"I ain't no bum, Mick. I ain't no bum."

Rating: 10/10 (6 July 2015)

A first-rate film that's about as close to perfect as any movie about boxing (or any other sport) that I've ever seen. The plot is very simple -- small-time boxer Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is given a chance to fight the heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). It sounds no different than a ton of old movies about the sport. But this film proves that it's not always how fresh or unique the story is but how well it's crafted. Rocky is a masterpiece of filmmaking with dynamite acting from Sylvester Stallone, Burgess Meredith, Talia Shire, Burt Young, and Carl Weathers. Many classic scenes, lines, characters. Bill Conti's score is one of the all-time greats. It was nominated for nine Oscars, winning three including Best Picture. It was director John G. Avildsen's best film and many would argue it is Stallone's best as well. Certainly his best screenplay. The fight choreography is terrific. Followed by a string of enjoyable sequels but they were just solid entertainment. This one is very entertaining but it is also something much more than that. It's one of those movies that becomes part of culture in a big way where everybody recognizes something from the film even if they've never seen it.