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Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) used to be the greatest boxer of his time, but now he lives a lonely and undistinguished life. He spends his days reminiscing, regaling diners in his restaurant with stories of his past glory or visiting the grave of his beloved wife Adrian. With the passing of his wife, he seems to have lost his anchor. Though a generous person, he can hardly connect meaningfully with the people around him. His only son, Rocky Jr. (Milo Ventigmilia) seldom sees him. His old friend Paulie (Burt Young) has begun to tire of accompanying him on his frequent “ritual” of revisiting old haunts. There are random comments he was overrated. Meanwhile, the undefeated heavy weight champion of the world Mason Dixon (Antonio Tarver), despite his successes at the ring, has had only grudging respect from the public. For purposes of publicity, Dixon’s manager invites Rocky to an exhibition match with Dixon. For what better way to boost Dixon’s stock than to pair Dixon, now at the peak of his career, with the legendary Rocky regarded like a folk hero? Aging and out of training, Rocky is hesitant to accept. There is the possibility of humiliation in defeat but he realizes this is a chance to prove his self worth anew and to put new meaning in his life. Though an underdog, he accepts the challenge, but can he win this fight?
Contrary to the expectations of many, Rocky Balboa is not primarily an action picture. Nevertheless, chances are that, boxing enthusiasts will leave the theater satisfied. For though the boxing scenes are introduced only in the last thirty minutes of the one-hour-forty-minute film, they are so masterfully choreographed and executed that they stir the soul through a gamut of emotions. The first part of the picture is a lot of dialog and reminiscences as it slowly unfolds the story of the fictional pugilist, Rocky, so well portrayed on the screen that he seems true to life. The very first Rocky picture simply titled Rocky, an Oscar winner in 1977, spawned several pictures in the last 30 years, mostly unremarkable, but Rocky Balboa, the sixth “installment” in the series will most likely be as memorable as the first in spite of its low-key and technically stripped down production. Sylvester Stallone who created the Rocky character does impressive work here as actor, screenplay writer and director. “Old-timers” in the cast Tony Burton as Duke and Burt Young as Paulie adeptly reprise their previous roles while new comers Milo Ventimiglia as Rocky Jr. and Geraldine Hughes as Marie are adequate in theirs. The script has a lot of gems to offer. Use of the original theme song “Gonna Fly” helps create ambiance.
The Film Rocky Balboa does not limit itself to boxing and boxers. It also talks of the need for anyone to look at life realistically and not to shrink from its dangers and challenges but to face those fears squarely and fight them. This is how one should live,
Rocky says in that rare father and son encounter. And he lives what he says when he courageously faces the opponent in the ring against great odds. He does
not run from a fight but must go on and on to prove his self worth and reclaim his self respect and dignity. And the son seems to have learned his lesson, for by leaving his former associates he has shown that he would no longer allow anyone to twit and
belittle him nor to trifle with his self-respect. The main message is: a person must
listen to and believe what is deep inside him, he must do what he believes he has to do it to prove his worth, no matter what others say. The movie shows other values: the constancy of love, generosity of spirit, all exemplified by Rocky, devotion to a spouse, filial affection between father and son, true friendship between Rocky and other characters.
(Date Reviewed: 30 March 2007)
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