A True American Classic

Rating: 9/10 (22 March 2005)

This is the movie that pitted a second-rate prize fighter against the reigning heavyweight champion of the world. Rocky is not just a boxing movie but it is about the fact that in America anyone can get the opportunity of a lifetime. From the opening scene to the climatic finish, Rocky is a timeless masterpiece. Stallone did an exceptional job with the script and acted Rocky's character to near perfection. This movie has many classic scenes from Rocky's run up the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum to his moment alone in the Philadelphia Spectrum. Bill Conti did an amazing job in helping make Rocky a masterpiece. Conti's "Gonna Fly Now" was perfectly placed in the scene in which Rocky runs throughout South Philadelphia up the steps of the art museum. It was really in the ring where Conti actually did his real work though. "Going the Distance" and "Final Bell" emotionally triggered audiences at the perfect moments and made the Bi-centennial fight more than just a brawl but a fight for survival between the underdog and the champ. Burt Young (Paulie), Talia Shire (Adrian), Burgess Meredith (Mickey), David Thayer (Jergens) and Jimmy Gambina (Mike) all did tremendous jobs at depicting their respective characters. When you scrap all this together you get an Oscar winning movie that is so beautifully constructed that it could bring a tear to anyone's eye.