Bob S. and RRA franchise review - ROCKY

[Bob Schlapowitz]

Start with the original

Rocky (1976)

Directed by John G. Avildsen

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Burgess Meredith, Carl Weathers

Rated PG

10/10

Simply put, Rocky is a great, great film. I'm sure most know the story, a No-name Philly club fighter named Rocky Balboa (Stallone) gets a million-to-one shot at the Ali-like Heavyweight Champ Apollo Creed (Weathers). Along the way he falls in love with Adrian (Shire), sister of his best friend Paulie (Young).
There is nothing that can really be said bad about this film, the directing by Avildsen is outstanding, the acting is incredible, (all of the principals except Weathers were Oscar nominated.) The script (by Stallone) is amazingly well written. The fact that the film itself is almost autobiographical to Stallone makes it even more of a joy to watch. He himself was a "nobody" when this film was made, just like the Rocky character.
This film is a perfect example of doing so much, with so little. I can't imagine how anyone could not feel good after watching Rocky. 10/10

[Bob Schlapowitz]

Rocky II (1979)

Directed by Sylvester Stallone

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Burgess Meredith, Carl Weathers

Rated PG

7/10

Even though Rocky said he didn't want a rematch, anyone would have known this was coming. Part II picks up right where the original leaves off, with Rocky and Apollo in the hospital recovering from the big title bout. After he gets out, Rocky decides to hang up the gloves. He marries Adrian, and tries to get a "real job". Soon enough, Apollo Creed starts goading Rocky into a rematch, claiming that he just got lucky last time. Rocky accepts the challenge, against Adrian's wishes, and heads to the gym with Mickey to Go For It again.
And therein lies the biggest problem with Rocky II. It suffers from a strong case of sequelitis. The plot is essentially a redo of the original, But Stallone, (Now star, writer, AND director) knows exactly what buttons to press, If the original Rocky was a Home Run, Rocky II is a good solid double.

7/10

[rra]

ROCKY (1976) - ****

I remember reading Roger Ebert's review of ROCKY from back in 1976, and I laughed at how he called Stallone the new Marlon Brando. Well, Sly does have his row of turkeys like Brando does.

Then watching the movie again on TNT, I realized that Ebert was right. Before blowing his career on bad cartoonish action flicks and endless sequels, Sylvester Stallone had a quiet, humble charisma that he could have lent to more serious fare. Instead, he only does for the very obscure PARADISE ALLEY and the awesome COP LAND. Maybe too his acting debut, the softcore porno PARTY AT KITTY AND STUD'S, but I haven't seen it.

In a way, thats why his scripted-underdog drama probably still resonates with audiences 30 years later. Unlike the planned-casting of say James Caan, Stallone brings a sincere honesty to his role as a nice person with raw talent who was just screwed by both bad luck and being born in a white ghetto. Caan is a better actor, but would you believe him to be white trash?

Plus, it would explain why everyone from society to Mickey the boxing expert/trainer to Paulie the drunk meat packer to even the neighborhood kids think Rocky Balboa is a damn loser, and nothing more. Its exactly just like Brando in ON THE WATERFRONT, but in Stallone's script, the wash-up hero gets another chance in the ring, and for the belt this time.

1976 was a great year in cinema. The best picture nominees included masterpiece classics like Sidney Lumet's NETWORK, Martin Scorsese's TAXI DRIVER, and ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN. People want backlash against ROCKY because while its damn good, its not a masterpiece and didn't deserve the top Oscar that year.

The way I see it, better ROCKY in 1976 than an obvious political-biased travesty like 2005 where CRASH won over more deserving candidates like Ang Lee's BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, Clooney's GOOD NIGHT, & GOOD LUCK, and so forth.

Besides, as a guy, ROCKY is one of the first movies I remembered seeing where a love story actually was organic. I mean, you buy that Adrian gravitates to Rocky after Paulie gets violently jealous that the only loser that's a bigger loser than him isn't a loser anymore. You buy that sweet scene on the ice rink, and even Stallone's monologue to her on the night before the fight.

