Rocky Balboa recap (SPOILERS) (1 Viewer)

[TravisR]

I just want to pop in again and agree with Patrick and Jon about wanting the movie to be longer (and I've been saying for the last couple of years that most movies need to shorten their run time). This was a movie where a 120 minute run time could have made it even better as opposed to alot of movies today where they make the movie 2 hours whether it should be or not.

All that being said, it's still a heck of a movie.

 

[andy wells]

I TRULY hope word of mouth will help give this film legs. A great movie that really deserves success! And the "stuff in the basement" scene, is one of the finest emotional performances I've ever seen! wow!

 

[Shawn_KE]

Loved it. Stallone proved himself as not being a washed up has been like Rocky. While the fight wasn't as good as the ones in the first 4 (4 being my favorite fight with 3 being my favorite movie) it was still great with the cutscenes and all.
Agree. That scene was awesome. Was searching the web for a grab of it.

 

[Justin Lane]

Saw this last night with my wife. I have always been a big Rocky fan, and she has always been the opposite, outside of the first film. Well she came out the theater raving, and said it was one of the best films she has seen this year.

This film was a perfect ending to the franchise with Rocky going out in a similar way as the first film. For Rocky it is not about winning, but about taking your shot and putting in the best effort one has within. This film was a drama first and a boxing movie second, not focusing on boxing until the final quarter of the movie. The fight scenes were decent, but not nearly as intense as past movies, which is a good thing as it added realisim.

Highly recommended. Everyone should give Sly and Rocky another chance.

J

 

[DavidPla]

Apparently there's a surprise after the credits (after all the people re-creating the running up the steps). Did anybody stay that long? I would love to know what it was?

 

[Doug Miller]

Yes. It's a shot of Rocky standing at the top of the steps, back to the camera, snow coming down. He's looking out over the city. The look of the shot made me think that it was "Rocky at peace."

Doug

 

[Patrick Sun]

I spotted Sly's wife Jennifer Flavin amongst those dancing on the steps.

 

[MattFini]

Doug, I couldn't agree more with your assessment of the closing shot of the end credits.

It was very beautiful and fitting.

 

[Greg_S_H]

If I may toot my own horn just a bit, I was a believer in this film from the beginning. I just had the feeling that it wasn't a cash in. I figured if he went back to Rocky, he had something to say with it. I thought it was a wonderful film. I also think it's a blessing that it happened after Rocky V, because this movie didn't have to waste time getting Rocky back to the neighborhood. He felt like he belonged there in this installment, and this was the most '70s piece of filmmaking one could hope for in the '00s. It really had the vibe of all of those gritty east coast films of that era.


That was a great scene. He really turned it around on his son. I wouldn't characterize it as yelling, but Robert got a completely different result than what he expected.

 

[JonZ]

"Agree. That scene was awesome. Was searching the web for a grab of it."

 

[Nathan Eddy]

I'm thinking of taking my family to see this today. Would a 5-yr-old find it boring? This is a kid who sat through Casino Royale twice in the theater, and didn't complain once. But he loves Bond, and has no idea who Rocky is.

 

[TravisR]

There's a lot of talking in the movie so I don't think a 5 year old would be particularly interested in it.

 

[DavidPla]

True but then again, I got INTO the series when I was about 6 and loved them all. Maybe show him the first film on DVD and see if he gets into it.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

There was a little girl (~7-8 years old) directly behind me in the theater when I saw it and the only time she talked was to ask what the "exhibition so they wouldn't have to call it an execution" meant.
It IS a very talky, slow movie. But if she was entertained enough to keep with the story, your kid probably has a shot.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

:star: :star: :star:
A nice way to tie up the Rocky series. A heartfelt final chapter that's sentimental and inspirational, especially for those of us over 40 and heading toward 50. Stallone did a nice job of bringing some kind of closure to his own baby, and it should be a personal victory for him when you consider how many people always joked at the concept of an "old man Rocky" film. A good cozy little film, not a great one.

One minor nitpick about the fight:
I thought it would have been more realistic had Rocky not been able to sustain for as long as he did, and maybe get beaten more badly, all the while still giving it a strong effort while getting some occasional shots in at his opponent. It should have been his spirit over the physical. The fight struck me as way too evenly matched. But at least he didn't win!

 

[JonZ]

Remember Dixon broke his hand.

 

[Jon Mahoney]

That part immediately reminded me of the 3rd Gatti/Ward fight where Gatti broke his hand early on and fought through it. He broke it really early on and the fight carried on similar to the Rocky fight.

 

[JonZ]

Gatti's great. Im gonna miss him.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Really enjoyed Rocky Balboa. It was far better than
I had expected and I applaud Stallone for the risks he took in
making one last film in this series and succeeding.

Only two things bothered me about this film...


Would have liked to have seen if a romantic interest
developed between Rocky and Marie.


And....


The fact that Mike Tyson, a disgrace to boxing, was featured as
a cameo in this film.

 

[Greg_S_H]

My take on the first is that it remained platonic, but I don't know. As for the latter, I didn't like seeing him, either, but it helped to ground the movie in reality. I don't know many heavyweight champs, but I know him.