Rocky Balboa Review

Synopsis
Years after retiring from professional boxing, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is challenged by the reigning heavyweight champion, Mason ‘The Line’ Dixon (Antonio Tarver), when a virtual fight predicts Rocky would win in a match between the two.

Review
Rocky V had a good premise and some good ideas but it didn’t quite work in portraying a retiring Rocky Balboa. For a while, it seemed like this disappointing entry is how the Rocky series would end. Then sixteen years later, Rocky Balboa comes along and gives the series the conclusion it deserves.

One of the things I felt Rocky V did well was build the relationship between Rocky and his son. Rocky Balboa builds on this and explores what it was like for Rocky, Jr., who goes by “Robert,” to grow up with a famous father and to be in Rocky’s shadow. I like Robert’s arc from how he acts towards Rocky in the beginning of the film to where they end the film. It can be called cliched but it works. If it’s not broke and all that.

The movie begins with Rocky visiting many places that were important to him and Adrian. This leads to a stroll down memory lane for not only Rocky but fans of the series as well. There are good explanations as to why each place is important for those who may not have seen the first movie. However, for those who have been with the characters since the first movie, it’s an emotional journey and a fantastic way to kick off the film. As the film continues, there are many other homages and references to previous films, particularly Rocky. They never feel forced or shoe-horned into the story. This film is a perfect example of how to give fan service while still being able to appeal to new viewers.

From the beginning, I could already tell Rocky Balboa was going to be stronger than the later Rocky movies because the first ten minutes had more emotion than Rocky V had in the entire film. The feels train never stopped after that. There were times I got teary-eyed, there were times I laughed, there were even times I cheered. It truly is impressive how many emotions I experienced while watching this movie. Part of the emotions came from nostalgia but most of it came from fantastic writing. After being involved with these characters for thirty years, Sylvester Stallone knows them well and injects each of them with a lot of character and heart.

Maybe I’ve just missed it in the previous five movies, but Rocky has some pretty fun banter. Whether he is talking to Paulie, his son, or any of his many restaurant customers, he seemed to make me smile or chuckle with his stories or bad jokes or sound life advice.

If you have read my reviews for the other Rocky movies, I always talked about the boxing matches and how I wish there were more. Over the course of watching the entire series, I have come to appreciate the films as a character study rather than a sports movie. Where I thought the previous films needed a better balance between Rocky inside and outside the ring, Rocky Balboa knows what is right. Even though it has the least amount of actual boxing in the whole series, it still feels like it’s the right amount.

These films are all about Rocky and his huge heart and Rocky Balboa knows that. Its blend of complex characters and huge emotional beats creates a brilliant and worthy end to the Rocky series. Rarely does a film have such a vast array of emotions the way Rocky Balboa does. Although there are many reasons to love this film, that reason alone is why this is my favorite in the series.

Rating
4.5/5

Favorite Quote
Marie: You know, tomorrow you’re going to prove the last thing to age on somebody is their heart.

You can also read my reviews for the rest of the Rocky series: Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, and Rocky V.

Trailer

Cast & Crew
Sylvester Stallone – Director / Writer
Bill Conti – Composer

Sylvester Stallone – Rocky Balboa
Burt Young – Paulie
Antonio Tarver – Mason ‘The Line’ Dixon
Geraldine Hughes – Marie
Milo Ventimiglia – Robert Balboa, Jr.
Tony Burton – Duke
James Francis Kelly III – Steps
AJ Benza – LC

Lighting Review: Rocky V

Synopsis
After his fight with Ivan Drago, Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) is forced to retire due to brain trauma. Unable to fight in the ring himself, he takes novice boxer Tommy Gunn (Tommy Morrison) as his student. After fighting several rounds undefeated, Gunn wants to fight for the title but Rocky tells him he isn’t ready. Frustrated, Gunn turns to promoter George Washington Duke (Richard Gant), who tries to use Gunn to persuade Rocky to fight in the ring once more.

