Rocky

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Steven C Such a classic. Was able to show this awesome movie to a younger generation and I'm sure they are fans now. Just wished Starlight was showing all of the Rocky movies in theaters. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/20/22 Full Review Jason R The single greatest movie in the history of movies. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/20/22 Full Review Jay W All-time great films can typically fall into one of two categories: those that pioneer and those that perfect. For example, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937) pioneered animated films, but "Beauty and the Beast" (1991) perfected that formula. "Rocky" (1976) does both. It was a pioneer for the sports movie while at the same time perfecting that genre. Stallone's struggles of getting the movie made perfectly parallel the journey Rocky goes through in the film. Stallone was a man that had to live in his car, sell his dog and put everything on the line to get this film made. And through his struggles, the film was the highest grossing film that year, and walked away with 3 Oscars including "Best Picture". The underdog movie written by some bum from the neighborhood, had gone the distance and K. O'd the champ. You can feel the grit and passion in every frame of this movie. There is a genuine love to this film that can't be reproduced by any cynical corporate executive. Along with being a standout in sports movies and low budget films, the movie is also a technical achievement. This film incorporates the training montage. The technique that movies from this time forward would countlessly spoof and duplicate, this is the one that started it all. Along with the montage, the techniques of moving the camera through tight corridors and upstairs was revolutionary for the time. Typically, film dollies were too bulky to make those kinds of moves, but "Rocky" changed that. OK, now outside all the technical side elements of this movie, how is the movie itself? It is a masterpiece. The story is fairly simple. Heavyweight boxing champ, Apollo Creed gives a local underdog boxer an opportunity to fight for the Championship of the World. (This was 1976, so the championship belt was seen as the greatest title in the known world. Boxing was a really big deal back then.) Apollo Creed, of course, picks our hero: Rocky Balboa, as his challenger for the New Year's fight. Rocky trains the next five weeks to do the fight of his life. What this movie, and the whole series understands is the film is not about boxing, it is about the characters. I have actually heard people debate on whether this film counts as a "Sports Movie", that is how much the film focuses on its characters. I will emphasize, THE CHARACTERS are what makes this story work. Stallone as Rocky Balboa is an absolutely transformative performance. As the trailer announcer says, "When you see Stallone, you will only see: Rocky Balboa". He plays the line of being both likable to always root for, but relatable enough to feel real. Talia Shire as Adrian is wonderful. Burt Young as Paulie, Burgess Meredith as Mickey and Carl Weathers as Apollo are all absolutely golden in their roles. The same can be said with any of the minor characters as well. It can be tricky in under 2 hours to introduce and handle so many memorable characters, but "Rocky" absolutely pulls it off. Never do I feel like I am watching actors read from a script, I am just seeing characters talk, I am always 100% sucked into their world. Speaking of, this movie creates a city and community that feels real. It may lack some of the polish of other movies, but that dirt and grime is what helps this world feel real. The movie feels so real that I meet people to this day that think that "Rocky Balboa" is a real heavyweight champion. Yes, I am aware that Stallone based the story off of Chuck Wagner, the workout from Joe Frazier, Apollo from Muhammad Ali and his hero from Rocky Marciano. But art imitates life, and throughout history, we see life imitate art. Truth be told, this film has played such a large part of my life, I felt intimidated even writing a review for it. As if I didn't feel capable to put into words why it is I love this movie as much as I do. I don't think I can fully do justice to the film. Suffice it to say, just watch the movie. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/01/24 Full Review William C Greatest movie of all time. A lot of that has to do with the perfect combination of the story line and the music. Problem is that the ADD generation of today is not able to sit and comprehend a movie that has slower parts in it. Those parts are sheer genius if you follow the story line. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/17/24 Full Review Stephen H This is one of the greatest films of all-time! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/15/24 Full Review Marlon W Wonderful film, it has a captivating romance and a motivating story of overcoming, I love this classic work. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/27/24 Full Review Read all reviews

Rocky

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