Rocky

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George R Apr 28, 2019 Sylvester Stallone did something great by sticking to his will of playing Rocky Balboa, as he incarnates him perfectly. And he has made a masterpiece. It's one of the most interesting sports films I've ever seen, it tackles themes of despair, self-confidence and victory. And it's not just a sport flick, the script is very well written and shows us the hypocrisy of the American Dream and the reality of the blue-collar society. And that last fight at the end was pretty suspenseful. Overall, Rocky is a good classic for sure. Recommended!! See more

Luke W Apr 24, 2019 This is a big, warm crowd-pleaser with a surprisingly charming lead character and a beautiful love story at the center of it's narrative. I had seen this twice in full previously and I've witnessed snippets of it several times whether on TV or at a recreation center but re-watching it I was able to appreciate just how good Talia Shire is as Adrian and yes, be inspired in a very clichà (C) fashion. If you have a father born some time in the last 60 years then you will almost have definitely seen this film but even if you're a teenage girl with little to no interest in sports, like myself, it's still a very enjoyable film to watch. Rocky Balboa, Sylvester Stallone, is an Italian-American man working in Philadelphia as a Mafia enforcer while chasing dreams of being a heavyweight boxer. His manager and trainer is Paulie Pennino who pushes him to make more public appearances and hype up his fights more. Rocky also romantically pursues Paulie's sister Adrian, Talia Shire, as he prepares to fight the fearsome Apollo Creed in a match that may or may not be fixed. Rocky begins to doubt himself as the fight approaches but encouragement from those around him cause him to believe in himself. The most interesting part of the film was, to me, the love story as we see an unintelligent but sweet oaf fall in love with the shy, bookish young woman. Their first date, on which she ice skates around an empty rink whilst he runs along side her and tells her about boxing, contains better dialogue than you would expect from a sports film and the chemistry between Stallone and Shire is so great that this somewhat unbelievable love story feels genuine. Yes, their â~love' scene does seem a little non-consensual in today's #metoo era but I believe that Adrian does show consent and we see two people grow more comfortable with themselves in a healthy and loving relationship. Adrian does begin to dress more like a 1970s model towards the end of the film but Shire retains her sensible, motherly attitude in how she approaches the character and the final scene in which they embrace gets my tear ducts flowing. Rocky's relationship to his community is another touch that makes this film special as the film makes an effort to display what makes Philadelphia special as a city. The iconic scene in which Rocky runs all the way up the steps to the town hall and throws his fists up in the air can still create a real rush of excitement in any viewer and as we see a wide shot overlooking Philadelphia we understand why Rocky is proud to be from this city. Seeing him punch meat on local television is funny but it also gives you the sense that people in this city really do care about the plight of this uneducated boxer because they can identify with him. The only other films I really associate with Philadelphia are those of M. Night Shyamalan and those quickly decreased in quality. Stallone's central performance isn't what you would call great acting as he appears to be playing a semi-fictitious version of himself but he injects the character with a gentle giant persona that makes it hard not to root for him. All of the supporting players are great as we get a lot of unexpectedly sweet tough men and as previously mentioned Shire is worth the price of admission alone. The film is more than the sum of it's parts in this way in that most of the acting isn't on the level of Henry Fonda, the writing is pretty basic and the film doesn't look exceptional and yet it's a truly great film. This is a film that can be watched at any time, in any place with or without company. It doesn't require a huge amount of engagement or analysis to be enjoyable and will probably tug at the heartstrings of even the most cynical audience member. Considering this as a Best Picture winner however is more difficult as it was up against the hugely influential classics Taxi Driver (1976) and Network (1976) both of which wrestle with weightier themes and are widely considered two of the best films of the 1970s. I would have awarded Taxi Driver because it is a great film that's darker and more interesting than Rocky and rewarding Scorsese for one of his best films would mean that Gangs of New York (2002) didn't earn a Best Picture nomination. See more

Hermione W Mar 28, 2019 This dramatic boxing film is one of the best performances of Stallone

Rey M Mar 11, 2019 The pinnacle of boxing / sports films. A true underdog story with so much meaning and merit being conveyed from start to finish. I can really empathize with Rocky, from being forced to do the dark deeds of a bookie, to feeling like a nobody in their career of choice. The acting is phenomenal. The pacing is great and there are moments and pillars of this movie that push the movie to the end, making each scene crucial to the finished product. The last 5 minutes of this movie are an achievement to cinema. To avoid spoilers, but to get to the heart of it: Rocky truly won that day. Who's cutting onions in here? See more

Poe S Mar 3, 2019 Itï¿ 1/2(TM)s amazing

Rey W Feb 27, 2019 Pretty much as slow as it gets, Rocky feels like two completely different movies. Although with an unnecessarily long background story for its main character, the thrills of the second half and the charming performances mainly by Stallone, are enough to make this classic film worthy. See more

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Rocky

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