Rocky (1976)

Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

Admirable film.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Rocky shot a then struggling actor and writer Sylvester Stallone into the A list. This is a great underdog story enhanced by some gritty direction and great performances by Stallone, Talia Shire and others. What many do not realize is how little Rocky is about boxing. In fact the boxing doesn't even take center stage until well into the second half. This is a character study first and foremost and Stallone should be commended for penning such a heartfelt screenplay. Rocky has entered pop culture lexicon but its important to remember that it started off as an independent feature with a minuscule budget. This is a great start to the career of a fantastic actor.

I could go on for ages about this movie and why I love it so much, but I'll try not to bore you and keep it relatively concise.I first saw this film at the age of ten. I am aware that many children find this movie boring and prefer the more action-packed and exciting sequels. This was not my experience. I was instantly enthralled by Sylvester Stallone's lovable character. This truly is his movie and he does a wonderful job with it. He wrote a beautifully realistic script with characters that you truly feel for. In addition, his performance in the title role makes the audience instantly empathize with him through scenes such as the one where he refuses to break a man's thumbs for the loan shark he works for. You're constantly rooting for the Italian Stallion.The other characters are also great. Talia Shire's performance as Adrian is wonderfully shy and reserved. The relationship between herself and our protagonist is the heart of the narrative, and the two actors' chemistry is undeniable.Adrian's brother, Paulie, played by Burt Young, is another great character. He shows what someone like Rocky can turn into without a great deal of optimism and determination. Young's performance works especially well as he entices you into caring about him and liking him even when he is being rather unlikeable.Rocky's trainer, Mickey Goldmill, played by Burgess Meredith, is hillariously cranky and sarcastic. At the same time, however, he never lets you forget that he really does care about Rocky and wants the best for him. This father-son sort of relationship is an integral component throughout the series.The final main character is Apollo Creed, Rocky's opponent played by Carl Weathers. Weathers plays Creed as a celebrity as much as a boxer. He's a showman in the vein of fighters like Muhammad Ali. His charisma is what draws you to him and prevents him from being a supervillain.I mention the characters individually because they are what draws you into this movie's universe. You see them as people and you want to see them happy. This is an accomplishment not only of Sylvester Stallone, but of the performers who brought his script to vivid life.In conclusion, this movie not only presents an interesting story which you want to see through to its conclusion, it also represents the best of what a film can do. It can turn characters into real human beings and use them to tell a story that is nothing but just that: human.

Rocky is one of the best movies I've ever seen. The story is not about boxing it's a love story between ROCKY and Adrian at first that might disappoint some but once you start watching it it's really good and won't let you down on how great the story actually is even the main villain of the movie isn't introduce until halfway through the film it's a great movie and a must watch and if you like it watch the sequels!

Rocky took a well-worn story and redefined it by delving deep into the characters. Rocky's character arc is so familiar that everyone, even who don't watch many movies, knows every single detail about it. But the movie adds a simple twist, yet a very effective one, in the character's motivations.But it didn't stop here, as the movie keeps raising the stakes by making an advantage of all the developments that have been given to all the characters.The movie could have easily used the ups and downs of Rocky to evoke our feelings. Instead, the movie succeeded to be very moving by taking advantage of the very new twist that has been added to Balboa's motivations. The result is an underdog heroic character that is by no means clichéd. And Stallone shines in this movie and gave his best performance in his career. There are some moments when Rocky's confidence has been shaken a little bit and the hero starts to tell the message of the story and these moments somewhat worked, and they could have never worked without Sylvester Stallone's superb acting.I said that Rocky takes advantage of the developments of all its characters. Yes, all its characters!The character of Adrian, for instance, has some realistic and genuine details that make the romance between her and Rocky works very well, although the relationship proceeds so fast. Talia Shire performance made Adrian even more realistic,unique and very compelling character.Paulie is another great character that made the movie even more poignant as it gave some depth for Rocky too.What I didn't like so much is Apollo Creed. In contrast to the rest of the characters, he is nothing but the stereotypical undefeated Champion. Also, all decisions he made exposed the movie's clichéd story. With that being said, his scenes are masterfully directed and he has a very catchy style. The final fight scene is maybe the most realistic fight scene has been shot at that time. And those who think it's not, please watch a boxing match and you'll find that boxing punches make sounds different from the comic book punches sounds that are still used in movies today.(9/10)