Rocky Balboa

Lake Films

Lake Films

Veteran
Saw Rocky Balboa and it actually was a good film. A decent story and some funny moments. The fight was good also, but this film was more about Rocky's past, present & Future, rather then him winning or losing a fight, I won't give it away! Enjoy!

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There will be SPOILERS in this review. So don't read if you don't want to know.

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This movie started out AMAZING. It was a total nostalgia trip, for both Rocky and us. I just loved it. The addition of "Little Marie", Spider (it took me a second to remember who he was), and just the trips back to all the old places, combined with the music, it just hit right to the heart. So well done.

Unforunately, the movie can't and doesn't keep that feeling. I know this is about more than a fight but this is a Rocky movie, and what does Rocky do in Rocky movies?? He fights! And at times, the "fight" plot seemed shortchanged. Because of this, when we finally get to the fight, it didn't feel like a real Rocky fight. That, in addition to the fact that it was an exhibition just made it feel like not a lot was at stake (I know that it would've been a stretch for the script to make this fight official - but it doesn't mean an exhibition is your only option). This leads to the actual fight itself. I didn't know what he was fighting for ever! Something that was "in the basement"? Adrian? Would Adrian really have wanted him to fight?? I don't think so. However, she received a lot of air time, and so I was expecting the ending to be.... (SPOILER) Rocky winning and calling out "Adrian!" again. I thought that would've been awesome. The other thing I thought would happen is that he'd die in the ring. Which I also would've liked. But instead, he just goes the distance (just like the first one, I guess), but since the fight storyline got shortchanged, I didn't feel satisfied. He was all "okey-dokey" afterwards. It just didn't feel right.

This movie started out so promising. I was disappointed.
 
The 'in the basement' statement meant his heart. Earlier in the film he points to his heart and says that.

The only time he said anything like 'I did it' was at her grave when he said 'we did it'. I thought it was moving.
 
Just came home from seeing the film.... loved loved loved loved loved it!!!! Not the best movie this year, but a great film nonetheless. Sylvester Stallone was brilliant in his acting, writing and directing. Best Rocky film since the original. Dug it all the way through. Wish they would have developed Mason Dixon's character a little more.
 
I just saw this. I've always been a huge Rocky fan. I didn't think it was gonna be possible to really pull this one off. Not with a big fight. But they did. Or I guess I should say Stalone did. He's the man. I loved it.
 
It was the 2nd best "Rocky" movie made behind the 1st one as far as story goes.

I think Rocky is just a great story. Rocky 2 is pretty good, and 3 and 4 are really just entertaining movies but not such great stories. Rocky 5 is horrible and this last one is pretty good. More story than fighting but very good.
 
I enjoyed it, but I thought it was just average. The Steps character was totally pointless.

It was interesting the way they shot the fight and did the titles as an HBO PPV -- I'm interested to go back and compare it to the fight sequences from the other films.

The editing seemed a little too flashy to me, without adding much. The original Rocky (with only the basic film editing techniques) is about 10 times as emotionally charged as this one.


I'd still take Rocky IV over this one.
 
I don't know, maybe I'm living in an alternate reality BUT this movie was awful--"Batman and Robin" or "Nothing But Trouble" awful. One of the worst movies I have ever seen.
 
The sports guy over at ESPN page 2 has a funny review, here's a paragraph I enjoyed:

"Most people were expecting an epic train wreck and ended up being pleasantly surprised (and relieved) that it wasn't an epic train wreck. That's going to artificially skew any opinion, right? I just can't shake the feeling that everyone who liked the movie was inadvertently grading it on a pronounced curve.

For instance, let's say you have an uncle who became involved with a former stripper who cheated on him, became addicted to crystal meth, kept stealing from him and eventually bankrupted him before she was arrested for trying to run him over with a car. It was such a bad experience that he didn't date anyone else for five years and he's been in therapy the entire time. Then he announces to the family that he's showing up for Christmas with his new girlfriend ... and everyone in the family is completely terrified because he's had such horrible taste with women. What happens? He shows up with a nice enough girl who's friendly and really seems to like him. Maybe she's a C-plus under normal circumstances, but given your uncle's history, she feels like an A-minus and nobody can stop talking about how nice she is. And that's what happened with this last Rocky movie. If "Rocky V" was the crystal meth stripper, then "Rocky Balboa" was the C-plus girlfriend who felt like an A-minus."

Rocky movies are those films that I know I'll see for the nostalgia factor, but I have to kinda lower my bar of expectations if I am gonna sit through one. I thing the original told the characters story about as poignantly as it could have been done.
6 had a few moments that I liked, but that's about it.
All in all, watching 2-6 we're kinda like playing a videogame...I kinda have fun and enjoy it while I am playing, but afterward I feel a little dumber.
I really wish Stallone could've found more films like Copland, which I thought he was great in.
 
Most people were expecting an epic train wreck and ended up being pleasantly surprised (and relieved) that it wasn't an epic train wreck. That's going to artificially skew any opinion, right? I just can't shake the feeling that everyone who liked the movie was inadvertently grading it on a pronounced curve.
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I always like when some critic (an ESPN one at that) attempts to speak for the audience. Who goes into Rocky expecting anything but Rocky ? It sounds like the biggest surprise is we were told it is not a bad film and it in fact, really good and Im happy to be hearing good things about this film. I can't say I have to lower my expecatations on these films; Rocky is Rocky.

They all have been fun films

Who is expecting The Godfather here ? It's Rocky

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And yes, Cop Land is Sly's best role/film ever IMO
 
I just thought it was funny.

Just like you said, "Who is expecting The Godfather here ? It's Rocky"

I feel the same way with Bill Simmons reviews...I'm not expecting too much, just want to be entertained.

If you check out his site, he even went as far as to see it a second time 'cause so many of his readers disagreed with his original review. He has 2 reviews, and he even has readers emails who enjoyed the film, so he let's them speak for themselves.
 
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Not really a Rocky fan or Sly for that matter. I'll probably see this when it comes out on DVD, though.
 
Shaun Patrick said:
I don't know, maybe I'm living in an alternate reality BUT this movie was awful--"Batman and Robin" or "Nothing But Trouble" awful. One of the worst movies I have ever seen.
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You're not the only one living in an alternate reality.
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I saw that

I'd love to helm Rambo

First Blood kicked arse. I'd bring back the grit and plausibility. I'd remove the sensation and Sgt Rock Gi JOE one man hero crap
 
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