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