Review
Rocky V is an example of what happens to a series when it goes on for too long. The Rocky series had its ups and downs but this is a low for the series and not a way to seemingly end the franchise. I did like seeing Rocky in a mentoring role. After steadily becoming a world-favorite boxer, it felt like a natural progression for the character. Also, this movie didn’t follow the same formula as the previous Rocky films. They all had the similar structure of get Rocky gets a new opponent, trains to fight the opponent, then he fights them and wins. Rocky V went and did its own thing, which makes it unique in the series.

Tommy Gunn served as a great way to showcase what makes Rocky different from other boxers, and why he made such a huge connection with audiences: his heart. Gunn let his success go to his head and fueled his ego. Rocky, on the other hand, never let the success change him. No matter what happened, he stayed true to himself. However, as the audience, we already knew this about Rocky. In the end, that makes this movie unnecessary. After spending four films with Rocky, we already know what makes him special. We didn’t need a whole other film to try to tell us what we already knew. Rocky V is unique among the series but is ultimately a dispensable addition to it.

Rating
2/5

You can also read my reviews for the rest of the Rocky series: Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, and Rocky Balboa.

Trailer

Cast & Crew
John G. Avildsen – Director
Sylvester Stallone – Writer
Bill Conti – Composer

Sylvester Stallone – Rocky Balboa
Talia Shire – Adrian
Burt young – Paulie
Sage Stallone – Rocky Balboa, Jr.
Tommy Morrison – Tommy ‘Machine’ Gunn
Richard Gant – George Washington Duke
Tony Burton – Duke
Burgess Meredith – Mickey Goldmill
Delia Sheppard – Karen

Lightning Review: Rocky IV

Synopsis
When the Soviet Union is allowed to participate in professional boxing matches, their first competitor is Ivan Drago (Dolph Ludgren). Wanting to prove Drago isn’t a worthy competitor, Apollo (Carl Weathers) steps up as his first opponent. Drago mercilessly defeats Apollo. To avenge his friend’s defeat, Rocky (Sylvester Stallone), travels to the Soviet Union to train and fight Drago on his home turf.

Review
The Rocky series’ strength is its character development. At the expense of watching boxers fight in the ring, the audience has gotten to know Rocky, Adrian, and Paulie. Rocky IV puts much more focus on the characters inside the ring, which is something I have mentioned in my previous reviews I thought was missing from the earlier movies, but this movie feels uneven. It has a shorter run times than its predecessors so it moved with a quicker pace, which may have hurt it rather than helped.

However, since it did spend more time during the boxing matches, the match between Rocky and Drago has been my favorite in the series so far. Although Rocky didn’t appear to use what he learned from Apollo in Rocky III, which feels inconsistent, especially since Apollo’s trainer is now acting as Rocky’s trainer. Rocky’s training in the mountains was a fun twist on his normal regiment. I did enjoy the soundtrack quite a bit, too. Just listening to the soundtrack made me feel like I was in the 1980s. It was pure 80s rock, right up my alley. Even though I did like the music, I did miss Bill Conti’s traditional score from the other movies. The main theme showed up once or twice but not as often as before. Rocky IV has been the most exciting of the Rocky films so far, but it missed much of the characterization that has defined the series up to this point.

Rating
2.5/5

You can also read my reviews for the rest of the Rocky series: Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky V and Rocky Balboa.

Trailer

Cast & Crew
Sylvester Stallone – Director / Writer
Bill Conti – Composer

Sylvester Stallone – Rocky Balboa
Talia Shire – Adrian
Burt Young – Paulie
Carl Weathers – Apollo Creed
Tony Burton – Duke
Dolph Lundgren – Drago
Brigitte Nielsen – Ludmilla
Michael Pataki – Nicoli Koloff
Rocky Krakoff – Rocky, Jr.

Rocky III Review

Synopsis
After winning the title of heavyweight champion, Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) falls into a rut.  When Clubber Lang (Mr. T), a formidable opponent challenges Rocky, he turns to a former adversary for help: Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers).

