By Robert Maher
When I first heard that Sylvester Stallone was making yet another Rocky film, I laughed to myself. I couldn't conceive how the movie was going to have any credibility. After all, Stallone seemed to have lost the plot in Rocky 5 and he is now sixty years of age. I anticipated this latest installment would be something of an inadvertent comedy. However, driven by curiosity and a sentimental attachment to the early Rocky movies, I ventured down to the cinema on saturday night for a late showing. Jaded, following two consecutive twelve hour shifts, I stumbled into screen 1 barely retaining my bucket of popcorn and diet coke. I found my seat, took a deep breath and regained my composure.
The Opening scene shows current heavyweight champ Mason Dixon successfully defending his title in a one-sided no thrills affair. The commentary team discuss the current poor state of the lack-lustre heavyweight division and cry out for a meaningful Dixon title defence against a passionate challenger. The undeniably skilful Mason reigns superior but without a serious rival remains an unknown quantity in the courage department. Meanwhile Rocky is struggling to come to terms with the death of his beloved wife Adrian. She passed away years earlier but Balboa is clearly still grieving. In moving scenes he visits her grave and the old neighbourhood in Philadelphia to reminisce about the good times, pausing by old haunts which include the pet shop and Mickey's gym. Rocky, now retired from boxing runs an Italian restaurant aptly named 'Adrian's'. He entertains diners with fight tales from a bygone age and cuts a sad though charismatic figure. A tv sports network discuss how champions from differen't era's would fare against each other. They pit Balboa against current champ Dixon in a simulated computer fight. The fantasy cyber match results in Rocky winning the bout via knock-out. This gets Balboa's juices flowing and the italian stallion contemplates a low-key comeback against small scale opposition. Mason's promoters have other ideas and generate public interest in a real Dixon versus Balboa exhibition match in fight capital Las Vegas. Rocky, against the advice of his son and Paulie can't resist. Determined to prove the last thing a fighter loses is his heart and anxious to get the demons out of his system, Rocky signs the fight contract. Out comes the famous grey tracksuit as Balboa embarks on a punishing training regime.
But this movie provides far more than just a pugilistic punch. It's about life's hard knocks, relationships, death, growing old and letting go of the past. Rocky has a new woman in his life, little Marie from the old neighbourhood, played by Geraldine Hughes. In the original Rocky, Marie was a lost and abusive teenager whom Rocky tried to help. Marie, now a single mother with a child of her own is re-united with Rocky. The dialogue in this film effortlessly fluctuates from hard-hitting to humorous. A movie which is simplistic yet intelligent. Proving that a film can entertain without special effects or complicated twists in the plot. Bill Conti's musical score is inspiring as always and the casting quite magnificent. Many of us grew up with the Rocky character, he has something of an iconic status. The working class underdog who achieves the american dream against seemingly insurmountable odds. It's easy to scoff at the idea of Balboa climbing back through the ropes but it's really no more ludicrous than George Foreman and Larry Holmes staging comeback's as over-weight grandfathers. Foreman actually regained the world championship during his second time around.
Despite Balboa's age, Rocky 6 is perversely more realistic than Rocky 4 and 5. The role of Dixon is played by former light-heavyweight champion of the world Antonio Tarver. Tarver's ring credentials lend an invaluable authenticity to the film and indeed the actual bout against Rocky itself. Stallone also respectfully pays homage to the earlier films. Wonderful to once again witness Balboa running up those famous steps in Philadelphia. Also a pleasure to see Burt Young (Paulie) and Tony Burton (Duke) back on the big screen. My one criticism would be that Duke (Rocky's trainer) has too small a part in the movie. However, Sylvester Stallone has certainly done justice to the Rocky legacy with this final farewell. He can now hang up his gloves as the undisputed champion of boxing movies. 'Rocky Balboa' is a writing, directing and acting knock-out. "Yo Adrian, we did it".
The Opening scene shows current heavyweight champ Mason Dixon successfully defending his title in a one-sided no thrills affair. The commentary team discuss the current poor state of the lack-lustre heavyweight division and cry out for a meaningful Dixon title defence against a passionate challenger. The undeniably skilful Mason reigns superior but without a serious rival remains an unknown quantity in the courage department. Meanwhile Rocky is struggling to come to terms with the death of his beloved wife Adrian. She passed away years earlier but Balboa is clearly still grieving. In moving scenes he visits her grave and the old neighbourhood in Philadelphia to reminisce about the good times, pausing by old haunts which include the pet shop and Mickey's gym. Rocky, now retired from boxing runs an Italian restaurant aptly named 'Adrian's'. He entertains diners with fight tales from a bygone age and cuts a sad though charismatic figure. A tv sports network discuss how champions from differen't era's would fare against each other. They pit Balboa against current champ Dixon in a simulated computer fight. The fantasy cyber match results in Rocky winning the bout via knock-out. This gets Balboa's juices flowing and the italian stallion contemplates a low-key comeback against small scale opposition. Mason's promoters have other ideas and generate public interest in a real Dixon versus Balboa exhibition match in fight capital Las Vegas. Rocky, against the advice of his son and Paulie can't resist. Determined to prove the last thing a fighter loses is his heart and anxious to get the demons out of his system, Rocky signs the fight contract. Out comes the famous grey tracksuit as Balboa embarks on a punishing training regime.
But this movie provides far more than just a pugilistic punch. It's about life's hard knocks, relationships, death, growing old and letting go of the past. Rocky has a new woman in his life, little Marie from the old neighbourhood, played by Geraldine Hughes. In the original Rocky, Marie was a lost and abusive teenager whom Rocky tried to help. Marie, now a single mother with a child of her own is re-united with Rocky. The dialogue in this film effortlessly fluctuates from hard-hitting to humorous. A movie which is simplistic yet intelligent. Proving that a film can entertain without special effects or complicated twists in the plot. Bill Conti's musical score is inspiring as always and the casting quite magnificent. Many of us grew up with the Rocky character, he has something of an iconic status. The working class underdog who achieves the american dream against seemingly insurmountable odds. It's easy to scoff at the idea of Balboa climbing back through the ropes but it's really no more ludicrous than George Foreman and Larry Holmes staging comeback's as over-weight grandfathers. Foreman actually regained the world championship during his second time around.
Despite Balboa's age, Rocky 6 is perversely more realistic than Rocky 4 and 5. The role of Dixon is played by former light-heavyweight champion of the world Antonio Tarver. Tarver's ring credentials lend an invaluable authenticity to the film and indeed the actual bout against Rocky itself. Stallone also respectfully pays homage to the earlier films. Wonderful to once again witness Balboa running up those famous steps in Philadelphia. Also a pleasure to see Burt Young (Paulie) and Tony Burton (Duke) back on the big screen. My one criticism would be that Duke (Rocky's trainer) has too small a part in the movie. However, Sylvester Stallone has certainly done justice to the Rocky legacy with this final farewell. He can now hang up his gloves as the undisputed champion of boxing movies. 'Rocky Balboa' is a writing, directing and acting knock-out. "Yo Adrian, we did it".
2 comments:
A flash of nostalgia that was worded into a whirlingly gripping article.
Maher punched his words with vim and vigour.
JS, The Independent.
When reading this my only regret was that i had not enough faith in the Old Rocky Format to go and see it guess whats on my shopping list today !!!
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