You'll love it the first time you see it...

Rating: 10/10 (21 February 2007)

...Which is ironic for me to say that because I'll admit the first time I saw the original 1976 "Rocky," I wasn't all that impressed. Maybe it was because of Sylvester Stallone, his hammy Oscar-nominated role as the "underdog" boxer Rocky Balboa, or its lack of in-the-ring action (which is saved for the last 20 minutes) - I don't know, and I'm not sure I'll ever know. The point is, after a lot of soul-searching and realizing that "Rocky" is the real deal (plus a convenient chance at re-watching the film in its glory), I find that "Rocky" is very easily one of the best movies ever made. The story of strength, determination, and the desperate need of a new hero in the wake of political turmoil during the 1970s helped Rocky Balboa's eventual rise to fame at the box office in '76, and his subsequent entry into pop culture history. At the heart of the film, is the title character, a hard-luck Philadelphia loser played gloriously by Stallone. The muscle for a local loan shark, his only real source of pride is in the ring, besting other fighters who are way below his skill level. On the side, he also flirts with Adrian (Talia Shire), the sister of his best friend Paulie (Burt Young) who is also the chronically shy clerk of the pet store where he frequents. When the reigning world heavyweight champ Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) discovers he needs a challenger for the upcoming Bicentennial because all the rest of the competition has bowed out, he chooses the "Italian Stallion" out of other contenders. When Rocky gets the news, he sees it as a chance to prove his worth and "go the distance" and start training with a former champ, Mickey (Burgess Meredith). "Rocky" was a huge hit in 1976, as Stallone's script floated around Hollywood for several years before being picked up by United Artists and given to director John G. Avildsen. Sure, "Rocky" gets off to a slow start. But that's part of its magic: to let the audience really know who these people are, and the lives they are leading. The big day does come, but there's something about the conclusion of the picture that will always remain true to real life, and about that once-in-a-lifetime, million-to-one shot at glory.
10/10