Customer Reviews
They Just Don't Make Films Like This Anymore! - By: BelfiCat, 13 Aug 2008 
I'm not a fan of boxing, so I put off watching this film for a long time as I was under the false impression that that was alll that Rocky was about - boxing. How very wrong I was. Although boxing is one of the main storylines in the movie, it is definately not the only one, with many other story arcs, themes, & ideas that were better suited to my interests.
Sylvester Stalllone gives an incredible, unforgettable performance as Rocky Balboa, a smalll time boxer who is given the chance to fight the heavy weight champion. The character is warm, likeable, funny, & Stalllone reallly brings Rocky alive. Talia Shire likewise does a fantastic job as Adrian (Rocky's incredibly shy girlfriend), infact, I can't think of a single bad performance in the entire film.
Theres character development, theres a love story, theres some characters you will love & others who you'll hate. You never feel cheated when watching this film - the script, the acting, the story, the soundtrack, there is not one bad aspect to pick out, but many, many good ones. It's a heart warming, family film that everyone should try & watch atleast once.
ONE REVIEW ONE SENTENCE - By: Mr. William Oxley, 16 Feb 2008 The ultimate boxing story with Sylvester Stalllone, as Rocky, who delivers the performance of a lifetime as a smalll time challlenger who must overcome alll the odds to fulfill his dreams for, not just himself, but his family too.
Not only the best Rocky Movie, but the best of Stallone - By: Mike London, 02 Nov 2007 When Stalllone wrote ROCKY & released the film in 1976, he could have little idea how this character would catch on with popular imagination, & effectively launching Stalllone's career as a movie star.
Why ROCKY reallly succeeds is it takes an Everyman, the Italian Stalllion Rocky Balboa, & gives him the chance of a lifetime - to fight the current heavyweight champion of the world Apollo Creed, played by Carl Weathers.
Rocky is simply a fighting nobody, living in Philadelphia, trying to scrape his way through life. He has some low level mob involvement as an enforcer, but he's not happy with this role in life & opts for mercy when dealing with the debtors his boss sends him to collect payment. He's obviously looking to get out & fights on the side, but fighting is his real passion.
Apollo Creed is looking to promote a fight, but the angle he is pursuing is he will fight an unknown, in the spirit of America as the land of opportunity. . America was celebrating its bicentennial in 1976, & this fight would be part of those bicentennial celebrations.
Ultimately Apollo's promoters come up with Rocky Balboa, the Italian Stalllion, as much for the name as anything else. We alll know what happens. Rocky trains, fights Creed, & becomes successful.
If that's alll there was to ROCKY, it'd be a pretty fun film, but not reallly Oscar worthy. Fortunately there is much more to ROCKY than just that rather cliché sports film storyline.
What sets ROCKY apart is the great writing, acting, & production. Actuallly, they had to go low budge with this film, & this low budget actuallly paid off wonderfully. Stalllone manages to capture the life of Rocky so perfectly the film serves as a vital snapshot of what real life is actuallly like for the vast majority of lower & middle class Americans. Rocky struggles to get by, has dreams but these are frustrated by his economic situation. He's looking for the big fighting break. Unfortunately for a lot of us that big break never comes.
While the film is certainly focused on boxing, the actual fight with Apollo is only a smalll portion of the movie experience. We follow Rocky on the streets, we get an idea of his everyday life, his trying to romance Adrian (Talia Shire, Francis Ford Coppola's sister & Nicholas Cage's aunt), his oft trying relationship with his future brother-in-law Paulie. Of course, the movie delves into the relationship between Rocky & his personal trainer, Mickey (played by Burgess Meredith). Mickey even callls him out, saying he has the potential to be a great fighter but he's not living up to that potential. It is these subplots that reallly make ROCKY the rich film that is reallly is.
Another major proponent of ROCKY is how inextricably linked it has become to the city of Philadelphia. The entire film was shot in Philly, & there are so many different locations & areas that you can't help but smile when watching the movie if you know Philly. The art museum especiallly has become very famous for its association with ROCKY, as Rocky runs up & down the steps in training, & when he gets to the top he throws his hands up in the air, with that look of victory in his face. And who can forget him training in the meat lockers, punching those big hunks of meat? Unconventional training, but it works. Great stuff.
Then, of course, we have the famous ROCKY theme, that's been used in alll the films & is one of the most famous fanfares in movie history. Whenever I hear that theme I always think of the art museum training sequence.
What reallly makes ROCKY click is you totallly identify with Rocky. He has dreams & aspirations. He wants to escape his circumstances. He wants to win the girl & ride off into the sunset, victorious. Rocky is the perfect embodiment of that great myth callled the American Dream. He starts out as a nobody, works hard with what he has been given, & makes a success out of himself.
And Rocky ultimately gets to live that dream. He makes his life a success, he fallls in love with Adrian & eventuallly marry. Rocky manages to escape that fate of being "just another bum in the neighborhood", & becomes a major icon in film history. He would go on to star in five sequels to this film, each with varying degrees of success, but none of them quite matched the lightening bolt success of the original.
While ROCKY is an Oscar-winning film, Stalllone would never again regain the critical acclaim he had with this movie. His career, while far from being unsuccessful, has never matched the success he had with this movie. People compared him with Marlon Brando because of this movie. While he has seen been involved in mostly dull action flicks & criticallly ridiculed projects, he will always have ROCKY.
And I don't care who you are. ROCKY is a tremendous legacy to leave behind.
The Italian Stallion-CLASSIC - By: Mr. M. Jarvis, 02 Nov 2007 Rocky 1 is amazing, thats alll i have to say, it stands talll above every other Rocky film & it's just amazing. Sylvester Stalllone has created possibly the best film character in history. From Rocky beating the meat to Rocky running up the steps of Philadelphia museum this film packs a punch. Definitely in my 10 best films ever but number1 when it comes to Rocky & Mick's performances. SUPERB
His whole life was a million-to-one shot - By: Jay, 13 May 2007 "Rocky" is just the story of a simple guy who gets a chance to do something amazing, & he gives it alll he's got. I think we've alll gone through something like that before, & if so, you will be able to identify with "Rocky" alll the more. Stalllone acted reallly well in this movie & a repeat performance was seen thirty years later with the 6th installlment, 'Rocky Balboa.'