Review
After being a little disappointed with Rocky and Rocky II, Rocky III is more along the lines of what I was expecting from the series. My biggest expectation for the series was to see more boxing matches and a better relationship between Rocky and his trainer, which this film thankfully fulfills those expectation. Along with a different, tougher opponent, Rocky III ups the game.

There is much more time spent with Rocky inside the ring this time around.  However, this film still manages to focus on his relationship with his wife Adrian and best friend Paulie.  One thing I have liked about each film as the series has progressed is they have felt like natural story progressions of the characters.  In Rocky, Rocky was an unknown fighter, in Rocky II, he had to prove he wasn’t a one-and-done fighter. Now, he has been defending his title for three years and has fallen into a rut of sorts when a real challenger comes along.  It’s a story advancement that would be expected.  But best of all, there is a nice balance between the boxing matches and the rest of the scenes.

I don’t know why, but I really liked that Rocky trained under Apollo Creed.  It acts as a way to show another side of these boxers.  The team-up accomplishes two things. One, it makes Rocky a better fighter.  It becomes clear that Rocky needs to work on his technique and skill, and who better to help than another fighter who held the title of heavyweight champion. And two, it builds Apollo’s character.  After his defeat at the end of the first film, he had some words towards Rocky in the second film.  By becoming Rocky’s trainer, Apollo proved that he wasn’t a bitter person or sore loser.

You know Clubber Lang is a formidable opponent when two former heavyweight champions are afraid of him.  After having the same opponent for Rocky in two movies in a row, it was nice to see him working towards beating a different fighter.  Mr. T did a good job in the role, especially since it was his first role.  He didn’t get much deep development but I don’t think he necessarily needed it. Lang was simply an opponent to build Rocky’s character and his relationship with Apollo.  I did like how the sound effects were different for each fighter, making it obvious Lang was much stronger than Rocky.  It was a nice and subtle effect.

Rocky III finally gives more focus to Rocky inside the ring than the previous films and his relationship between him and his trainer, now his old adversary.  A new tougher boxer is just what the series, and Rocky, needed.

Rating
3.5/5

You can also read my reviews for the rest of the Rocky series: Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky IV, Rocky V and Rocky Balboa.

Trailer

Cast & Crew
Sylvester Stallone – Writer / Director
Bill Conti – Composer

Sylvester Stallone – Rocky Balboa
Talia Shire – Adrian
Burt Young – Paulie
Carl Weathers – Apollo Creed
Burgess Meredith – Mickey Goldmill
Tony Burton – Duke (Apollo’s trainer)
Mr. T – Clubber Lang
Hulk Hogan – Thunderlips
Ian Fried – Rocky Jr.
Al Silvani – Al
Wally Taylor – Clubber’s Manager

Lightning Review: Rocky II

Synopsis
After Apollo Creed’s (Carl Weathers) defeat at the hands of Rocky (Sylvester Stallone), Creed demands a rematch to prove that Rocky’s victory was a fluke.

Review
I wasn’t a huge fan of Rocky, I thought it was good but not great, unlike most people. As a result, I wasn’t excessively optimistic about Rocky II. Which I suppose was the right attitude to have because Rocky II is very similar in structure to the previous film. Nonetheless, it is a good, organic continuation of Rocky’s story. He feels more vulnerable this time around, which helps to really dig into his character. Adrian (Talia Shire) gets more development this time too. There also is much more Mickey (Burgess Meredith)! I wanted to see more of these two characters from the previous film and felt they were underutilized, so I really enjoyed their expanded presence. I was a little surprised by Mickey. He is sassy and made me laugh out loud several times throughout the movie. Meredith was absolutely wonderful.

When I watch a boxing movie, I look forward to the boxing matches. Like Rocky, Rocky II spends more time developing Rocky outside the ring than inside. However, the final match between him and Apollo was much longer and didn’t feel rushed like the last movie. There was also much more of Rocky’s training with Mickey, which I found lacking in Rocky. Almost as much as I like watching the matches, I like to see the relationship between boxer and trainer flourish, so again, this was a nice step up. In the end though, I did enjoy Rocky more. Although Rocky II made some improvements, it fell into the trap of many sequels and feels too similar to what came before without offering much new.