Stallone's Oscar-nominated screenplay tells a fairy tale fantasy we've seen before, but why it works is because unlike most of the other ROCKY sequels, its not an action script. Its a drama about a bum who gets granted a match against the world's best fighter. Its a drama about a has-been (or is it never-was?) wanting to prove that he can stand toe-to-toe with the greatest, win or lose the belt, Rocky just wants to make a point.

Its a drama about a would-be jobber of a contender who becomes a winner in life during his training and preparation for the match, for he finds love, nobody calls him a loser anymore, and most of all....he's a winner in his own eyes.

Its a pity that the ROCKY sequels became basically Rocky getting beaten or dealt with a challenge, and always winning the matches in the finale like ending the Cold War, and each subsequent sequel's script being sloppier and more generic from Stallone's typewriter. Its why I argue ROCKY BALBOA is the only true ROCKY sequel, but thats an argument for another posting...

[Bob Schlapowitz]

Rocky III (1982)

Directed by Sylvester Stallone

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Burgess Meredith, Carl Weathers, Mr. T, Hulk Hogan

Rated PG

7/10

The third installment of the Rocky franchise is a change of pace, and a good one, at that. Now Rocky is the champ, he's Rich, famous, and living the life. His next challenger is a monster named Clubber Lang (Mr. T). After being absolutely thrashed by Lang Rocky enlists the help of an unlikely ally-his former nemesis Apollo Creed (Weathers). Creed helps Rocky get back to basics to face Lang and get back his Championship.
We'll start with the good - This is definitely faster paced than the previous two Rockys, but not so fast paced that character development is sacrificed. The acting is decent, not great, but the main actors know their characters so well by now, that they seem to be running on auto-pilot at times. Mr. T is fantastic as Lang, and basically this is where all of his famous mannerisms including the phrase "I Pity the Fool" got their start.)
And now the bad - Stallone seems to sometimes forget that this isn't an action film, The scene with Hogan as Wrestling champion "Thunderlips" is amusing, but adds absolutely nothing to the story, and seems only to be there to fill the running time.
In conclusion, Rocky III is nowhere near as good as the original, or the second for that matter, but it's a lot of fun.

7/10


Rocky IV (1985)

Directed by Sylvester Stallone

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Dolph Lundgren, Brigitte Nielsen

Rated PG

4/10

Rocky IV is completely artificial, none of the heart that was present in the original Rocky is here at all.It's also completely unnecessary. Half the time Stallone can't seem to make up his mind whether he wants to be Rocky or Rambo.
The basic idea here is that Rocky heads off to Russia to fight a roided up Soviet champion, who is basically a commie Superman.Realism and believability are thrown completely out the window. Suspension of disbelief is one thing, but I've seen sloppy indie wrestling more believable than anything in the Rocky-Drago fight. Pretty much the only redeeming quality of this movie is the soundtrack.
I will go on record as saying NO ONE knows how to cut a montage like Stallone though!

4/10


Rocky V (1990)

Directed by John G. Avildsen

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Burgess Meredith, Tommy Morrison, Richard Gant, Sage Stallone

Rated PG-13

3/10

Another unnecessary entry in the Rocky series sees Rocky now home from Russia, broke, brain damaged, and moving back to the old Philly neighborhood. Brain damage has forced Rocky to retire, so he takes to training a young fighter named Tommy Gunn (Morrison). Spending so much time training Gunn puts Rocky at odds with his now teenage son (Sly's real-life son Sage).
This is a bad movie, plain and simple. Returning to the Philly locale of the original film doesn't bring the magic back fellas. There are plot holes you could fly a space shuttle through, such as Rocky Jr.'s age. The boy ages about 7 years during their time in the USSR? The "Rocky is broke" side of the story makes no sense either. First off, the financial advisor should be in jail, second off, wasn't Rocky now a national hero? He just beat the big Russian bad guy! He should be on talk shows, and speaking engagements and whatnot getting paid very well. The first mistake is to look for anything that resembles sense in this mess of a movie. The only redeeming qualities are the return of Burgess Meredith as Mickey (although it's in a flashback scene), And Richard Gant as a sleazy Don King-like fight promoter.

