He weathered blow after blow, but kept on standing. The ring became a metaphor for life, and The Rock a metaphor for the unmovable human spirit. Part of the appeal of the first film was Rocky's "never give up" attitude. For a guy with a single digit IQ and a chronic speech impediment, Rocky sure does speak a lot of sense. You're better than that!" - Rocky Balboa. But you gotta be willing to take the hit, and not point fingers saying you ain't where you are because of him, or her, or anybody. Now, if you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth. But it ain't how hard you hit it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you permanently there if you let it. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. "Let me tell you something you already know. There's nothing not to like here, just strong writing and overwhelming passion. I found the way that he gets back into the boxing world to be realistic and believable, and the training sequences are a heartening throwback to the earlier films in this series. I enjoyed having Rocky running a restaurant in his retirement, and I liked all the links with other films in the saga. It's great to have Paulie back, too, and Geraldine Hughes is an actress who acquits herself well with a sweet could-be love interest. Although the actress is absent, Adrian is present pretty much consistently throughout the movie. I was disappointed when I learnt that Talia Shire wouldn't be returning for this film, because Adrian has always been a big part of Rocky's life. That Rocky is just as likable as he was in the first film is testament to the actor's abilities. Before then, though, we have an engaging and warming human story in which Stallone himself is centre screen throughout. Stallone employs new camera techniques, especially in the final boxing match which is almost overloaded with stylish inserts, black and white segments and effects to make it feel realistic. Of course, filming styles have changed, so this is the film that feels most up to date of the lot. Like Rocky himself, this film is a winner and one of those movies that keeps on giving. It's hard to believe that a 30-year gap has passed between the first film and this one, and you might be forgiven for thinking the films would have run out of steam long before now. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))Īnd so here we have it, to date the final entry in the long-running ROCKY series. If you on the other hand are not a fan, or just arrived from another planet, then what you have is a well-told and well-acted drama that builds into a pretty good boxing film. If you have seen all the Rocky films and they are still fresh in your mind, then his film will be a treat. Rocky 5 was a bit of a lemon but again Stallone never quits. When the 4th came out and was rock-solid (!) Hollywood was stunned. The oddsmakers said Rocky would stop at the second. Understand that Stallone, who I think will be idolized by viewers of the future, does not know the meaning of the word quit. If you are a film buff you know for example that Bogey did a number of films especially late in his career which, while not exactly Maltese Falcon, were nonetheless solid and entertaining.
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