Rocky Returns
I have to admit that I was not too enthusiastic about another Rocky picture. The joke has been that Stallone does not know when to stop. (Rambo III, anyone?) It’s been quite some time since the last really good Rocky film (that would be the third, released in 1982, which I saw in the theater twice). And following a mediocre fourth outing (Rocky versus the Russian) and an utterly forgettable Rocky V, Rocky VI just did not hold much appeal for me.
But I have to say that it was good to reconnect with Rocky Balboa after all of these years. Balboa, now in his fifties, has lost his wife to cancer and spends his time telling boxing stories to patrons in his small Italian restaurant. It seems to be a sad existence compared with Rocky’s past glories, but he is content with what his life has become. That is, until he is coerced into going back into the ring just one more time.
But this movie is not about the fight, not about who wins. It’s about a man dealing with grief and desiring to connect with his son. And what Rocky Balboa brings to the ring is not a boxing movie but a character film that is rich and not overly sentimental.
Writer/director Stallone crafts a script that is somewhat predictable, yet fluid, and it works well. But it’s the character of Rocky that endures, and Rocky Balboa is a fine epilogue to an endearing franchise.
But I have to say that it was good to reconnect with Rocky Balboa after all of these years. Balboa, now in his fifties, has lost his wife to cancer and spends his time telling boxing stories to patrons in his small Italian restaurant. It seems to be a sad existence compared with Rocky’s past glories, but he is content with what his life has become. That is, until he is coerced into going back into the ring just one more time.
But this movie is not about the fight, not about who wins. It’s about a man dealing with grief and desiring to connect with his son. And what Rocky Balboa brings to the ring is not a boxing movie but a character film that is rich and not overly sentimental.
Writer/director Stallone crafts a script that is somewhat predictable, yet fluid, and it works well. But it’s the character of Rocky that endures, and Rocky Balboa is a fine epilogue to an endearing franchise.
Comments