Rocky Balboa Movie Review Click Here

Great review ... I will definitely put it on my list to see!

Randy, for folks like me, you, Renegade and several others approaching the golden years, you will love this movie. It is also a great reminder as to what is yet to come.

... you mean there is MORE fun awaiting??

Or perhaps you mean we will become more appreciative, value family, and find spiritualism?

No, while I think that is ultimate happiness, spiritual truth, not spiritualism, I don't think that is what Stallone was trying to say in full. It certainly was a part of what he is saying in the series. I do believe there is ultimate truth when one finds spiritual truth, but that truth can't always be found until one finds pleasure in the other things, family, friends, and ultimately self. Regarding MORE FUN, there certainly is, and I assume reasons God hasn't allowed us to have that fun quite yet on a golf course, or local tavern. Someday, someday.

I hope God will start letting me have "some FUN" on the golf course soon, buying replacement clubs is very expensive!

The Best of the Holiday Season to you, my friends!!

Mike:

I enjoyed your review, but this movie concerns me. I have not seen it but my understanding is that Rocky is around sixty or at least way too old to be boxing against the current heavyweight champion of the world and yet he gets into such a match. Is that correct does Rocky get into an actual boxing match against the current world heavyweight champion? If that is true, the thought of it is not close to being moral as far as I'm concerned. It is just a sad and sickening thought to me.

All these spiritual attributes sound great but it seems like Stallone could have made a movie that would have depicted all of these attributes without him having to actually step into the ring against the current heavyweight champion of the world as an old man if that is what happened in this movie. If that is what Rocky did in this movie, I do not think Stallone is sending out a very good message to the young people or anyone else. Boxing can be a very brutal sport. Highly trained athletes in their prime have died from injuries sustained in the sport. It is not golf where Jack Nicklaus or Tom Watson can play a round with Tiger Woods without worry of serious injury or death.

Vince, newsflash, I was never a wrestler, but.... I was a boxer, and a pretty good one. In fact I come from a very good boxing family, my mother's brother wasn't just good, he was very good, World Professional Champion Class and he taught me a lot of what I know about the sport. That said, and I'll keep it brief. Fact is boxing does continue on, on some levels for those who are older in many forms. Not against champions but against great fighters. Believe me, an old man can still hit hard and there is an art to hitting hard, anyone want to take me up on it, I’ll be glad to demonstrate. I watched a ufc fight the other night and some people have great chins as was demonstrated in that fight. What goes often times is speed, power don’t and power can still knock out. Another thing that don’t go, which works with the chin, and something Rocky had was heart. That being the case I don’t doubt that a great fighter in great shape, who is older, would have a chance against a much younger champion fighter who is in a weak classification, or weak era of fighters. Second, I firmly believe that what a 40 year old man, for example can do now, is more than they used to because of advances in medical science. We see older fighters doing well, because science has gotten them to that point. I will also challenge that Stallone in particular, who is the same age as Rocky, did the training he did, to present the physique he did in the movie. In other words, there are no special effects in Stallones body, or workout that he is doing. When he is dead pressing over 300 pounds in the movie, he is really dead pressing over 300 pounds. Thirdly, it is a movie, and in my opinion, and in the opinion of a lot of individuals who have seen it, a very good movie.

I think my concern here, and don't take this personally; after all I consider you a good friend, is that people would watch movies for example and be inclined to replicate what they see in movies. The old adage here that is often used is the violence card. Truth is though, as has been proven by research, is that despite all of the violent video games, all of the violent movies, that the violent crime rate has gone down over the years, and last year according to research as published in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and many other respected newspapers, in fact was the lowest it has been in years, despite, the massive amount of "violence" perpetrated on society via these movies and games.

Simple point, as one who makes in part their living by things like this, is that I firmly believe that the human mind is able to distinguish the difference between fantasy and reality. Rocky for example will do no more harm than Superman did to me when I was a kid, dreaming I could fly. For those that are influenced and appear to act on those outside influences, I believe there are deeper issues, such as mental instability. Again, on this subject, there has been a great deal of research that shows the operation of the human brain, if these individuals are inclined to do damage to themselves, we tend to blame the song, the movie, the game that we think caused the influence, when the research clearly shows, that the individuals brain mechanisms will draw their conclusions from any variety of sources that will cause them to act a certain way. In other words if not a video game or movie like The Matrix, then a cartoon like Tom and Jerry may be used to create their thoughts to get to a particular point.

