Great movie that gets unfairly bashed

Rating: 10/10 (8 September 2008)

Although it has a massive fan-base, Rocky has also garnered a massive backlash because it defeated the widely acclaimed Taxi Driver for best picture. Maybe it didn't deserve to beat the masterpiece that is Taxi Driver, but to deny that it's a fantastic & well made inspirational sports drama, IMO, is ridiculous. The acting is top notch all-around, even from Stallone, who is considered the king of Razzies. Everyone knows the story. It's about a down on his luck Philadelphia boxer who is given a title shot by the respected and beloved heavy weight champion of the world. The boxer manages to go the distance, and manages to get the girl. Predictable and clichéd storyline? To a certain extent, yes, but it's the characters that draw you in. Each and every one of them you get to know well, and you feel for them, even Apollo Creed, who is not made out to be a villain, but more a man with lots of pride who's on top of the world and has nothing else left to prove. The ending of this movie does hurt the argument that the movie is entirely predictable. Rocky does go the distance, but he gets beat up pretty bad, and loses the fight. It's the perfect ending to go with, and in a way elevates it above the predictable and clichéd tag this movie gets labeled with. Anyway, this is a personal favorite of mine, and I have no qualms with it's best picture win. This movie manages to entertain and at the same time inspires you, which is something very few movies do.