3/10


Rocky Balboa (2006)

Directed by Sylvester Stallone

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young, Antonio Tarver, Geraldine Hughes, Milo Ventimiglia

Rated PG

8/10

This movie was one of the biggest surprises I've ever had. I was fully prepared to see a train wreck unfold onscreen, and thank God, I was way wrong. First thing I'm going to say is, I thought this was the best Rocky since the original. Now, 16 years later, Rocky is a long since retired Widower, (Yep, Adrian's dead)Now running an Italian resturaunt in Philly, The ring seems to be furthest from Rocky's mind. But a computer simulation fight pitting him (in his prime) against the current champ Mason "The Line" Dixon, gets people talking, and Rocky is persuaded to make a George Foreman-esque comeback. Many new faces appear here, Hughes as "Li'l Marie", who was a bit character in the original, is outstanding. Ventimiglia, as Rocky's now-adult son, does well, but isn't really given much. The best performance of the film, is Stallone himself. When all is said and done, forget Rambo, Rocky is the character he will always be known for.The flashbacks and reminiscences to the original, are handled very well and are never heavy-handed, The big fight with the Champ was what could have made or broken this film, and fortunately it works. Rocko, it's good to have you back!

8/10

[Bob Schlapowitz]

so I see we pretty much agrre on the original.

[rra]

ROCKY II (1979) - **1/2

The sequel was inevitable, and ROCKY II would begin to show the problems that I have with the overall ROCKY franchise. Organic drama and deep characterization slowly replaced, in each sequel, with cheap melodrama and characters becoming meaningless. Plus, for the first of the first 3 sequels, Stallone writes/directs himself as the lead actor.

This sequel could have been much more. I mean, Sly has the right ideas in his script. Rocky becomes a 15 minute-notoriety in the sports world, which he cashes in on, but he wants more...except a possible eye injury from his match with Apollo Creed may have retired his career. Rocky and Adrian get married in a nice sequence that seemed like an outtake from the first ROCKY picture, and they take their money from Rocky's fight to buy a nice home, have a kid, etc. Hell, advertizing agents remark that nobody understand what Rocky says.

Meanwhile, Apollo Creed's rep and ego are in shreds. People think he somehow stole the title right from Rocky's hands. He wants another match because he coasted the first time around, where a meatball almost pulled a Buster Douglas on him.

Right there, Stallone could have made a sequel that wouldn't have been as great as the original, but pretty darn good on its own merits like CLERKS 2. Instead, he drops the balls on his outright lazyness on key dramatic beats.

Take the first act. Sly could have scripted that Balboa and Adrian make the money, but Balboa realizes that his 15 minutes are drying up very fast, and while one rematch would secure his family for good, he wants more. In the first ROCKY, he wanted to prove that he is as good as the world champion. Now in the sequel, he wants to prove that he can actually be BETTER.

Instead, Sly has some contrived nonsense about Rocky losing advertizing deals because of his mumbling words* and forced to job at a damn meat plant, and needing a rematch to keep his household above the red line. Whatever.

But the movie is flowing despite that, but the movie stops DEAD in the second act when the Adrian coma happens. Stallone wants it to be very dramatic, and instead its.............well, is goofy the right word? No, I rather say it just doesn't work.

Really, the ending is boring too. We know Rocky gets the belt, but couldn't Sly have made things more interesting beyond that inevitability?

I've got a better ending idea. Apollo Creed trains super hard, Rocky trains even harder than in the first film. But unlike the first bout, this rematch would be seen by people at that arena and on television as one of the greatest boxing matches in history. Be like the Ali/Frazier trilogy fights of this universe. Nobody really remembers which fighter won which match, but they're both linked to the immortality that is the sports myth.

So that Rocky does win the match, I would have wanted the idea that with Apollo, he is satisfied in that while he lost, he trained and prepared all his best, and ended up with the same ending that Rocky had with the first picture...Satisfied with himself.

