Rocky Balboa

A film review by Joseph Orisino, my brother, on the movie Rocky Balboa

First, let me start out by saying I consider the original Rocky to be one of the finest american films of all time. Although Rocky 2 & 3 are really good movies, they don't come close to the first film. I also like Rocky 4, because even though the premise is awful, the execution is fun. However, after watching Rocky 5 I became horribly disturbed at how truly awful it was, and I wondered how something so good could become so bad. When I found out Stallone was making another Rocky film, 16 years after the atrocity of Rocky 5, I couldn't help but cringe. Now, after having seen Rocky Balboa, I can say with absolute certainty that the film is an absolutely fantastic and appropriate sendoff to the Rocky Saga. THIS FILM IS WHAT ROCKY 5 SHOULD HAVE BEEN. Rocky is now retired and owns a restaurant named for his beloved wife Adrian, who passed away from cancer. Adrian's death has taken a lot out of the former champ, played gracefully by an aging Sylvester Stallone, who shows acting chops we haven't seen since the 1976 original. After seeing a computer simulated boxing fight on ESPN, Rocky's spirit is stirred and he considers a return to the ring. The computer simulation showcases a boxing match between Rocky (in his prime) and the current champion, Mason "The Line" Dixon. At the end of the fight, Rocky comes out on top. Even though he has not been in the ring in years, Rocky starts to believe he still has "some stuff left in the basement," and decides to start fighting again. The boxing simulation, which causes a publicity explosion, gets Dixon's camp talking. Dixon's promoters convince him to fight Rocky in an exhibition match. Complete with a training montage, the film brought back those same chills that I got when watching the original. Originally I thought that Stallone was making this film for the money. That may be true, but he did it with respect to the art of storytelling. Considering Stallone hasn't directed a major film since 1985's Rocky IV, the story of the film is executed remarkably well. Stallone brings back supporting characters we all know (Rocky Jr., his brother-in-law Paulie, Spider Rico) and makes the audience feel like they are visiting old friends. Fans of the Rocky films will spot many references to the other films of the saga, now two decades old. Instead of beating us over the head with corny revenge-driven plot lines and killing off characters for the hell of it, he recovers the original film's charm and, most importantly, its heart. I haven't heard cheering and clapping like I heard watching Rocky Balboa in a long time. If you were listening from outside the theater, you would have thought that the fight was going on live. In the lobby I didn't hear one gripe about the film, which is a damn rare thing these days. While I walked out of the theater I noticed that I couldn't stop smiling. The tagline for the film says it all: It ain't over 'til it's over.

I completely agree with my brother's analysis of the film. The reason why I used his critique is because I could not have written a better one myself. I am extremely happy that this movie was made because it was a good ending to the saga. Rocky 5 did not do the movies justice, and this one certainly did.