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IMDbPro

Rocky

  • 19761976
  • PGPG
  • 2h
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
564K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
898
107
Sylvester Stallone and Talia Shire in Rocky (1976)
A small-time Philadelphia boxer gets a supremely rare chance to fight the world heavyweight champion in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect.
Play trailer3:28
11 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Drama
  • Sport
A small-time Philadelphia boxer gets a supremely rare chance to fight the world heavyweight champion in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect.A small-time Philadelphia boxer gets a supremely rare chance to fight the world heavyweight champion in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect.A small-time Philadelphia boxer gets a supremely rare chance to fight the world heavyweight champion in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect.
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
564K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
898
107
  • Director
    • John G. Avildsen
  • Writer
    • Sylvester Stallone
  • Stars
    • Sylvester Stallone
    • Talia Shire
    • Burt Young
Top credits
  • Director
    • John G. Avildsen
  • Writer
    • Sylvester Stallone
  • Stars
    • Sylvester Stallone
    • Talia Shire
    • Burt Young
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 775User reviews
    • 191Critic reviews
    • 70Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #212
    • Won 3 Oscars
      • 20 wins & 22 nominations total

    Videos11

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 3:28
    Official Trailer
    Rocky
    Trailer 0:34
    Rocky
    Rocky
    Trailer 1:40
    Rocky
    Rocky
    Featurette 0:58
    Rocky
    Rocky
    Featurette 0:56
    Rocky
    Should Arya Stark Train at Cobra Kai or Miyagi-Do?
    Video 2:04
    Should Arya Stark Train at Cobra Kai or Miyagi-Do?
    Athletes Who Chose Acting Over Football
    Video 3:14
    Athletes Who Chose Acting Over Football
    'Creed II' Cast on Knockout Soundtracks and Inspiring Scenes
    Video 2:26
    'Creed II' Cast on Knockout Soundtracks and Inspiring Scenes
    The Making of 'Rocky': Shooting in Philadelphia
    Video 1:04
    The Making of 'Rocky': Shooting in Philadelphia
    The Making of 'Rocky': Low Budget
    Video 0:42
    The Making of 'Rocky': Low Budget
    Dates in Movie & TV History: Jan. 1, 1976 - Rocky Fights Apollo Creed
    Video 2:15
    Dates in Movie & TV History: Jan. 1, 1976 - Rocky Fights Apollo Creed

    Photos188

    Sylvester Stallone, John G. Avildsen, and Burgess Meredith in Rocky (1976)
    Sylvester Stallone in Rocky (1976)
    Sylvester Stallone and Talia Shire in Rocky (1976)
    Sylvester Stallone and Talia Shire in Rocky (1976)
    Sylvester Stallone and Burgess Meredith in Rocky (1976)
    Sylvester Stallone, Carl Weathers, and Lou Fillipo in Rocky (1976)
    Sylvester Stallone and Burgess Meredith in Rocky (1976)
    Burgess Meredith in Rocky (1976)
    Talia Shire in Rocky (1976)
    Sylvester Stallone and Talia Shire in Rocky (1976)
    Burt Young in Rocky (1976)
    Sylvester Stallone and Carl Weathers in Rocky (1976)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Sylvester Stallone
    Sylvester Stallone
    • Rocky
    Talia Shire
    Talia Shire
    • Adrian
    Burt Young
    Burt Young
    • Paulie
    Carl Weathers
    Carl Weathers
    • Apollo
    Burgess Meredith
    Burgess Meredith
    • Mickey
    Thayer David
    Thayer David
    • Jergens
    Joe Spinell
    Joe Spinell
    • Gazzo
    Jimmy Gambina
    Jimmy Gambina
    • Mike
    Bill Baldwin
    Bill Baldwin
    • Fight Announcer
    Al Silvani
    Al Silvani
    • Cut Man
    • (as Al Salvani)
    George Memmoli
    George Memmoli
    • Ice Rink Attendant
    Jodi Letizia
    Jodi Letizia
    • Marie
    Diana Lewis
    Diana Lewis
    • TV Commentator
    George O'Hanlon
    George O'Hanlon
    • TV Commentator
    Larry Carroll
    Larry Carroll
    • TV Interviewer
    Stan Shaw
    Stan Shaw
    • Dipper
    Don Sherman
    Don Sherman
    • Bartender
    Billy Sands
    Billy Sands
    • Club Fight Announcer
    • Director
      • John G. Avildsen
    • Writer
      • Sylvester Stallone
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Rocky II
    7.3
    Rocky II
    Rocky III
    6.8
    Rocky III
    Rocky IV
    6.8
    Rocky IV
    Rocky Balboa
    7.1
    Rocky Balboa
    The Terminator
    8.1
    The Terminator
    Rocky V
    5.3
    Rocky V
    Jaws
    8.1
    Jaws
    Die Hard
    8.2
    Die Hard
    Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
    8.2
    Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
    Creed
    7.6
    Creed
    Braveheart
    8.4
    Braveheart
    Platoon
    8.1
    Platoon

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      After producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff became interested in the script, they offered Sylvester Stallone an unprecedented $350,000 for the rights. He had $106 in the bank and no car, and was trying to sell his dog because he couldn't afford to feed him, but he refused to sell unless they agreed to allow him to star in the film. They agreed, on the condition that Stallone continue to work as a writer without a fee, and that he work as an actor for scale. After Winkler and Chartoff purchased the film, they took it to United Artists, who envisioned a budget of $2 million with an established star, particularly Robert Redford, Ryan O'Neal, Burt Reynolds or James Caan. When Winkler and Chartoff told United Artists that they could only get the screenplay if Stallone starred, United Artists cut the budget to $1 million and had Chartoff and Winkler sign agreements that they would be personally liable if the film went over budget. The final cost was $1.1 million. Chartoff and Winkler mortgaged their houses for the last $100,000.
    • Goofs
      When Rocky is talking to Adrian on Thanksgiving through the door, the camera shot goes to Paulie who is about ten feet away. You can see one of the movie cameras in the mirror.
    • Quotes

      Adrian: Why do you wanna fight?

