"Rocky Balboa" (2006)
Directed By: Sylvester Stallone
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young, Antonio Tarver, Geraldine Hughes, Milo Ventimiglia, Tony Burton, & Talia Shire
MPAA Rating: "PG" (for boxing violence and some language)
Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is back after years of retirement. A few years after the death of his beloved wife, Adrian (Shire), a computer-generated match between him and the biggest boxing champion of the time, Mason "The Line" Dixon (Tarver), excites many people. Could Rocky really beat Dixon or has the world of boxing become just too difficult for him? Rocky, who was once perfectly content with just living for his community and for his restaurant, Adrian's, suddenly becomes very antsy and he knows that he must return to the sport he loves one last time. When it was announced that this famous boxer would be going back into the ring after nearly sixteen years in retirement, the idea became a universal joke. After "Basic Instinct 2" (a sequel that came fourteen years after the original) was slammed by critics and became a financial disaster (opening number 10 on the charts and only grossing a measly $5 million--it did slightly better on DVD), one would think that studios would get the hint yet a sixth installment would be coming (not to mention yet another sequel in Stallone's equally-popular "Rambo" franchise"). I, always up for anything, was quite indifferent to the decision. It just didn't matter to me but I was willing to give it a chance. Heck, I'm a big fan of Stallone and am just glad to see him in something other than "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over". So, did "Rocky Balboa" become the surprise hit that Stallone deserved or did it become just another installment in the five dollar bin at Wal-Mart right beside "Rocky V"?
"Rocky Balboa" completely surprised me. I expected a cheesy, clichéd, predictable, money-hungry sequel thrown out to attract a few million people but, like I said, I was willing to give it a chance. After all, Stallone actually got me to watch reality TV with his interesting reality show, "The Contender", so I had faith in him not so much in Hollywood, but faith in him. Stallone didn't disappoint. This movie is surprisingly original and completely different from any of the other "Rocky" installments. It is not a boxing movie. It's a movie about dealing with aging and loss and learning to love again, even if it is a different kind of love. It's completely implausible, but you won't care, because the movie is engaging enough and heartfelt enough to make you feel that anything is possible. There is a single quote mentioned in this film that seems to sum everything up: "The last thing to age on somebody is their heart". "Rocky Balboa" proves that this statement is completely true. This movie may not have the machismo, the muscles, or the brawn of the previous movies, but its heart is exceptionally large and very prevalent.
The only performance we should really concern ourselves with here is that of Sylvester Stallone. After all, he is playing the title character and there are only a few very brief scenes that do not have him in them. The good news is that Stallone is on the top of his game. The man may have aged quite a bit since "Rocky V", but, what he has lost in muscles, he has gained in talent. If you have seen any interview with him about this film, you can actually feel his passion for this project. Not only does he do a wonderful job acting, his direction and writing prove that he is more multi-talented than I ever gave him credit for. Burt Young returns and, like Stallone, he shows that he is still connected to his part. He works so wonderfully well that you forget that he is an actor. Antonio Tarver was good not great, but, as this was his first major role, he performed well enough. Sure, he may have scowled a little too much and I didn't feel anything for his character, but he did what he could. Geraldine Hughes and Milo Ventimiglia both do nice jobs. Hughes's Marie makes for a nice female friend to Stallone's Rocky, without trying to take the place of Talia Shire. Ventimiglia strangely resembled Stallone. Their chemistry just clicked. They felt like a father and son. It was quite mesmerizing actually.
If "Rambo IV: Pearl of the Cobra" is as good as "Rocky Balboa", then Stallone will have proved indefinitely that he is a forced to be reckoned with amongst Hollywood's elite. He may not be Oscar gold, but he certainly has talent and not just in acting. His direction is fresh, engaging, and intriguing without looking sappy and stylized. His writing brings heart to the film and had me emotionally-invested in the characters. His performance well, it was phenomenal. On the very small downside, I had the ending predicted quite early on and it disappointed me with the way it was handled. Another thing was that Rocky's opposition, Tarver's Dixon, was a little mixed in the way that he was portrayed. In some scenes, he came off as snobbish, arrogant, and rude and, in others, he seemed like a sympathetic character that deserved our respect. It just didn't work for me. But, when everything was said and done, "Rocky Balboa" was a wonderful way to end this series, proving once and for all that Rocky Balboa is an iconic piece of Hollywood film-making--a character that should be cherished for generations to come.
Final Thought: "Rocky Balboa" was a fantastic way to end the "Rocky" franchise.
