This movie was written and directed by Stallone.
Running time: 1hr 42 minutes.
Go see “Rocky Balboa”
It’s really good. It’s the best one since the original, and to put that in prospective I liked #1, #2, #3, in that order (#4 and #5 not so much). The irony is that if you’re thinking to yourself, “why the hell would they make another Rocky movie?” Go see the film then you’ll know. This film justifies itself.
What if I hate Sylvester Stallone?
Nobody really hates Stallone, but there are a lot of people who resent someone like him, or Arnold for trying to actually act. There is a giant difference between not great acting, and bad acting. Just because someone made a career in action films doesn’t mean they act so badly that it’s distracting.
Harrison Ford tells a story about one of his first acting gigs. His roll was to deliver a coke to one of the lead characters. The director took Ford aside and mentioned that if he really wanted to be an actor he needed to make even a simple roll an Oscar worthy moment. Ford replied that he thought a great actor would be able to deliver the coke and never be noticed at all.
I’m with Ford on this one. The toughest acting roll is the one that doesn’t make you a superhero. Rocky Balboa has a hero side, yes, but there’s another side. Rocky is vulnerable in his un-sophistication. The completeness of his character lies in this dichotomy. He could be a walking stereotype but instead he is man we can easily identify with. The difference is brilliant acting.
Larger Story
This is an awesome movie for fans of the larger story. There are several scenes that beautifully illustrate every man’s struggle. Trying to work it out with his son. Trying to live as a widower. Going from King to Sage takes more wisdom and heart than any other stage in life. Most of our life we move forward and take ground. As a man ages his kingdom shrinks—the kids move out of the house and the income plateaus. Many folks pack up and head for Florida when they could still be a resource to their family and their community. Not that our society still places adequate value on sage advice.
Rocky is facing a great challenge because he isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, and he knows it. This movie could have been about fighting old age and staying on top, but it really wasn’t. Rocky struggles for significance. He has something left to contribute and with some people he is able to articulate what’s on his heart. With everyone else he has to show them his heart, and he has one last fight in him to do it. Rocky fought to win but winning was not the point. The point is to have the courage to be who you really are and never give up on that. That’s why he inspires.