      Rocky: Because I can't sing or dance.

    • Crazy credits
      Butkus the dog is credited as "Butkus Stallone".
    • Alternate versions
      In the DVD, the Dolby Digital & DTS 5.1 tracks omit a short musical cue of Rocky's theme when the bell rings at the end of the 15th round, which is present in the original mono soundtrack.
    • Connections
      Edited into Rocky IV (1985)
    • Soundtracks
      Take Me Back
      Music & Lyrics by Frank Stallone

      Performed by Valentine

    User reviews775

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    His whole life was a million-to-one shot...
    When I was a kid there were only three major things in my life: food, wrestling and `Rocky'. My brother and I followed the numerous Rocky Balboa struggles religiously, and even today, there is no exception. Although the latest efforts of Stallone have been pitiful, the movie that made his career is the 1977 Academy Award Winner for Best Picture, `Rocky'. On top of that, `Rocky' also earned two more Academy Awards for Best Film-Editing and Best Director (John G. Avildsen).

    This movie is unlike any other ever put on film. It's films like this that remind us of the beauty that is going to the cinema, and if only I was around during that year when such films as `Close Encounters of the Third Kind', `Jaws', `Saturday Night Fever' and `Network' were all playing in cinemas. The storyline takes place in Philadelphia, where Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) struggles to make a living as both a small-time boxer, and the brawn of a loan shark. Until one day, a sudden opportunity is handed to Rocky to compete for the World Heavy-Weight Title against the champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), a charismatic and flamboyant fighter labelled as `The King of Sting' and `The Master Of Disaster'. Attracted to Rocky's reputation as "The Italian Stallion", a match between Creed and the unknown boxer is set, which is subsequently advertised as a fight where a "nobody" can become a "somebody". Mickey (Burgess Meredith), is the owner of the gym where Rocky trains and later becomes Rocky's manager. Mickey is passionate about the world of boxing, and believes that Rocky has the potential to go the distance, instead of being `a cheap second rate loan-shark'. However, the central character in Rocky's life is Adrian (Talia Shire), a shy pet-store clerk, who acts awkwardly when Rocky even breathes in her direction. However, these almost completely distant outcasts are strangely drawn to each other. While one `didn't have much of a brain', the other `didn't have much of a body', so they worked on their opposites, only to end up together. The legend of this film when it was first released in the mid-70's was: `His whole life was a-million-to-one shot', but what Stallone did was prove to the world that `Rocky' is one-in-a-million.

    Seeing `Rocky' is both a cinematic experience and a religious experience. When first released, the film appealed to the widest audience, and all felt the emotion and intense passion which passed from the film, to them. The film's possession of realistic acting, superb dialogue and the most phenomenal music score by Bill Conti to date, indeed transformed the face of cinema. Stallone's wholesome performance of his own screenplay is electrifying as the film celebrates of the underdog battling to beat the odds. Fans of cinema aren't manipulated into thinking that the inevitable will happen as it does in every other tedious hero drama.

    Over 25 years on, `Rocky' still manages to let the audience's emotions explode; Rocky's blossoming relationship with Adrian, the seedy worlds of Mickey and Adrian's alcoholic brother, Paulie (Burt Young), and the affirmation of Rocky's inability to overcome Creed. And who could forget the excruciatingly compelling Balboa / Creed confrontation? Rocky's determination overturns the boxing fraternity, and supplies cinemaphiles with one of the greatest moments in cinematic history, as a body of spectators both on-screen and off applaud and chant for Rocky in unison. The following four Rocky sequels attempted to deliver the same magic as the original, however failed to convey it's message. `Rocky' illustrates how life itself is stifling and perplexing, but sometimes when you lose your way as well as your original intentions, you may just find something better.

    Simply put, if anyone has a free Friday / Saturday night, this is the film to go out and borrow from the local video store. It's unbelievable that this film was only voted in at #78 on the AFI Top 100 films of all time, and worse yet, was voted in at the SECOND best sports film of all time (the first went to `Hoosiers', starring Gene Hackman). C'mon people, be you black or white or brown or any other skin colour we have yet to discover, get out there and be inspired by Stallone's masterpiece, `Rocky'.
    helpful•201
    30
    • TheSixthChild
    • Dec 28, 2003

    FAQ23

    • What's the difference between the theatrical release version and the director's cut version?
    • What is 'Rocky' about?
    • Is 'Rocky' based on a book?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 3, 1976 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Instagram
      • MGM
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Роки
    • Filming locations
      • 1818 East Tusculum Street, Kensington, North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
    • Production company
      • Chartoff-Winkler Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $960,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $117,235,147
    • Gross worldwide
      • $117,250,402
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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