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The first Rocky movie is one of the greatest drama movies of all time. It's one of the few which I openly give 10/10 to no matter what. It's a great shame that the sequels weren't anywhere near as good... until now that is. This is absolutely the most cheesiest, korny and cliched movie ever. It is also one with more heart than any other movie I've seen in years. This thing was made simply out of love towards the Rocky legacy and overall cinema. I always loved how the main thing in these movies wasn't boxing, it was and is Rocky himself. Boxing is just in there because the story wouldn't work too well if Rocky was a football player or something. I mean here the boxing angle doesn't properly even enter the movie until the last 35 minutes. The story serves up all this nicely, the great script focuses on Rocky as a character, and especially his weird father-son relationship instead of focusing on boxing. Also, everyone loves cliched monologues about chasing one's dreams, and boy, this movie is full of them. And they're all great as well, as is Stallones delivery on them.
The final fight of the movie is absolutely brilliant. If you've ever watched a boxing PPV on HBO, you will consider it highly realistic. It looks and feels like a PPV from HBO, instead of looking all weird and cartoonish like in the latter Rocky movies. Also, Stallone nails the overall directing here. He even uses flashbacks in a stylish fashion, which is something that I haven't seen in ages, atleast not in drama movies. On to the acting. Stallone IS Rocky. He doesn't play Rocky. He IS Rocky. I mean he reminds me of Marlon Brando in Godfather. Just like Brando, every single hand movement, slight nod and even breathing is adapted to the character. That is what made Brando great in Godfather, and that is what makes Stallone great in the Rocky series. Complete, and utter deliverance of the character. I love it. Burt Young always looks and acts the same, no matter what character, and his tired rendition of Paulie makes no true difference to that pattern. I still enjoy the old fool, but I don't know how long that'll last. Milo Ventimiglia nearly steals the show here, which is a pretty hard task. He reminds me of Paul Rudd, except that he has charisma AND acting talent. I liked the guy here, hopefully he'll make me love him in his next movie. Tarver was a pretty decent villain, although admittedly he was no Apollo here.
I love this movie. It is a gigantic cliche bomb, but it's done with something people have forgotten nowadays; heart. And that's why this is such a great movie. It touches you. Down there. No, not that low, but between your head and your balls. That's where.
8/10
