Schlocky...

Rating: 7/10 (1 August 2014)

Even in the hands of more capable directors like Walter Hill (UNDISPUTED), Martin Scorsese (RAGING BULL) and Michael Mann (ALI), boxing has proved almost impossible to do well on The Big Screen. The way over the top slugfests in ROCKY lend the character an almost comic-book aspect (which suited the character well in later movies, when he faced everybody from Rocky, Junior- played by Tommy Morrison- to Godzilla- played by "Hulk" Hogan). Stallone would base yet another of his ROCKY movies (III) on the shenanigans of Ali (against giant Japanese professional wrestler Antonio Inoki) and Wepner (versus Andre the Giant). Stallone's debt to both Ali and Wepner is something that the star only begrudgingly admits (though it's crystal clear to anyone with at least one working eye). (As far as the Apples and Oranges argument about Boxing versus Wrestling goes, one wonders why it's always a boxer trying to wrestle and never the other way around...)