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.

better than i thought it would be

i went to see this at the cinema last year i enjoyed the injection of humour stallone managed to get in good shape for a man who is 60 have heard he has started script for rocky 7. this film was better than rocky 5 which also had a real boxer tommy morrison as his first opponent out side the ring. this one adds a bit more realism with real announcers and commentators also former light heavy weight champion Antonio Tarver as his latest opponent