More than just a sports or boxing movie. A human triumph of the human spirit an underdog goes the distance!

Rating: 10/10 (30 December 2008)

1976's best picture winner "Rocky" in my opinion is one of the better films ever made it touches your emotions in so many ways it's just not a boxing movie, it's simply a tale of a human spirit triumph. It's also a significant film for the way it was made. Sly Stallone virtually unknown and broke got the inspiration for this when real life and underdog boxer Chuck Wepner had went the distance with the "Greatest" Muhammad Ali. Stallone wrote the script on a shoestring budget and it's a real knockout winner and sentimental favorite for many reasons.
Rocky Balboa(Stallone)a fourth rate and tomato can Philadelphia club fighter is a man who's lonely and at 30 even resorts to earning a living as a collector for street thugs on the mean streets of the city of brotherly love. Yet still buried deep down he has the desire and the hunger and heart to be a good fighter.
Along the way the film is also somewhat an emotional journey of a love story as Rocky finally finds some companionship and love when he meets a shy and ordinary and lonely pet store clerk named Adrianna(Talia Shire). Plus very memorable and comical is the supporting performance of Adrianna's brother the funny and very rugged looking and rude Paulie(good performance by Burt Young). The best of the supporting cast and maybe one of the best in film history is from legendary Burgess Meredith as Mick the tough and rough but very wise and humble old man. Who after some friction and doubt sees the determination and fire that the Italian Stallion has, so Mick decides to train Rock for a title match against the champ Apollo Creed(Carl Weathers).
For a film that's very cherished and memorable the performances are great, the acting, story and even the musical score is touching the sounds are some of the best in film history. The movie seen by many so many times is a true classic for it's tale of an underdog who went the distance an unknown who became known a hero to the working class. The film is truly an inspiration and it proves with work and determination and hunger the human spirit can achieve anything. It's not always whether you win or lose, but how you fight and it's important to go the distance. Overall a classic one of the best films in history for it's inspirational message proving that with the desire to fight your spirit will go the distance!