My orthodontist has an outline of Sylvester Stallone's body filled with pages from the "Rocky" script.

Rating: 10/10 (14 October 2005)

Long before the studios churned out a litany of idiotic movies in which "against all odds, the ragtag team beats the big guys", there was "Rocky". It is a classic whose quality is rarely matched. The plot of course has working-class Philadelphia tough guy Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) getting the chance to take on heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) and using the opportunity to try and make something of himself.
As the movie opens, we see Rocky's life. He lives in the most bombed-out part of Philly, making a living by collecting money for loan sharks. In one scene, he breaks some eggs into a glass and drinks them (wouldn't that be unhealthy? salmonella and cholesterol?). His two main acquaintances are hubby Adrian (Talia Shire) and her loser brother Paulie (Burt Young). But the possibility of going up against a famous boxer gives him the strength that he has always sought. In what is probably the movie's most famous scene, Rocky triumphantly runs up to a monument while the theme song "Gonna Fly Now" is playing. Not only did "Rocky" fly into cinematic history, but won Best Picture and some other Oscars. It doesn't matter whether or not Rocky wins the fight; the point is how he now has the chance to make something of himself.
And yes, my orthodontist has in his office an outline of Sylvester Stallone's body filled with pages from the "Rocky" script.