Long story made short, see the movie if you like the Rocky Character or like movies. If you don't then don't see it, as to the movie causing people to get into a serious sport where potential harm can come about. I doubt that will happen. I love the sport of boxing, I think one of the best sports in the world, in many ways very similar to wrestling other ways not. Personally, I agree with many others, this movie isn't as much about boxing, as it is an individual facing their fears, and going after their dreams to satisfy their own longings. Sylvester Stallone created a wonderful character that influenced many people. I am gratefull for that and this is a fitting tribute to the end of that character.

Still my friend, still appreciate you so don't take any of this the wrong way, we just disagree. Merry Christmas to your family and take care.

Hey don't waste your money on this movie, just stop by Block Buster and pick up mine Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. The whole family will enjoy and you don't have to watch a ridiculous fight with a washed-up 60 year old against a 30 year old heavyweight champion of the world.

Richard, as always thanks for your valuable contribution.

Hey Ricky, I have a question, how did you get that fire out?

Mike:

We are friends and it is okay for friends to disagree. We really do disagree with on this one. I don't think this is the time for this much disagreement though. I am going to wait at least a couple of days before I comment again here or by e-mail to you on this topic.

We do definitely agree on this message today though:

"Merry Christmas to you and your family". I hope that everyone who participates as a poster or reader on this forum has a blessed holiday season.

Three words my friend:Stop, Drop, and Roll. Anymore questions?

Yea, what is Walker and Texas Ranger getting for Christmas? Also how about you and Magic Man, how do you split the holidays up, especially with the new marriage restrictions?

Saw We are Marshall, was a very good heart-tugging film,,,

I got um' a racecar bed, jumpsuits, Matchbox cars, and Big Red. They spent Christmas Eve with Cal and Carley, now they're with me and the grandparents raising hell as usual.

..."anarchy!"

Mike:

Below is another review of the movie that is more in line with my thoughts of this movie without even seeing it. This review suggests that Rocky had crippling brain damage in Rocky V and now we are supposed to believe that years later he can come back and safely box the best boxer in the world in his prime who is around thirty years younger than him?

I wonder if Stallone would have made the same movie in 1978 where Rocky was the reigning heavyweight champion of the world and Rocky fought a former heavyweight champion thirty years older than him? Stallone would never have done a movie like that in 1978 because it would not have been macho for him to be going toe to toe with some ex champ thirty years older than him. To me Stallone is sending out to the world that I am still macho at sixty. Is that the message that we want to send out that you still need to be the toughest guy on the block and macho at sixty? I think there are better ways to be a person of character at sixty.

Now he is going to do Rambo again? I read recently that Harrison Ford is thinking of doing another Indiana Jones movie. Maybe all this is just proving that there is no fool like an old fool.

I am glad that Gable never had to do Gone with the Wind II or that Bogart never had to do sequels to Casablanca or the African Queen among others. How could Meryl Streep improve on Out of Africa? I used to always want sequels to movies like that but I know now why it is better to leave the original alone.

http://www.boston.com/movies/display?display=movie&id=8710

Vince,

It's always good to hear different perspectives and I enjoy the discussion. I think Mike clarified the issue as being fantasy vs. reality. With Rocky, we all know it's a toupee. Sly knows, movie lovers know and little Johnny knows. The PG rating clears it up for the younger kids receiving the "parental guidance". In 1978, at the beginning of the persona of Rocky, the mega underdog story was much more compelling. Of course they wouldn't have started out the story with Rocky fighting a 60 yr. old. This movie is similiar to Superman, Spiderman and Indiana Jones. All fantasy, all enjoyable, but just movies. Not lifetime lessons. Go Indiana Jones, go!

Best regards Vince and congrats on Jacob's great start to the year!

