At The Movies: Rocky Balboa

Thirty years ago Sylvester Stallone wrote and starred in “Rocky” which became one of the best sports films of all time. Unfortunately the four sequels lacked consistency in quality and heart, ironically mirroring not only the character “Rocky” but arguably Stallone's career as well. Even Stallone himself has publicly expressed his disappointment in “Rocky V” as a finished product, as it did not end the series on the high note he was hoping for. So it's no surprise that over a decade later he has resurrected the franchise with what is meant to be the last movie in the “Rocky” series.

The majority of the movie as the title “Rocky Balboa” suggests is about “Rocky” as a person. We get to see what has become of his life since losing all of his money in “Rocky V” and how he is dealing with the loss of his wife. A surprising amount of characters return to the sequel, giving us a sense of closure on all the stories the franchise has to tell. This movie is about “Rocky” and does not offer the in depth focus on the opponent that was usually offered in the other films. In that sense “Rocky Balboa” showcases Stallone's ability to make an excellent film driven by characters as opposed to action.

Pacing is all the more vital in a movie that picks up many years after it's predecessor. This is the only area I felt this movie fell short to the point of it being annoying. Great epic dialogues between close characters are fine, but hearing so many crafted lines in a short period of time pulls the human element out of the story despite the excellent acting from main characters. It does not ruin the experience, but it does start to feel awkward about twenty minutes into the movie. As usual the dialogue between subsequent characters is less than stellar and often annoying. That said, “Rocky Balboa” is able to portray variety in the humorous and dramatic tones as well as the original film did.

All of the music is enjoyable and succeeds in bringing you into the moment as all the other “Rocky” films. The parts involving the simulated computer fight and the real fight thereafter feel like mere compliments to the story as opposed to something we are supposed to care about. The movie could have used an extra twenty minutes to flesh out the main story a bit more and fix the aforementioned pacing issues. But it is safe to say that at this point most fans are satisfied with 102 good minutes of film to honor the series.

“Rocky Balboa” calls heavily on brief flashback sequences and references to the previous films, however if you only saw the original there is still much to enjoy about this movie. Fans who were disappointed in the last film will be happy that Stallone learned from the mistakes made the last time around. The concept may be sound ridiculous, but if you can overlook the unrealistic ideas presented you will more than likely have a great time.

“Rocky Balboa” serves as a great mirror to the original and excellent conclusion to the franchise.

“Rocky Balboa” being possibly the best sequel in the franchise gets a 9 out of 10.

Now on DVD: “Invincible” stars Mark Wahlberg as Eagle's legend Vince Papale. M Night Shyamalan turns the bedtime story he invented for his kids into a riveting mystery movie. Sean Penn stars in another film adaptation of the novel “All The King's Men” alongside Jude Law and Anthony Hopkins.

Originally published in The Hammonton News