Rating
3/5

You can also read my reviews for the rest of the Rocky series: Rocky, Rocky III, Rocky IV, Rocky V and Rocky Balboa.

Trailer

Cast & Crew
Sylvester Stallone – Writer / Director
Bill Conti – Composer

Sylvester Stallone – Rocky Balboa
Talia Shire – Adrian
Burt Young – Paulie
Carl Weathers – Apollo Creed
Burgess Meredith – Mickey
Tony Burton – Apollo’s trainer
Joe Spinell – Gazzo

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Rocky Review

Synopsis
Rocky (Sylvester Stallone), a small time boxer from Philidelphia, is given the chance of the lifetime when he is chosen to fight the heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), in the heavyweight championship title match for the title of Heavyweight Champion.

Review
It’s movies like this that are making me think about alternate rating scales for my reviews. I liked Rocky but this review is going to sound like I didn’t. There is a lot to like here but I think I don’t jive with it as most others do. It’s not that it was bad, I simply wasn’t blown away.

I understand that this movie is titled Rocky and the “Italian Stallion” is supposed to be front and center but this comes at the cost of almost every other character in the film. Not many characters besides Rocky are well developed. This is especially hurtful for Rocky’s girlfriend, Adrian, who is almost as recognizable thanks to the iconic line “Yo, Adrian.” The film really pushes her shy personality early on and she obviously becomes less shy around Rocky as the movie progresses. This is a huge part of her character and watching her come out of her shell would be excellent to see but we don’t.

Another great character that gets robbed of screen time is Mickey, Rocky’s trainer played by Burgess Meredith. Meredith was nominated for a Best Actor in a Supporting Role Oscar for the part and it is well deserved. However, I would have liked to see more of him. He’s really good in the screen time he has… but he’s hardly seen. Some of my favorite characters from boxing movies are the trainers and the potential was here to see a close relationship build between Rocky and Mickey, especially since it is on rocky ground (no pun intended) when the movie starts.

After some reflection on this film while getting ready to write this review, I’ve realized that Rocky is supposed to be about Rocky the person, not Rocky the boxer. All the same, the non-boxing portions, which comprises probably ninety percent of the film, feel rushed and, at times, unfocused. For example, not much is seen of Rocky and Adrian’s relationship. One scene they are reluctantly going on a date, the next they are dating. Another instance is Mickey, like I mentioned above. Mickey explains how he has fifty years of experience but we don’t see him pass that knowledge along. There are a handful of scenes but most of the training consisted of Rocky running along to the epochal theme by Bill Conti.

Let me end on a positive note before I piss too many people off. Rocky is a genuine feel-good movie. It is a great story about going the distance and beating insurmountable odds. The score is fantastic and I guarantee that the theme is on every workout playlist out there. Also, Sylvester Stallone is Rocky. Stallone wrote the script so it’s no surprise that he plays the part so well.  Talia Shire does great as Adrian. I tend to keep to myself but open up once I get to know someone, so I easily related to Adrian and I liked Shire’s performance with that similar personality.

I realize people may be getting the torches and pitchforks but I did enjoy the film. And I know that what’s above may not reflect that but I really did. I just felt the focus was in the wrong spot and the character development was one-sided. Rocky‘s message is an inspirational one that can stir many emotions in many people and I think that’s something that should be taken to heart.

Rating
3.5/5

You can also read my reviews for the rest of the Rocky series: Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, Rocky V and Rocky Balboa.

Trailer

Cast & Crew
John G. Avildsen – Director
Sylvester Stallone – Writer
Bill Conti – Composer

Sylvester Stallone – Rocky
Talia Shire – Adrian
Burt Young – Paulie
Carl Weathers – Apollo
Burgess Meredith – Mickey
Thayer David – Jergens
Joe Spinell – Gazzo
Jimmy Gambina – Mike