found myself wondering just how much Microsoft paid to be so prominent in Real Steel. But Microsoft was not alone - Dr. Pepper, HP and EPN were also pretty obvious endorsements.

Extreme product placement aside, I really enjoyed Real Steel. It had a good story, chemistry, acting and action. I also liked the fact that though it was heartfelt, it was not overly mushy-gushy in either the love storyline or the father-son storyline. Subtle yet effective. And I never get tired of Hugh Jackman with an edge.