Overall Rating: 9/10 (A)
Directed By: Sylvester Stallone
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young, Antonio Tarver, Geraldine Hughes, Milo Ventimiglia, Tony Burton, & Talia Shire
MPAA Rating: "PG" (for boxing violence and some language)
Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is back after years of retirement. A few years after the death of his beloved wife, Adrian (Shire), a computer-generated match between him and the biggest boxing champion of the time, Mason "The Line" Dixon (Tarver), excites many people. Could Rocky really beat Dixon or has the world of boxing become just too difficult for him? Rocky, who was once perfectly content with just living for his community and for his restaurant, Adrian's, suddenly becomes very antsy and he knows that he must return to the sport he loves one last time. When it was announced that this famous boxer would be going back into the ring after nearly sixteen years in retirement, the idea became a universal joke. After "Basic Instinct 2" (a sequel that came fourteen years after the original) was slammed by critics and became a financial disaster (opening number 10 on the charts and only grossing a measly $5 million--it did slightly better on DVD), one would think that studios would get the hint yet a sixth installment would be coming (not to mention yet another sequel in Stallone's equally-popular "Rambo" franchise"). I, always up for anything, was quite indifferent to the decision. It just didn't matter to me but I was willing to give it a chance. Heck, I'm a big fan of Stallone and am just glad to see him in something other than "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over". So, did "Rocky Balboa" become the surprise hit that Stallone deserved or did it become just another installment in the five dollar bin at Wal-Mart right beside "Rocky V"?
"Rocky Balboa" completely surprised me. I expected a cheesy, clichéd, predictable, money-hungry sequel thrown out to attract a few million people but, like I said, I was willing to give it a chance. After all, Stallone actually got me to watch reality TV with his interesting reality show, "The Contender", so I had faith in him not so much in Hollywood, but faith in him. Stallone didn't disappoint. This movie is surprisingly original and completely different from any of the other "Rocky" installments. It is not a boxing movie. It's a movie about dealing with aging and loss and learning to love again, even if it is a different kind of love. It's completely implausible, but you won't care, because the movie is engaging enough and heartfelt enough to make you feel that anything is possible. There is a single quote mentioned in this film that seems to sum everything up: "The last thing to age on somebody is their heart". "Rocky Balboa" proves that this statement is completely true. This movie may not have the machismo, the muscles, or the brawn of the previous movies, but its heart is exceptionally large and very prevalent.
The only performance we should really concern ourselves with here is that of Sylvester Stallone. After all, he is playing the title character and there are only a few very brief scenes that do not have him in them. The good news is that Stallone is on the top of his game. The man may have aged quite a bit since "Rocky V", but, what he has lost in muscles, he has gained in talent. If you have seen any interview with him about this film, you can actually feel his passion for this project. Not only does he do a wonderful job acting, his direction and writing prove that he is more multi-talented than I ever gave him credit for. Burt Young returns and, like Stallone, he shows that he is still connected to his part. He works so wonderfully well that you forget that he is an actor. Antonio Tarver was good not great, but, as this was his first major role, he performed well enough. Sure, he may have scowled a little too much and I didn't feel anything for his character, but he did what he could. Geraldine Hughes and Milo Ventimiglia both do nice jobs. Hughes's Marie makes for a nice female friend to Stallone's Rocky, without trying to take the place of Talia Shire. Ventimiglia strangely resembled Stallone. Their chemistry just clicked. They felt like a father and son. It was quite mesmerizing actually.
If "Rambo IV: Pearl of the Cobra" is as good as "Rocky Balboa", then Stallone will have proved indefinitely that he is a forced to be reckoned with amongst Hollywood's elite. He may not be Oscar gold, but he certainly has talent and not just in acting. His direction is fresh, engaging, and intriguing without looking sappy and stylized. His writing brings heart to the film and had me emotionally-invested in the characters. His performance well, it was phenomenal. On the very small downside, I had the ending predicted quite early on and it disappointed me with the way it was handled. Another thing was that Rocky's opposition, Tarver's Dixon, was a little mixed in the way that he was portrayed. In some scenes, he came off as snobbish, arrogant, and rude and, in others, he seemed like a sympathetic character that deserved our respect. It just didn't work for me. But, when everything was said and done, "Rocky Balboa" was a wonderful way to end this series, proving once and for all that Rocky Balboa is an iconic piece of Hollywood film-making--a character that should be cherished for generations to come.
Final Thought: "Rocky Balboa" was a fantastic way to end the "Rocky" franchise.
Overall Rating: 9/10 (A)