Rocky Balboa Details

[Highly rated reviewer]

Back for one more fight...

There’s a moment in Rocky Balboa, around the one hour mark, when it all makes sense. When the reason for this sequel comes to light. After the first half of slow paced scene setting, with pundits predicting (via computer analysis) that Rocky Balboa would beat Mason Dixon, the current champ, one moment drags you fully into the film.

It starts with the line “Yeah, let’s start building some hurtin’ bombs!” and then THAT fanfare kicks in, the training montage starts up, and THOSE steps are run up once more! Anyone who doesn’t instantly swell with excitement at that moment is sat in the wrong film, and should, perhaps, go see The Holiday instead!

That moment declares, “Rocky is here…and we love it!”

The film, written, directed and starring Stallone, is the perfect bookend to the series. Matching alongside the first film in style and nature, it more than makes up for the mess that the series became by the time the last one was spawned. “He’s too old!” moan some skeptics, and at 60 you would think so. Then you see Stallone in action, and you believe in him. This is helped by the fact that the film even acknowledges the aging nature of the character, with arthritis and ‘softening up’ being commented on. For the charity showcase match that Rocky and Dixon will put on, the training for Rocky will be more about power and less about movement.

Rocky Balboa could very well be the re-launch that Stallone needs after so many years in mediocrity. It certainly shows that he can still write, can still direct, and certainly can act. More than all of them he can still entertain, and at the end of the day, that is exactly what we go to the cinema for….entertainment.

A great final-round for Rocky

If your a fan of the Rocky movies like me you probably remember just how utterly depressing and negative Rocky V left you. Broke and brain-damaged, our hero was sent back to the neighbourhood he strived to drag himself out of, even (painfully) dressing same (gringe-worthy). it was a tragic way to leave our hero.

Stallone himself agreed he hadn't liked the way things had been left, so with one more glory-seeking round comes Rocky Balboa. It's starts well enough, Rocky has a restaurant 'Adrian's' named after his now-dead wife. His son has a city-job and Paulie still works in the meat-packing plant. All is as well as it can be, until Rocky watches a simulated fight between himself (in Rocky II prime) and current world champion Mason Dixon (suffering from unpopularity).

Cue Rocky's decision to enter the ring one more time. For one more shot at glory in an exhibition bout in Las Vegas. Slowly we're drawn to the inevitable training sequence post-problems solved and Paulie / Rocky Jr on-board.

Unlike the naive child-like Rocky of past movies, here he's world-weary and wiser. Offering genuinely good advice to his career-stunted son. Being genuine about his desire to fight. A refreshing change. Plus he never looks scared, just fragile with age, even when blankly threatened by the towering champ.

Then we get to the fight, filmed in ESPN style to add (for once) a real sense of realism to the fight. It's refreshing, original and certainly adds weight to the often flimsy corner moments of past Rocky movies.

Mason Dixon is perfectly balanced against Rocky's width and bulk, there was some talk of Tyson in the role but thankfully he's sidelined as only a commentator.

In the final rounds Rocky Balboa shines above it's previous 80's excess and bravado moments to offer fans a movie with obvious paralells to the first film, but more than that a great sending off for an iconic character.

If your a Rocky fan like me this is a great way to say goodbye to a childhood hero. Otherwise there's a great fight and some fun along the way with more substance than previous Rocky flicks.