‘Rocky’ throws hat back into ring for himself, others

John Egan

Fourth Estate

Commentary

It’s hard in this day and age to have characters that audiences root for no matter how corny or cliché they become. However many times people see them, they are loved and cheered on by all.

Rocky Balboa is that character.

Since the Oscar winning “Rocky” in 1976, Sylvester Stallone’s most famous character has been part of American culture. He’s faced adversity, champions, Russians and even Mr. T and Hulk Hogan. Whether he won or lost, he has always come out on top.

“Rocky Balboa” is the sixth installment of the boxing legacy. Adrian, Rocky’s wife, has died, and Rocky’s life doesn’t seem as complete. He lives alone in a tiny house in Philly and runs a restaurant, appropriately named Adrian’s.

Besides running the restaurant, half of his time is spent with Adrian’s brother, Paulie (Burt Young), visiting places around the neighborhood and remembering the times he and Adrain spent. The other half is trying to re-connect with his son Rocky Jr. (Milo Ventimiglia, “Heroes”), who has become very distant from his father.

Rocky believes he has something more inside him. The pain of losing his family and not fighting is wearing him down, so he decides to apply for a boxing license so he can fight locally at small matches.

At the same time, ESPN has been holding a series of simulations between competitors. They match up old and new superstars with the same equipment from his prime to see who would have won. The newest simulation is Rocky Balboa versus the current, and hated, heavyweight champion Mason “The Line” Dixon (Antonio Tarver).

Rocky knocks out Dixon, upsetting the cocky boxer and exciting his managers. They decide to challenge Rocky to an exhibition match, hoping to destroy the aging legend to bulk up Dixon’s reputation.

Rocky accepts, despite everyone thinking he will be manhandled. But, like all the other movies, Rocky stays motivated and with the help of a new love interest, Marie (Geraldine Hughes), everyone eventually ends up at his side, including Rocky Jr.

The rest of the movie follows true Rocky fashion. There is of course the music, the training montage of Rocky doing basic equipment while the opponent uses state-of-the-art equipment, and the classic stair scene with the fist pump.

The final battle is just like the rest of the movies as well, with the first rounds showed in full, a montage of rounds three through nine, and then the last round shown in its entirety. It ends just like the other movies, too, but why spoil everything?

The movie itself is a walking cliché. Written by Stallone, every speech or dialogue is about pain and never giving up on yourself. There are also a few lines that clearly show Stallone telling the movie business how they have affected his career.

The movie is a little corny, also. There aren’t many intelligent or moving conversations, but none of the “Rocky” movies have exactly been known for their amazing dialogue.

The beauty of it is that as an audience member, having perfect dialogue doesn’t really matter. Rocky is a part of our culture, and no matter how corny or cliché the movies are, people will still watch them and cheer for the legendary character. A good example would be the over-nerds in the row in front of me pumping their fists when any music played.

It isn’t a perfect movie, but it is still entertaining. The movie speeds through the training and final fight way too fast, which is my favorite part of each film of the series. But the movie itself isn’t about the fight, rather about Rocky dealing with aging and his new life. The movie title explains the plot. Instead of having a number that states another fight, it is titled “Rocky Balboa.” It focuses more on the man, rather than the fighter.

The movie itself as a sequel is also unique. Other sequels as of late showcasing heroes go in a different direction. Like “Batman Begins” where we see the origin of Bruce Wayne, or “Superman Returns” where Superman finally returns to Earth after a long absence. It is a neat angle to see a hero aging and still fighting, much like it would be interesting to see Batman put on the tights at age 40 and still try to battle Gotham City crime.

The movie is what it is. It’s Rocky, doing the thing he loves, surrounded by the town and country that loves him. It’s a film about knowing who you are and that doing what makes you happy makes you who you are. All clichés aside, the movie is very entertaining and is recommended for anyone who enjoys or has seen a “Rocky” movie. It is an interesting tale of perhaps the final match of an aging hero.

Like Rocky says, “I gotta go out like I gotta go out.”

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4Play ratings: EEEE — Amazing EEE — Good EE — OK E — Aweful e — Craptastic