B
Belcanto
Guest
Well, I saw Rocky Balboa this evening. When I first heard about it, I (like many people, I’m sure) thought “Oh please, not again!” Rocky V was just awful, and the franchise had to sink even further with yet another one! I was pleasantly surprised. The 6th installment in the Rocky series was very enjoyable, and arguably the best one since the original.
Now pushing 60, Rocky Balboa runs an Italian restaurant, Adrian’s, named after his late wife. Without Adrian, Rocky has no anchor, no purpose in life, and we see him constantly mulling over her memory. His son, Robert, always seems to be too busy for him, and his only real friend is the irascible Paulie. Wanting to recover his self-respect and sense of identity, Rocky applies for a boxing license, and gets one, interested in doing small local fights.The current heavyweight champ, Mason “The Line” Dixon, is reviled for constantly fighting chump opponents, and seemingly not willing to take on a real challenge. One night, ESPN airs a computer-simulated bout between Dixon and Balboa (in his prime), with Balboa coming out on top. Seeing an opportunity to improve Dixon’s image, his manager wants to stage an exhibition fight between the two. Balboa and Dixon eventually agree to the exhibition match, to be held in Las Vegas.
Like the first film, Rocky Balboa is not so much about boxing as it is about overcoming obstacles and obtaining a sense of identity. In this film, Rocky does those things not only be re-entering the boxing arena, but by connecting with his son, and establishing a relationship with a woman down the street and her son. The human drama is very satisfying, and is surpassed by no other film in the series except the first. In conclusion, I highly recommend it. 3 1/2 stars out of 4.
Now pushing 60, Rocky Balboa runs an Italian restaurant, Adrian’s, named after his late wife. Without Adrian, Rocky has no anchor, no purpose in life, and we see him constantly mulling over her memory. His son, Robert, always seems to be too busy for him, and his only real friend is the irascible Paulie. Wanting to recover his self-respect and sense of identity, Rocky applies for a boxing license, and gets one, interested in doing small local fights.The current heavyweight champ, Mason “The Line” Dixon, is reviled for constantly fighting chump opponents, and seemingly not willing to take on a real challenge. One night, ESPN airs a computer-simulated bout between Dixon and Balboa (in his prime), with Balboa coming out on top. Seeing an opportunity to improve Dixon’s image, his manager wants to stage an exhibition fight between the two. Balboa and Dixon eventually agree to the exhibition match, to be held in Las Vegas.
Like the first film, Rocky Balboa is not so much about boxing as it is about overcoming obstacles and obtaining a sense of identity. In this film, Rocky does those things not only be re-entering the boxing arena, but by connecting with his son, and establishing a relationship with a woman down the street and her son. The human drama is very satisfying, and is surpassed by no other film in the series except the first. In conclusion, I highly recommend it. 3 1/2 stars out of 4.
