Rocky Balboa

[Alex]

I'll put this in its own thread since it is a new movie and I can also see some dicsussion happening around the entire series.

When this project was accounced I, along with every other sane person, rolled my eyes and felt embarrassed for Sylvestore Stallone's sad grasp at the last few straws of fame.

Well, I'm shocked, but this is a good example of why whenever I hear about dubious projects my inclination isn't to say "that's a horrible thing to do" but rather "let them try, maybe it'll be interesting."

Rocky is an example of what we discussed recently. I love Rocky and that isn't diminished by the awefulness of Rocky IV and Rocky V (and mediocrity of Rocky II and Rocky III). I think many people look at what the series became and come to the conclusion that Rocky must have sucked as well. And for film buffs, since it undeservedly won Best Picture instead of Network (a much superior film) it is derogated as a bad movie instead of just a good movie that wasn't as good as another film.

As we were out wandering last night we ended up near a theater and the only convenient thing showing was Rocky Balboa. Despite the relatively good reviews I still wasn't super interested and Lani wasn't interested at but we decided to go anyway.

It isn't a great movie, but it is a satisfying one. First of all it does the smart thing and completely ignores the existence of Rocky V. Then it acknolewledges but doesn't dwell on the third and fourth movies. In an ideal world we would have had Rocky and Rocky II and then Stallone would have left it alone for 25 years to finish the trilogy here.

It isn't a great movie, and if you don't like any of the Rocky movies then you aren't going to like this one. But otherwise you might want to overlook your very reasonable distrust of such an endeavor and check it out.

[tracilicious]

I haven't ever seen any of the Rocky movies. Maybe I'll see one.

[Alex]

This one definitely shouldn't be your first (though, except for some of the character motivations it could stand pretty well on its own).

[Motorboat Cruiser]

I've actually read nothing but good things about this movie. I loved the first 2, though the 3rd was entertaining but not of the same caliber, and hated the rest. I'm actually pretty interested to see this one and probably will on Tuesday.

[Strangler Lewis]

All five Rockys are currently in the free movies section on Comcast's "On Demand" feature. I really liked Network, but it was a film of speeches and ideas, not characters. Well-delivered speeches to be sure, but speeches nonetheless. Rocky was a rare "classic 70s movie" that didn't have everybody yelling always.

[scaeagles]

Wife and I saw this last night....loved it.

First, something spoilery:
I'm very glad they resisted the temptation to let Rocky win that fight. That would have ruined it completely.

I thought the beginning of the movie with the Adrian "tour" was longer than it should have been. Went from touching to sappy and overdone. Other than that, there was nothing else that bothered me.

What I liked was the return to the spirit of the original Rocky. As with MBC, I think the first two were just great films all around, 3 was good, 4 sucked, and I couldn't bring myself to see 5.

[Motorboat Cruiser]

and I couldn't bring myself to see 5.

If only I had been so lucky.


Oh, and I just learned something new...

When you quote someone who has used a spoiler box, the info in the spoiler box becomes visible in the quote. I guess I should have realized that beforehand.

[MouseWife]

I just took notice of this since Pops got 'Rocky' for Christmas and we watched it this weekend. {we had a portable dvd player and were up in Garden Grove for two nights, always a good time to force the kid, I mean, share a good movie with the kid....}

I hadn't seen this movie since I saw it in the theaters when it came out. I barely remembered it.

It was great. My son stayed up way past Pops to watch it end. Then we watched the second half again the next morning. We've been searching for the second movie but Blockbuster only has it on line, I've been told. {don't have Comcast}.

The movie also had commentary~I hadn't realized that SS wrote the script? That he had gone to meet with someone about acting but he wasn't what they were looking for. A nice guy, but nothing. So he said he was also a writer and brought the script back and wow. I think that all impressed me even more than the movie itself.

So, will it be awful for me to see this latest film before any of the others? {specifically the second one} The movie came with a free ticket and that makes it one cheap date. :D

[LSPoorEeyorick]

SS also directed Rocky II.

Not that I have seen it. I just edited an encyclopedia entry about it for work last month.

[MouseWife]

You must have a cool job. :snap:

I know I've seen all of the Rocky movies but I can't remember them. I think this is good so that I can be surprised, etc.

[mistyisjafo]

I truly loved the original Rocky. Rocky 2 wasnt too bad either. But 3-5 were just bad examples of a series going wrong. I'm also a big believer in not doing Sequels. Very few are well done and worth watching. I have heard great things about this movie and I'm probably going to see just because. But I'm in no hurry. I think I'll wait till its on DVD. Bad reviews or no.

[Alex]

MouseWife, I'd recommend squeezing in Rocky II before seeing Rocky Balboa to get the complete important arc of the character but just Rocky probably provides enough grounding so long as you know what the ultimate result of Rocky II is. Less was made of an event in Rocky III than I expected so that isn't so important to know.

[MouseWife]

Thank you, that is good to know. I do not recall the end of the second movie. At all.

Okay, I need my son to order it via his on line movie club....or go buy it.

The Hubster wants to buy the who set...I don't think that is a good idea....

[MouseWife]

Well. Since my last post we did end up watching the rest of them. Damn it but I can't remember how many it was! The Hubster just kept putting them on.

While they weren't classic as the first one, I still enjoyed Rocky and his gang. I love his character. He has a big heart.

I didn't sit glued to the fights, I just wanted to know the outcome mostly. I loved how he won the fights even though most often he was not as big as his opponent.

Last night we watched the last one {I mean the last one on rental}. I really do like how they make him have a heart. I doubt if anyone will care if I spoil this a bit, being such an old movie, but the last fight, with the guy he mentored, I loved that one. How it came to be. Rocky was going to let it all go but when he punched Paulie...well, it was good to see.

The Hubster and Boy are anxious to see the movie out in theaters. Well, hello, it isn't playing all over anymore!!! I think it is only playing in one theater. Geesh.

While I was looking up theaters I saw the pictures of him currently and wow, it has been 25 years. {Is that the amount of years?}

[Alex]

More like 30.

And so you know, the last one you just saw (Rocky V) pretty much doesn't exist so far as the latest movie is concerned. Kind of the way Highlander 3 pretended Highlander 2 was never made (not that this made it any better).

[MouseWife]

Do you mean no one really counts it as a Rocky movie? Because he doesn't fight? I have to say, I don't like the fighting parts {I know, it is a fight movie but there are stories aside from the fighting} so I normally have something to occupy myself when that is going on. My son said the movie sure was taking a long time and I told him it was because Dad keeps putting them in. We were thinking Rocky would fight Tommy and so when they did I realized that was the end of the movie. While not in the ring it was still a good fight.

While the movies may not have been up to the first movie, I liked how they chronicled his life. I hadn't seen this one {was it released in theaters??} and so I didn't realize what happened with the money.

We enjoyed Paulie a lot and his interaction with the family.

I have to say, we {the three of us} really got into the whole story. Although I suck at the names, we loved his manager {Burgess Meredith} and how he and Apollo became friends. The whole comeraderie really was heart warming to us and I think the Boy got a lot out of it.

Oh, and we loved it when Rockys' son kicked the butt of the bully. And, nicely, later they were friends.

But oh my gosh, 30 years? Well, that would explain how different he looks.

[Alex]

No, I mean that as far as the story in the sixth movie is concerned the events of the fifth movie never happened.

[MouseWife]

Oh, so he is rich again?

But I understand what you mean now. And, while punching my bag I remembered the mangers name is 'Mickey'. :snap: