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| Rocky
Year: 1976
Classification: Drama
Directed:
- John G.Avildsen
Actors/Actresses:
- Sylvester Stallone
- Talia Shire
- Brigitte Nielsen
Rocky Is The Champ
Rocky is a classic Hollywood story. A two-bit loser boxer gets his chance, against all odds, for fame and fortune by fighting the champion of the world. The story symbolizes Sylvester Stallone's own rise to fame. At the time, Mr. Stallone was a basically unknown actor who had done nothing to show he was capable of making such an all-time great film. Not only did he give the performance of lifetime as Rocky Balboa, he also wrote the screenplay. He plays Rocky as a likeable slub. A washed up boxer who earns a living as an enforcer for a loan shark, Rocky isn't all that bright, but he cares. He loves animals and falls for the douty Adrian who works at the local pet store. Talia Shire is excellent as the shy and frumpy girl with thick glasses who eventually comes out her shell. Burt Young is her lush of a brother Paulie who works in a meat locker and is always scheming for a buck. Rocky gets his chance at a title when the challenger to the champion of the world Apollo Creed goes down with an injury. As the fight is taking on the first day of America's Bicentennial Year (1976) in Philadelphia, Creed comes up with the idea that since America is the land of opportunity, he is going to give a local, unknown Philadelphia boxer the chance at the title. He picks Rocky because he loves his nickname The Italian Stallion. Rocky reluctantly agrees to fight Creed and despite everyone else looking at the fight as a joke, Rocky trains hard just to go the distance. In one of the more poignant scenes in the movie, Rocky's former trainer Mickey (played with crusty charm by Burgess Meredith), who had give his locker away at the gym because he declared Rocky a bum, comes to Rocky's decrepit apartment begging for forgiveness and chance to train him. Mr. Stallone and Mr. Meredith play the scene with alternating anger and forgiveness and it is quite powerful. The fight scene is compelling and the music still sends chills up your spine. It's difficult keep a dry eye at the end of the fight as Rocky does go the distance. Rocky defied all odds by becoming a big hit and upsetting such other films like Network, All The President's Men and Taxi Driver to win the 1976 Best Picture Oscar. The movie even made it's inspiring and thrilling theme song "Gonna Fly Now" a number one hit for it's composer Bill Conti. Rocky catapulted Mr. Stallone from unknown to superstar and he parlayed the film's success into a wildly successful career (albeit in movies that don't even close to the power and glory of Rocky).
Great Movie
Rocky is,plain and simple,a great movie.The story(which everyone knows by now)is wonderful,about a two-bit prize fighter from Philadelphia,who gets a shot at the heavyweight title,and ends up going the distance with the champ. Sylvester Stallone is magnificent in the role of Rocky,and all the supporting players(Talia Shire as Rocky's very shy girlfriend Adrian,Burt Young as her brother Paulie,Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed,and of course Burgess Meredith as Rocky's manager Mickey just to name a few)are equally as good.John G.Avildsen's direction is right on as is Sly Stallones writing. The musical score by Bill Conti is fantastic as well.
The 25th aniversary DVD is very good,and priced reasonably.There are some nice special features including trailers(from all five movies)and TV spots.
Rocky is a knockout
Rocky is a movie about a down and out club figther in Philadelphia who through a quirk of fate gets a shot at the title. Sylvester Stallone stars as Rocky essentially portraying himself an overweight, over thirty Italian American. He is stuck in an underacheiving life living alone in a run down section of Philadelphia and earning money by collecting loans for a two bit mobster. On the side Rocky pursues a long faded dream of boxing through boxing local club fighters in his neighborhood. Rocky's big break comes when the world champion Appollo Creed (played by Carl Weathers)chooses Rocky to be his opponent in a champioinship bout to be fought in Philadelphia. Creed had originally intended to fight a top contender but he was injured. Creed's character is based on Muhammed Ali with all the flair and showmanship included. Most of the movie follows Rocky working out for the big fight. Woven into this plot is the love story between him and the local introvert Adrian who works in the pet shop where Rocky buys his pets (his turtles Cuff and Link and dog Butkus) The thing that makes this movie great are the workout scene with Rocky's dash up the steps of Philadelphia's city hall to the theme music one of the greatest scenes in the history of cinema. Secondly the fight scenes where a cocky and careless Appollo Creed is stunned by the club fighter Balboa who turns what was supposed to be a mismatch into a classic 15 round heavyweight struggle. Thirdly the relationship between Adrian and Rocky develops into a heartwarming love story culmihnated by their embrace in the ring at the end of the title fight and movie. Rocky goes the distance giving the audience the age old message that you are never to old to chase your dreams.
Cinematic art...
The 1st part in the beatiful Rocky series is perhaps the best. Starring Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa and Talia Shire(The Godfather parts I-III) as his girlfriend Adrian. The movie was loved by everybody. It recieved three Academy awards for best picture best director John G Avildsen and best editing. It spawned four blockbuster sequals from 1979 until 1990. Stallone,Shire and Burt Young starred in all five movies. Carl Weathers who played Apollo Creed in 4 of them. Burgess Meredith's carachter Mickey died in Rocky III but came back in Balboa's mind in the fifth movie. The movie's about a underdog fighter from Philadelphia who all of a sudden gets a shot at the heavyweight title with Apollo Creed after the real challenger suffered from an broken hand. Rocky trains really hard for 5 weeks and goes the distance with Creed, thats something that no one has ever done before. I am a true fanatic of the Rockymovies and I love all of them for it's feeling. The acting in this movie is superb. Stallone,Shire,Young and Meredith all got a Academy award nomination each. It's too bad they didn't win!BR>I have also written a review for Rocky IV.
Buy Rocky at Amazon.com
Buy posters at Allposters.com
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