Adrian! Adrian!

Rating: 10/10 (8 May 2016)

May 8, 2016
Sylvester Stallone stars as a determined underdog who wants to make something of himself. His name is "Rocky" and he's going to win no matter what and take Adrian with him. John G. Avildsen directs this masterpiece about not giving up in life and pushing past all the boundaries that life throws at you.
It's about an uneducated, hard-living prize boxer, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) who is from an Italian neighborhood in Philadelphia and pushing 30 years old with nothing to show for it. When he is not fighting he works as an enforcer for a loan shark, Anthony Guzzo (Joe Spinell ). Rocky is looked at as a bum even though he is kind-hearted, has a real determination to go the distance and desires to profess his love to a local pet store clerk, Adrian (Talia Shire). When World Heavyweight Champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) finds himself in a jam, he chooses to give Rocky a shot at the championship on New Year's Eve. Together with Adrienne and his trainer, Mickey (Burgess Meredith), Rocky prepares for the fight he has been waiting for.
I was really surprised at how detailed this film is. Philadelphia looks like a slum-like town and deserted with brick buildings on every corner. Rocky walks the streets at night to people standing around burning garbage cans. He stops in to see Adrian at the pet store in the morning and every night in a kind-hearted attempt to talk to her. Adrian is one of the sweetest characters in this picture. She is extremely introverted and Rocky is desperately in love with her. She knows he means well but has never trusted anyone before, especially a prize fighter. She listens to Rocky's painfully awkward conversations and jokes. He knows he can get Adrian's attention and desperately tries. One of the sweetest scenes in the film is when Rocky takes Adrian out at the local Ice arena and tries to show her a good time on Thanksgiving.
When Rocky is not working, he is working out at Mickey's Gym. Mickey is a retired fighter who always beats Rocky down for never reaching his full potential. Rocky drinks and smokes and wastes his talent away on local prize fighters that would never give Rocky the chance to live up to his name the "Italian Stallion." Mickey has a change of heart when he sees the opportunity for Rocky to succeed and decides to take Rocky under his wing. He makes him get up early in the morning, drinks raw eggs and runs. There is a scene where Rocky runs up the steps of Philadelphia's art museum, jumps in the air, and he knows he is ready to go the distance.
Apollo Creed is an interesting character that kind of resembles Muhammad Ali. He is smart but also self-centered due to his status as a champ. The kind of guy that believes he is unbeatable. I suppose there is always one but Apollo doesn't come off as a fast talker. He is a player and he knows the game but doesn't look at the options. He sees Rocky as an underdog and that the underdog is always easy to beat. He chooses Rocky because of his name and sees it as a racial contrast for America: A black man vs. an Italian man. He appears in the ring dressed as Uncle Sam. How Patriotic!
What makes this picture so special is that it pulls us in emotionally and has a true heart that I think everyone can relate to. "The underdog in all of us." "Going the distance and reaching your potential." Rocky's love for Adrian steals the show and his determination holds true to the film's story. It doesn't surprise us with any twist ending or anything special within the story. It doesn't unfold to be confusing. These are characters that we can believe are real because they are well written and give the story the strength it needs to be interesting.
Sylvester Stallone wrote this picture with him in mind to play the role and I couldn't think of another actor to play him because he takes the role to heart as the underdog/loser who steps up when opportunity knocks. Talia Shire is adorable as Adrian. I have never seen a character written as sweet as she is and she is played to wonders. Both characters are played to critical acclaim. Burt Young plays Adrian's alcoholic brother, Paulie, who works in a meat packing plant, is bitter and abusive that leads Adrian to ask Rocky the question:
"Do you want a roommate?" - Adrian
"Absolutely," - Rocky
This is next step in their relationship in the carefully written script. These are the moments to remember in the picture because even the underdog gets the girl in the end. Rocky sticks by her and knows he can make it with her by his side. By the end of the film, we know who the winner is going to be, however, the fight is incredible to see. It's so heartbreaking that by the end of it, you know that "Rocky II" is going to be made. Now can it live up the masterpiece that this film is? I think so. These are characters that must be explored more and it would be a shame if this was it.