Twitter Blasts Vin Diesel's Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots Movie as Real Steel Rip-Off

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Nostalgia -- and particularly, nostalgia for beloved action figure and toy franchises -- has been pretty prevalent in Hollywood over the past few years, with a number of blockbuster films being developed by various studios. One of the latest to be announced was a live-action film based on the iconic toy Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, which is being developed by Universal and Mattel with Fast & Furious star Vin Diesel expected to produce and star. The film would follow "a father and son who form an unlikely bond with an advanced war machine."

The very concept of the Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots movie -- coupled with that plot description -- quickly caught the Internet's attention, but probably not for the way the studio intended. Quickly after the news was announced, people on social media began to make comparisons to Real Steel, the 2011 Disney movie that starred Hugh Jackman which also followed a father and son duo who form an unlikely bond with a fighting robot. While Real Steel wasn't directly based on the Rock 'Em Sock 'Em franchise -- it was actually based on an episode from the original run of The Twilight Zone about robot prizefighting -- the comparison definitely still stuck with fans.

Some took to Twitter to point out the similarities, or to bemoan the fact that there was never a proper Real Steel sequel. Here are just a few of those responses.

Wasn't Real Steel basically the Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots movie? https://t.co/kGVFz93YUb

-- Rohoundour | Mitchells vs. the Machines in 11 days (@Rohan_312) April 19, 2021

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Vin diesel is getting a rock em sock em robot movie, which is dumb asf, they need to make real steel 2, hopefully they do good but not very hopeful pic.twitter.com/2lDfeua3Tz

-- Ronin (@Anime_Ronin) April 19, 2021

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does real steel mean nothing to you people https://t.co/VYGeIa2uwm

-- Shinobu (@NotJohn____) April 19, 2021

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I see Real Steel trending and it goes without saying...

That movie ABSOLUTELY needs a sequel pic.twitter.com/7bmNUg2gIM

-- TChalla#blacklivesmatter ?? (@DJ_Smiles715) April 19, 2021

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Real Steel was and still is a Masterpiece pic.twitter.com/QO2uLiqFNH

-- RedLightning ? (@RedLightning_69) April 19, 2021

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Real Steel did not go hard af to be disrespected like this. https://t.co/OCfNZrWwYd

-- Ashe (@CoveredInAshe) April 19, 2021

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This is the closest thing we're getting to a Real Steel sequel isn't it? https://t.co/iCzbMtxRZs

-- Super Sketch Software (@SketchSuper) April 19, 2021

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We already had that movie. It was called "Real Steel." https://t.co/g9w3UoZsGK pic.twitter.com/JfNktDgCb6

-- OrionPax09 (@OrionPax09) April 19, 2021

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Real Steel's trending and I was suddenly reminded of the hilarious background advertisements for an Xbox 720 in the film. pic.twitter.com/HerCgn3Uid

-- Navi (@PlayerPhase) April 19, 2021

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Real Steel is trending and I thought we were talking about this pic.twitter.com/U9yYuDSFPU

-- M. Scarn (@Sc0ttst0tts) April 19, 2021

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