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Lee Marvin plays Steel Kelly a retired boxer who now owns a robot boxer named Battling Maxo.\u00a0 This is in the future (1974!) when boxing by men has been banned.\u00a0 Kelly and his mechanic named Pole have travelled by bus to a small city in Kansas to compete in a $500 bout.\u00a0 Battling Maxo is an old model, a B2.\u00a0 He\u2019ll be facing much more capable models like a B7.\u00a0 But in addition to being antiquated, Maxo is woefully in need of repairs and replacement parts.\u00a0 Unfortunately, until Steel gets the $500 purse he has no way to pay for the repairs.\u00a0 Pole tells him it\u2019s hopeless and they should give up on Maxo.\u00a0 Steel tells him to stop talking down Maxo.\u00a0 You get the distinct impression that Steel doesn\u2019t want the robot to be insulted, as if it could understand.<\/p>\n
Before the fight Steel and Pole test out Maxo.\u00a0 Steel spars around the root and checks his reactions.\u00a0 But suddenly Maxo malfunctions and stops.\u00a0 Pole tells Steel that Maxo is finished and won\u2019t work again until replacement parts can be gotten.<\/p>\n
Steel decides that he will disguise himself as Maxo and go in the ring against thee B7.\u00a0 Pole tells him he\u2019s crazy and the B7 will maul him.\u00a0 When Steel refuses to give in Pole says he\u2019ll tell the referee.\u00a0 Steel threatens to beat Pole to a pulp if he says a word.\u00a0 He relents and help0s Steel get ready.<\/p>\n
In the next scene we see Pole pushing Steel along as if he is a real robot.\u00a0 When he gets to the ring Pole takes the bag off Steel\u2019s head and we see that Steel has been made up to look like a mechanical man.\u00a0 For the first few minutes Steel is able to dance around the 7 and even trade punches with the robot but eventually the lows start taking a toll on the man and he spends most of his time in a crouch trying to cover up his head with his arms.\u00a0 Finally a flurry of blows to Steel\u2019s head and body knocks him down and he can\u2019t get back up.<\/p>\n
After the fight Pole goes to get the purse.\u00a0 But because the bout didn\u2019t go past the first round the payout is only $250.\u00a0 Steel puts a brave face on it and says that even subtracting bus fare it should be enough to repair Maxo and put them back on the winning path.\u00a0 For once Pole agrees with Steel but you can tell it\u2019s just pity.<\/p>\n
Marvin is good in this part (as he usually is).\u00a0 And the story is about courage.\u00a0 Admittedly it\u2019s an odd story but I\u2019m inclined to like this one.\u00a0 B.<\/p>\n
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