A Fighters Chance

Rating: Null/10 (14 June 2016)

Rocky is the story of man who capitalizes on the opportunity of a lifetime. Sylvester Stallone stars as local Philadelphia club fighter Rocky Balboa. Rocky is in a rut and is seemingly wasting his talent with a lackluster work ethic and no drive to get beyond fighting the nobodies. By day he makes a living collecting money for a local thug but deep down inside Rocky isn't a crook. He doesn't have the stomach or mean streak to hurt people down on their luck. Unbeknownst to him, his life was about to change forever. The heavyweight boxing champ Apollo Creed played by Carl Weathers had a scheduled boxing match in Philadelphia which was canceled last minute. In an unlikely turn of events, Creed decided to give a hometown fighter a date with the champ. As fate would have it Rocky was picked based solely on his name. Rocky knew this was his shot to finally change his lot in life and be somebody. He enlists the help of Paulie (Burt Young) and Mickey (Burgess Meredith) to perform as his manager and trainer/corner crew. As the fight approaches Rocky starts to realize he may actually have a shot at going 15 rounds with Creed which was never done before. He admits to his love interest Adriana (Talia Shire) he has no real shot at victory but simply wants to finish all 15 rounds. When the day of the big bout finally arrived it surely didn't disappoint! Rocky shocked Apollo Creed with a surprise 1st round knockdown which made Creed realize this fight wasn't going to end easily. The two fighters would spend the next 15 rounds exchanging vicious blows resulting in one of the all-time greatest cinematic displays of boxing. Apollo Creed would eventually be named the winner by decision but Rocky will always be viewed as a champion for the heart he displayed that night. This film will forever give the little guy who is down on his luck a little hope. Rocky proves that anyone with guts and determination can overcome the odds and defy all expectations. I believe this movie will forever be remembered by numerous iconic scenes but the two that have always stuck out to me are of Rocky punching the carcass on television and of him running through the neighborhood and gaining an entourage as he goes. Punching the carcass in a way gave Rocky an edge to him that Apollo didn't seem to have anymore. It showed Rocky was hungry and was literally starting from the bottom. The scene with Rocky running through the neighborhood made us all jump into his corner as the neighborhood showed an unwavering support to their guy. This culminated in one of the most recognized movie scenes and music scores as Rocky reached the top of the museum steps and imagined himself being the champ. With the music in the background and the breath taking camera angle it made us all believe in Rocky. I have always appreciated a good sports flick, but this one stands head and shoulders above the rest. This is a fantastic story of the classic underdog who must fight for everything he desires from being a respected fighter to gaining the love of Adriana. Rocky will make you believe that with a fighter chance anything is possible.