Ever since Rocky V in 1990, Sylvester Stallone has never been quite comfortable with the fans dissatisfaction of the series conclusion. Rocky Balboa is Stallone’s answer to their cries.
Just like the other five incarnations, Sylvester Stallone is the primary writer on the film. And with the exception of the original Rocky in 1976, he has also filled the role as director.
Rocky Balboa takes place 16 years after Rocky V. Rocky, although in better financial status than when we last left him, is now battling with the day-to-day struggle of losing the most important thing in his life, Adrian. Rocky lives in a self-imposed prison, reliving out the past and visiting memorable places, like the pet shop and now destroyed skating rink, each year on the anniversary of Adrian’s death. Rocky’s only real outlets are his infrequent meetings with his son and running his own restaurant named after his deceased wife. As always Paulie (Burt Young) is at Rocky’s side complaining about anything he can and still working at the meat packing plant. In a real-life comparison the sport of boxing has taken a major hit since Rocky retired as well. The current fictional champion of the film is Mason “The Line” Dixon, played weakly by real-life heavyweight fighter Antonio Tarver. Dixon is having trouble receiving any respect from fans and boxing critics due to only defeating what are deemed as less talented fighters. A virtual fight orchestrated by ESPN between Balboa and Dixon results in a victory for Rocky, which stirs up controversy over who would win the actual bout. Rocky still dealing with the hurt over losing Adrian decides to take part in an exhibition with Dixon so he can “unleash the beast,” as he puts it, in order to finally deal with the loss of his wife. Meanwhile Dixon is looking to repair his reputation with the boxing community and show he can finally defeat a fighter with some heart.
This film was met with mixed reviews when first released. Some liked the fact that the film wrapped up the story of Rocky, others did not like the slow pace of the film and then there were a bunch of people just happy that Rocky V was no longer the last chapter of the series. Yes it is true that the first 45 minutes of the film are rather slow paced but I believe it works as a double-edged sword. It’s the sluggish pace of the beginning that sets the audience up for a 5th-gear adrenaline jolt in the second half.
The writing was pretty solid in this film. Rocky keeps true to the way he speaks and the surrounding characters stay within the tone of the film. A major critique would be that there are way too many monologues going on in this script. It seems that most of the characters spend their time on soapboxes giving life advise to others. Performance wise there are really no breakouts here although it was really nice to see the characters of Little Marie and Spider Rico brought back from the original film. However I do feel slightly cheated that we did not get more back story on Tony Burton’s character Duke. Sylvester Stallone is again reliable in the title role and Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes) does a yeoman’s job portraying Rocky’s son who is finding it difficult to make a name for himself in the shadow of his legendary father. Maybe the best performance in the movie is the understated Paulie played once again by Burt Young. Young, as always, turns in a great performance of a now very broken-down and bitter Paulie. More bitter than usual that is.
The films strongest attribute, other than maybe the best cinematography of the entire series, is how well it brought the character of Rocky up to date. Back in Rocky IV it was the USA Network that was portrayed as the broadcast station for the Rocky vs. Drago fight. Now it’s all about HBO and Las Vegas. The film did a great job representing this new world order. The HBO presentation was very genuine and the presence of ESPN early in the film was a needed reality. These real-life representations made the film feel more legitimate.
Of course what would a Rocky movie be without the final fight montage? Rocky’s final fight of his career was portrayed flawlessly. It’s one of the best fights he’s had throughout the films. Yes there is still that extreme deficiency of defense, but that has become an accepted fixture and charm of a Rocky Balboa fight. Stallone’s goal with this film was to give Rocky a proper send off and to try to recapture some of the grittiness and brutal reality the original Rocky possessed back in 1976. With Rocky Balboa, Stallone achieves what he set out to do, engulfing the audience into the life of a former champion trying to cope in a world that has left him without purpose.
Story: 7.0
Acting: 7.0
Writing: 7.5
Captivation: 8.0
Replay Value: 8.5
Total Score: 7.6
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