I recently saw Rocky Balboa. On my Rocky Scale (One = Best picture and Five = horsesh*t), this one is a Two. If you loved the first one, but you thought Rocky V = Phantom Menace, this movie is for you. It's been out for a little while now, but you if you haven't seen it yet, it's worth a trip to the theater. Others reviewed the film here.I have to mention that one of the previews was for a Nicholas Cage movie called Ghost Rider, in which his head catches on fire and he rides a motorcycle and stuff. What is up with Nick Cage? He's a great actor. He's an Oscar winner for crying out loud...and he can't pick a script lately to save his life. The gawd-awful trailer prompted me to make the following observation to PWD: "I think Brian Van Gorder must be Nick Cage's career coach."
Rocky Balboa dramatically exceeded my expectations, which is more of a comment on my expectations than anything. The film is a throwback to the grittier first and second films, rather than the over-the-top cheese fests of the third and fourth flicks [sidebar: even to this day Rocky IV is a sublime guilty pleasure. RIP, James Brown. No political system could withstand an assault by Ronald Reagan and Rocky].
To its credit, the movie confronts the age issue head on, instead of pretending a mid-fifties Rock hadn't lost a step. In fact, one of my favorite scenes is when Apollo's former corner man Duke tells Rock his only chance is "blunt force trauma...heavy duty punches that will rattle his ancestors," followed by classic training montage (c'mon you know you love the training montage...flying high now!).
I defy you to visit the Philly Art Museum and NOT run the steps. It CANNOT be done I tell you!I hope people will give it a chance because Stallone, who wrote and directed, put together a well-paced, often quiet film that includes many knowingly self-referential moments as a treat to franchise fans. The fight sequence is almost beside the point because the movie is the most character driven since the first. The fight is handled realistically, Rocky once again an underdog from the streets of Philly whom no one gives a chance.
Rocky Balboa is the movie the fighter deserves to retire with. Check it out.
Other Georgia Sports Blog at the Movies reviewed here.