*=Didn't hurt Stallone's acting career beyond ROCKY.

[Bob Schlapowitz]

You make some good points about Rocky II. I agree that the meat plant job made absolutely no sense.

[rra]

bobschlapowitz said:

You make some good points about Rocky II. I agree that the meat plant job made absolutely no sense.

Well, its a cheap trick by hacks (or writers being lazy) to add "tension" or drama or whatever.

Besides, if that story happened in our reality today, you know what would happen?

Rocky would get a website where he sells merchandise, autograph junk. He would do signgings card shows conventions. He would make appearances at local sports events or wrestling shows. He would be on the Home Shopping Network or whatever.

He would make money based on this one fight, but what if people don't want to hear about his family, but only the "myth" they want to hear over and over again about him being a loser to contender? What if Rocky wanted more?

But ROCKY 3......*whew*

[Bob Schlapowitz]

didn't like Rocky 3, I take it?

[rra]

bobschlapowitz said:

didn't like Rocky 3, I take it?

I'll explain in my review.

[Dean-o]

Am I the only one who really liked Rocky V? I thought it was the 3rd strongest in the series, behind I and II.

[rra]

deannjn said:

Am I the only one who really liked Rocky V? I thought it was the 3rd strongest in the series, behind I and II.

Probably.

Then again, even Stallone claims now that ROCKY V sucks.

Except, he scripted that crap, and as the movie star, he could have saved it. So, he's full of it on that case.

[Dr. Marzvon Zombie M.D.]

deannjn said:

Am I the only one who really liked Rocky V? I thought it was the 3rd strongest in the series, behind I and II.

i loved Rocky 5, And the fact that one guy gave Rocky 2 2 and half stars is the funniest thing i have read in for ever.

[rra]

marzvon said:

deannjn said:

Am I the only one who really liked Rocky V? I thought it was the 3rd strongest in the series, behind I and II.

i loved Rocky 5, And the fact that one guy gave Rocky 2 2 and half stars is the funniest thing i have read in for ever.

Marc Mero called, and he wants to book a real appearance on your sig, to prove to people that he still matters.

[Dr. Marzvon Zombie M.D.]

rra said:

marzvon said:

i loved Rocky 5, And the fact that one guy gave Rocky 2 2 and half stars is the funniest thing i have read in for ever.

Marc Mero called, and he wants to book a real appearance on your sig, to prove to people that he still matters.

Ok. that's awesome, thanks!

[rra]

marzvon said:

rra said:

Marc Mero called, and he wants to book a real appearance on your sig, to prove to people that he still matters.

Ok. that's awesome, thanks!

*RRA hands Marc Mero $50 and free Botox*

"I absolutely tottally agree with RRA's review of ROCKY 2, for I was pressured to like that movie back in the day, but now I speak the truth!"

With a face like that, how could he lie?

[Bob Schlapowitz]

I wanted to like Rocky V, but there were just too many gaping plot holes and continuity errors. Plus Tommy Gunn is not a very formidable opponent.

[rra]

bobschlapowitz said:

I wanted to like Rocky V, but there were just too many gaping plot holes and continuity errors. Plus Tommy Gunn is not a very formidable opponent.

Not to mention he needed Duke and his aides to be seen as a legit champ.

Get it?

[Bob Schlapowitz]

rra said:

bobschlapowitz said:

I wanted to like Rocky V, but there were just too many gaping plot holes and continuity errors. Plus Tommy Gunn is not a very formidable opponent.

Not to mention he needed Duke and his aides to be seen as a legit champ.

Get it?

get it.

Interesting random Rocky Trivia.
Only three Actors appear in all 6 Rocky movies.
Stallone, Burt Young, and Tony Burton.

[rra]

bobschlapowitz said:

rra said:

Not to mention he needed Duke and his aides to be seen as a legit champ.

Get it?

get it.

Interesting random Rocky Trivia.
Only three Actors appear in all 6 Rocky movies.
Stallone, Burt Young, and Tony Burton.

Since you're the ROCKY fan, who did Burton play again?