Why Rocky speaks to the best within all of us

Rating: 10/10 (3 May 2007)

Rocky is one of the best films ever made and arguably the greatest sports movie ever made. It speaks to the best inside all of us, the human spirit and what it is capable of. True character shows when we are down, how we handle it.
Rocky, by being given an improbable shot did his best, not to win, but to go farther than he could have ever gone before. By standing up at the final bell he went farther than any of Apollo Creed's opponents had, and farther than anyone ever thought Rocky could go. Because he decided to take an active role in his future, everything else improved as a result. His self-worth, how people saw him, his love life, his friendships. All the supporting characters improved in some (or many) ways due to this event, even Apollo himself.
Rocky isn't just a fighter from south Philly, he is everyman. He's the kid studying for that SAT test to get him into college, those parents making daily sacrifices for their kids, the weekend athlete training in his spare time for that trophy to put on the mantle of the bar that sponsors his team, the executive closing that big deal, the baby taking his/her first steps, or the teacher searching for a new way to reach those troubled students.
Stallone changed his destiny with this film classic and sends us the message that going for it, even if we fall just a bit short, is noble. To end up on your feet, swinging until the final bell is something anyone can do. With a little inspiration, followed by perspiration,and determination life won't get to KO the Rocky in all of us.