Sorry for my poor blogging etiquette. I promised an update which I did not deliver in a timely fashion. I am referring, of course, to my reviews of the Rocky film series. I did end up re-watching them, ALL of them. Good entertainment. Let's dive right in..
- Rocky (1976): The movie that started it all! I think Stallone actually wrote this movie because he is just so kickass and awesome (Chuck Norris who?) and the producers/ directors or whomever wanted someone else to star in it but Stallone held his ground and really pushed to play the lead. Good thing he did because I am not sure anyone else could have delivered on par. So we all know the story most likely: a champion boxer named Apollo Creed picks a random, unknown fighter to fight against that has a cool gimmicky name (i.e. Rocky a.k.a. "The Italian Stallion"). Little does Apollo realize, Rocky has the proverbial eye of the tiger and he is ready to rise up to the challenge of his rival! Rocky also has his eye on Adrian (a.k.a. "YO ADRIAN"), an awkward and shy young woman who works at a pet store. The chemistry between them is charming because you do not see anything quite like it in conventional movies. They are really weird and tense together but somehow the love flows through. Anyway, a good mix of action and romance. Really motivating movie. Go watch it!
- Rocky II (1979): So Apollo and Rocky go dancing again for what is dubbed as "The Rematch Of The Century". The action is good but I found there was too much false drama (i.e. the level/ type of injury Rocky sustains and yet manages to continue fighting several movies later, Adrian's convenient slip into and out of a coma, etc.). I did like that they kept certain parts authentic like when Rocky finds all of this financial success and he succumbs to it; he gets distracted by it and needs to get pulled back into fight mode. I enjoyed the scenes where he makes all these lavish purchases like buying a car when he does not know how to drive. Not that great of a movie but not terrible either.. Would not recommend.
- Rocky III (1982): While watching this movie I remember thinking, "this is going to be my least favourite of the series". The dialogue was too contrived and silly. It does have some really famous scenes like Mr. T./ Clubber Lang insulting Adrian during a public ceremony where a statue of Rocky is being unveiled, or the scene at the end where Apollo and Rocky fight again. I think Family Guy and some other shows have spoofed those scenes. Also, good ole Mickey bites the dust in a really ridiculous turn of events. I think the main problem was Clubber Lang's character. It was too one-dimensional and out of place. They tried to acclimitize the viewer by explaining how Clubber Lang is from the streets which is why he is so rough but I do not know.. It did not do the trick, methinks. I would definitely not recommend. It was simply too ridiculous!
- Rocky IV (1985): Okay, this was pretty ridiculous too but given the backdrop of the Cold War and the rampant anti-Soviet propaganda in the West, it at least made for an interesting contextual movie! The main bad guy is Ivan Drago (his wife is played by Bridget Neilson whom I think, Stallone may have met for the first time during the filming of this movie then later married) and it is intimated that Drago is on all sorts of performance enhancing substances. Also, the Soviets have supposedly developed technology so advanced that Drago is able to render a grown man, such as Apollo Creed, DEAD by ONE PUNCH to the FACE (I might be exaggerating but only minimally). Wow. So you do end up fearing for Rocky's safety and there is a lot of suspense built up, which is nice. There are some other really famous scenes like Rocky's outdoor workout montages partnered against Drago's highly technical workout regimens, there is also the "Happy Birthday, Paulie" robot, etc. I would only recommend this movie because it is too much of a classic to pass up if you have not already seen it! Also, the speech Rocky makes at the end is really sweet!
- Rocky V (1990): This movie did not do very well at all on imdb and while I can sort of understand why, there are elements of this movie that I really appreciated as a viewer. They made Rocky age and they made him sustain injuries so extensive that he is unable to fight anymore. They made Rocky lose his calling in life. If Jimi Hendrix was alive and something happened to his hands so that he was not able to play his guitar anymore, how would he react/ live? I liked how they captured the overwhelming sense of loss and confusion. Then they bring in Tommy, a new straight-from-the-streets fighter that Rocky takes under his wing and trains. Rocky rediscovers his raison d'etre by living vicariously through Tommy. Rocky becomes the new Mickey but in the process, he neglects his son, Rocky Jr. and some family drama ensues. I would recommend this movie but with a caveat that it has many flaws!
- Rocky Balboa (2006): We have arrived at the movie that ended it all! Folks, YO ADRIAN is no more. The movie focuses a lot on Rocky's "rocky" relationship with his son, Rocky Jr. They have grown apart since Adrian's passing and the indubitable "gaps" have resurfaced (ref: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcqos-b3jDo) that Rocky needs to find a way to fill again. This movie has a nice feel to it. It deals a lot with aging, feeling past your prime, and somehow being at peace with it all. Do not worry, there is some action still, with Mason "The Line" Dixon, but that seems secondary to the overarching theme of rebuilding a broken home, and instilling confidence and strength in your loved ones. It is a really nice ending to the series as a whole. This movie is more about how Rocky excels as a father than about how he excels as a boxer.