-Eric Johnson

Vince, that individual obviously didn't do their homework as Stallone answers that question and many others in a previous interview that is readily available from the studio, and http://www.rockyresources.com . It was released long and prior to the movie. The long and short of the answer to that question, is that, yes, years later it is possible to come back as a result of some treatment methods which is well documented from a scientifc basis in that area. Think about medical advances in the last 10-20 years. I know personally from CT Scans and other treatments that there has been tremendous advances, even regarding things like knee injuries as an example, 10 years ago, a ACL was a career ending injury, now a days, it isn't that big of a deal and many sports figures come back from it stronger than ever. In our own sport, TC Dantzler is an example of that. Again, simple answer, yes medical advances make things possible that used to not exist. Again, Stallone answers those and many other questions in many interviews that the one reviewer could have checked out as could anyone else.

Eric:

Thank you for complimenting Jacob.

Later I am going to send you and Mike an e-mail on this Rocky Balboa topic. I feel very strongly that this movie is based on an irresponsible premise and decision made by a 60 year old man who is held in high esteem by young people, at this point I am talking about both Stallone and Rocky. I personally believe very strongly that this movie should not have been made. Basically as friends I would like to now carry the conversation on off this public forum if you and Mike are willing to.

Sure Vince, send it anytime.

Fine with me Vince already responded, I am posting the links to several interviews, audio, video, and news related regarding the movie. I would encourage anyone to check them out before making comment regarding the intent of Stallone and so forth. Especially since I'm not getting any compensation from the movie, I don't want to take time promoting the movie more than just a fan of Rocky. That said, regarding the debate, regarding the spiritual overtones, there is much one can check out if they really care.

http://www.rockyresources.com/UserFiles/File/mp3s/rocky_interview1.mp3

Audio from interviews with Stallone on the issue - http://www.rockyresources.com/downloads.php?category=5

Stallones own group, http://www.rockyresources.com

Free Republic - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1755709/posts

Christianity Today - http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/interviews/sylvesterstallone.html

Focus on the Family - http://www.citizenlink.org/clcommentary/A000003061.cfm

The National Review - http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MWQ1ZTI0ZmU5ODk3NjQ5MTVhYmE3Y2Q0NjA0ZGNjZjY

There are many others you can look at, simply google Rocky Balboa, Jesus and you will see them. Here is an article posted from the interview I was also invited to where they used a little different slant, but, using and having access to many of the same quotes from Sylvester Stallone regarding the movie.

Rocky Balboa and Jesus
Column: Spiritually Significant Cinema
Meg Welch Dendler
ReligionAndSpirituality.com
December 11, 2006
"His whole life was a million-to-one shot." That tag may have been used to describe the original 1976 "Rocky," but it is also a good comment on the monumental breakthrough of Sylvester Stallone himself. He may have thought going from performing the full-monty in an adult film to writing and starring in the Oscar winner for best picture six years later was a big leap. But the changes that his life would go through from that victory 30 years ago to his current venture of "Rocky Balboa" were much deeper and more life-altering.

"I always felt as though I was a conduit for God's word," Stallone says. "That I wasn't creating it, because it didn't come from an academic background. I never was a major in English, and all of a sudden I write a screenplay that is being nominated for best picture of the year, so I figured it had to have come from God."

Sylvester Stallone, Rambo, Rocky, talking about God? You bet ya, and in spades!

Stallone wants to make the spiritual message of his new "Rocky Balboa" clear to church leaders and the press, so I had the opportunity to speak with him from his hotel room. Gracious, and speaking in the drawl that his fans would recognize anywhere, we chatted about what he hopes viewers will gain from his movies.

"Rocky is the most spiritual character I've even been involved with," he told me. "The first image of Rocky in 'Rocky I' was the picture of Jesus on the rafters of the fight club. It goes over the word 'resurrection' and down onto Rocky being pummeled, and we know that moment that he's being chosen by Jesus for a special mission. And that mission is to bring all these other outcasts together and accomplish something really wonderful."

I must admit, I never got that message from the opening of "Rocky." But when you know that message is there, it gives the film an interesting new twist. Re-watching it after our conversation, I noticed how many times Rocky prays or there is a cross in the background. It is subtle, but it is there.

"The images are there without hammering it home with such a heavy hand that people say, 'Oh, come on,'" Stallone says. "It's just subtle enough that I think it would be believable."

