04/12/09 - Rocky Balboa

Rocky Balboa (2006, 102 min)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479143/

Well I've finished all the Rocky movies now. This was a great way to end the series. You can easily tell that Stallone put a lot of heart into correcting that abomination called Rocky V.

The movie takes place quite a bit after Rocky V. Rocky now owns a restaurant and doesn't do any boxing or training or anything. Adrian is dead (and this fact is used well for story purposes, and apparently Talia Shire was fine with how it was used). Rocky, Jr. is working for some financial firm (it seems). Rocky's old and doesn't seem to be in the boxing world so much anymore.

Stallone reprises Rocky, though, as if he was playing him yesterday. The same lovable boxer is seen before us on the screen. The same heart-driven guy we've loved for five films. By his side is Paulie (Burt Young) who apparently came to his senses following his disastrous performances in Rocky III, Rocky IV, and Rocky V. He acts well here and returns to his likable character (with some issues of his own) from Rocky and Rocky II.

The plot also returns to the old format from Rocky and Rocky II. The first half is spent building story and the second half is spent training for the fight that is the conclusion. This is how Rocky movies should be. I have no idea what was going on in Rocky III and Rocky V, but it wasn't this, and it sure did show.

Overall I gave the film a 7/10. It was up there with II and slightly better than IV. Some things I didn't like (Geraldine Hughes's character Marie) but overall I thought Stallone did a great job at wrapping up the series. I feel he'll end it here and this was a perfect way for Rocky to end his film legend.