Rocky Balboa

I recently had a few hours to kill between doctors' appointments, and before I knew it I found myself in the lobby of a movie theater scanning accross titles and times looking for something (hopefully good) to watch. Ultimately, I settled on Sylvester Stallone's sixth "Rocky" movie....no, not "Rocky 6", but rather "Rocky Balboa".

Tangentially, there weren't that many options worth even my consideration, worth noting as I'm notorious in my circles for "liking everything". I guess January is a slow month.

Anyway, the tale told is a sad but idetifiable one, and ultimately there is a sense of triumph and completion. Though it's been more than a decade since watching any of the other Rocky films, I feel as though this latest installment might just be the best. A little suspension of disbelief is required, though, as Rocky comes out of retirement at the tender age of 60 to fight the undefeated heavyweight champion of the world...eh, no big deal in Rocky world.

The interrelationships between the characters take center stage for most of the movie, and the storyline was surprisingly interesting, engaging, and one with which I'm sure many can identify. The images of an old and, pardon the phrase, beaten-up Rocky in a generic sport coat spinning stories of days gone by to patrons of his restaurant are striking and a telling ones, as are the scenes of Rocky visiting the burial site of his former wife Adrian. I almost felt sorry for this character who was clinging onto his past so innocently and yet so clearly, and it was his realizing this and moving on that proved to be the actual triumph in the film (even though moving on for him meant stepping back into the ring to take a traditional Rocky beating). In addition, Rocky struggles with his relationship with his son, who struggles because he thinks he lives in his father's shadow, and of course Paulie, his brother-in-law, who reminds Rocky that everyone's got problems and sorrows and to snap out of it already.

As for Sly, what's probably been clear to many others since 1976 is now crystal clear to me: Rocky is the perfect role for Sylvester Stallone. He conveys perfectly Balboa's coming of (old) age, and not through just the thick and now famous Balboian accent (see: Lou the cop on the Simpsons). I've seen Sly in lots of other movies, with his performances ranging from the decent (Cop Land, Tango and Cash) to the self-caricatural (Over the Top, The Specialist), but this is undoubtedly his best I've seen.

I give this movie 3.5 stars on the Spence scale.