So, what's the spiritual message of "Rocky Balboa"? According to Stallone, "It's not over till it's over" is one, and "we cannot do it alone" is another. "Even in your darkest hour," he says, "if you adhere to certain Christian values — if you put yourself in the hands of Jesus and in the hands of God, follow the Scripture and follow the teachings of Jesus — you're gonna come out of this pipeline, out of this darkness, where you should be. And if you try to do it alone ... you can struggle and feel very, very alone in this."

Stallone says that he picked this time in life to make "Rocky Balboa" because he's realized, as a mature man, that faith is all there really is. "I think as a young person, you tend to think that the world somewhat revolves around you, that you can recover from anything, that you tend to have this kind of vim and vigor and energy to take on the world on your own shoulders. Well, after you've been knocked down a few times and the world has shown you its dark side, you realize that you need guidance, you need God's word, you need spiritual help, and that's when your journey will begin. As I get older, I realize how, very much, I rely upon Jesus, the word of God, and His support. ... "

He says that often when things hit bottom in life, he would turn to the moral compass that the character of Rocky provided and it would tend to give him new life. Working on those scripts, he says, took his focus off of the negative going on around him. He describes it as writing what came from his heart, or what was driven through his heart by a greater power — meaning God. "And as soon as I did that, I just started to live the right life. Everything just fell into place once I stopped trying to do it my way and did it the right way and asked for help and God gave me help."

He says that Rocky doesn't fight for the money or the glory. There's a divine reason behind it. "You don't have to be the biggest or the strongest or the fastest," he says, "but if you believe — truly believe — you will find a way to win." And winning doesn't always mean being the victor in the boxing ring. Rocky does not win the fight in the original film, but he finds love and dignity and fulfillment and has become a whole man. That's an even bigger, longer lasting victory.

Thinking about what has changed the most about his life between the huge success of "Rocky" and deciding to make "Rocky VI," Stallone says that he's really come to understand the absolute necessity of love, commitment, and devotion to others, more than being devoted to himself.

"I was influenced by every temptation there is in Hollywood," Stallone says. "I lived a life and I lived it with just charlatans and people who were there for the money and didn't care about me. And that was just spiraling downward badly, badly. And it wasn't until maybe nine or 10 years ago, when I turned 50, that I finally got back on the path again. I realized that I can't go this alone." So he reclaimed his spirituality, began to pray, returned to church, and had his children baptized. "Everything changed," he says.

Stallone didn't write "Rocky Balboa" for any studio or even for himself. He determined to just write about his journey — where he fell, how he got up, and who got him up.

"When you write from the heart," he says, "out comes the spiritual message. You just know that you're dealing with the human condition, and quite often, even though you may not say the word 'Jesus' in every line, you can feel it working through the characters. You can feel the Christian brotherhood, the humanity, the compassion, the God-fearing script. ... We need the God-fearing script, the script that really deals with compassion and deals with the word of Jesus and God. And believe me, people will rally behind it, because we need it."

So what does the future hold for continuing the spiritual message that he wants to share? A new Rambo, of course! And it will have Evangelical themes.

"If I stay to the script, that's what it's all about," he shared with me. "It's about these Christians, these organizations, Pan Ministries, that go into certain places in the Far East and bring medical attention and the Bible and just good will. And they have to go through land mines and terribly infested jungles — sometimes 200 miles on foot. And I thought — what would happen if they were captured? What would happen if they sort of disappeared? Someone would have to go in there and find them." A former green beret with big muscles and a big gun, I'm betting.

Before we hung up, I asked Stallone what he hoped my tweenage daughter would learn from "Rocky VI." What he hoped she'd take away from this film. He recommends that she listen closely to the speech that Rocky gives his son about how hard life is. "If she's prepared, she'll win. If she's not prepared, life will overwhelm her." After a long pause he added, "And never, ever quit something you love."

A 30-year-old Rocky Balboa said that all he wanted to do was go the distance and prove that he's not just another bum in the neighborhood. And the Italian Stallion is transformed from a thug to a professional athlete with the love of his life by his side — his dreams all come true. Stallone says that Rocky is biographical, so let's hope that he can also feel that he's gone the distance and made his dreams come true.