Review of Rocky (1976) by Preston L — 16 Nov 2015

Rocky won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1977. It was written by and stars Sylvester Stallone. Stallone plays Rocky Balboa, and amateur boxer living in Philadelphia. He is given a shot at the Heavyweight title when a special boxing match, planned for the United States Bicentennial Celebration, falls through and Heavy Weight Champ Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) decides to choose a local fighter for the match, to replace his injured opponent. Meanwhile Rocky begins a relationship with Adrian Pennino (Talia Shire).

Things I Liked:

Sylvester Stallone. This movie proves that Stallone is much more than the other group of actors he is lumped in with. He's not just an ignorant meat head designed for action film. Stallone is a competent and layered actor, and his work as Rocky shows that. He has many beautiful moments where he really shows a large series of emotional depths and interesting moments from the titular character. Stallone does an amazing job showing how invested he can get and it makes the movie better.

Talia Shire. Shire as Adrian delivers the emotional core of this movie in a lot of ways. She sees Rocky as what he can be much more than what he is. Adrian has a much more interesting and dynamic character development throughout the film than Stallone as Rocky does and Shire really proves that she is a competent and skillfully subtle actress.

The Story. The movie has a beautiful story of a man trying to overcome his position in life. Rocky shows, throughout the movie, that he wants more from life then to be considered a guy who was a decent fighter and a bit of a bum. He gets his shot and doesn't know if he deserves it but is determined to prove that he is more than his salt. In the same vein he doesn't know if his relationship with Adrian is deserved but he is determined to be good for her and make her proud of him. The entire things leads to an incredible multi-layered climax that shows what truly matters to Rocky when all is said and done.

The Romance. Rocky has one of the most unique and realistic romance stories of any movie out there. The genuine and awkward nature of the early Rocky-Adrian relationship is rather adorable as she is too shy to speak much, which makes Rocky uncomfortable so he doesn't shut up. It is both funny and sweet and as they grow closer, with Rocky helping Adrian to be more outspoken and assertive and her being there to allow him to shed some of the emotional defenses he has built up and be truly vulnerable. It's a very genuine couple who go through true and interesting emotional changes together and it's all very well done.

The Fight. The fight looks truly brutal and not a choreographed piece of fighting, the pair of men show an exhaustion and a drive that really works on so many levels. Weathers as Creed has a great turn where he realizes the fight is not a joke anymore as he thought it would be and sees he could actually lose if he isn't careful. The final moment is a powerful piece of film making that drives all the emotions of the movie together and resolves them throughout the fight, but even when the fight is at its height, it's clear that the fight is just one part of this movie.

Things I Didn't Like:

Nadda. I can't think of a single part of this movie that I don't like, the performances all are strong, the story is engaging, the movie doesn't rely on outdated technology so it still holds up, and the movie could have been made today and still been just as relevant.

Overall:

Overall, there is a reason Rocky is one of my favorite movies of all time. It's a powerful story of a man trying to overcome his place in life. It's a beautiful romance story, and one that feels real and genuine. The performances are all strong but especially from Stallone as the titular Rocky and Talia Shire as Adrian. The chemistry between them is sweet and compelling and the entire movie moves forward to a head in a great and really incredible fight. The entire film works together and it gets more interesting and I get more out of it the more I watch it. Rocky is one of the best movies I have ever seen.