My Personal Favorite Film of All Time

Rating: 10/10 (13 July 2018)

I could go on for ages about this movie and why I love it so much, but I'll try not to bore you and keep it relatively concise.
I first saw this film at the age of ten. I am aware that many children find this movie boring and prefer the more action-packed and exciting sequels. This was not my experience. I was instantly enthralled by Sylvester Stallone's lovable character. This truly is his movie and he does a wonderful job with it. He wrote a beautifully realistic script with characters that you truly feel for. In addition, his performance in the title role makes the audience instantly empathize with him through scenes such as the one where he refuses to break a man's thumbs for the loan shark he works for. You're constantly rooting for the Italian Stallion.
The other characters are also great. Talia Shire's performance as Adrian is wonderfully shy and reserved. The relationship between herself and our protagonist is the heart of the narrative, and the two actors' chemistry is undeniable.
Adrian's brother, Paulie, played by Burt Young, is another great character. He shows what someone like Rocky can turn into without a great deal of optimism and determination. Young's performance works especially well as he entices you into caring about him and liking him even when he is being rather unlikeable.
Rocky's trainer, Mickey Goldmill, played by Burgess Meredith, is hillariously cranky and sarcastic. At the same time, however, he never lets you forget that he really does care about Rocky and wants the best for him. This father-son sort of relationship is an integral component throughout the series.
The final main character is Apollo Creed, Rocky's opponent played by Carl Weathers. Weathers plays Creed as a celebrity as much as a boxer. He's a showman in the vein of fighters like Muhammad Ali. His charisma is what draws you to him and prevents him from being a supervillain.
I mention the characters individually because they are what draws you into this movie's universe. You see them as people and you want to see them happy. This is an accomplishment not only of Sylvester Stallone, but of the performers who brought his script to vivid life.
In conclusion, this movie not only presents an interesting story which you want to see through to its conclusion, it also represents the best of what a film can do. It can turn characters into real human beings and use them to tell a story that is nothing but just that: human.