LEGACY REVIEW- Rocky (1976)

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith

In a new aspect of my blog, I will be writing a few "Legacy Reviews" per year. These will consist of films released either ten, twenty, thirty, forty (etc.) years ago. As this past Monday was the fortieth anniversary of Rocky starring Sylvester Stallone, I've decided to kick this series off with a classic. It's pretty much a coming-of-age movie at this point. Seriously, if you haven't seen Rocky, what are you doing with your life? And if you don't like it, you might need to watch it again.

Rocky is essentially a perfect film. Anyone who has read my blog knows that in my earlier days, I may have prematurely rewarded a "perfect" rating a few times. It takes a long time to think over a film, and sometimes you do not notice a film's faults the first time. Rocky is one of my favorite movies. This being said, I have not seen it so many times that it blurs me to faults. The faults simply are not there. This is because it's so simple. The cast and crew are not trying to produce a great, awe-inspiring classic film. This is why it's so surprising that Rocky became just that. Rocky Balboa is an American hero, who achieves a version of the American Dream. In the beginning of the film, he lives hard, but he's faltering. His career is going nowhere. I've seen so many movies with this introduction, and in walks a character who's depressed and longs for better life. Rocky is always positive, and just dreams of a simple life with the clerk at the pet store. And isn't that the American Dream? Rocky dares to tell the story of a boxer who just wants the simple life, and won't give up in his journey to pursue it.

This past week, I wrote my term paper for my History of Film class on Network, a 1976 film that depicts the terrifying stakes of broadcast news, and the blurring of the business and entertainment industries. With such a complex and relevant message, it was rewarded with Academy Awards for Best Actor, Actress, Screenplay, and Supporting Actress. But Best Picture of the Year went to one Italian Stallion- Rocky. The early 1970s were dominated by the end of Vietnam and the Watergate scandal. There was an abundance of negativity in American culture, so America needed the escape that Stallone and crew presented. America needed a movie that was inspiring.

As far as the acting goes, there really are only three characters with development. We really do not get the chance to explore Apollo Creed or Paulie in this film. First I'll talk about Mickey. Burgess Meredith looks like he's on his deathbed (I was shocked to see he lived another twenty three years) yet he has so much spark and enthusiasm. Mickey is a firecracker. If you've seen any sports movie post-Rocky, there's probably a grizzled old trainer. Mickey set the stage for every single trainer in popular culture. Now to Adrian. Adrian has so much character development, unlike most we see today. She's a nervous girl, hiding behind her glasses in a pet store. Rocky swoops in to save her from her "disease called being shy", and he's successful. We see her blossom into a free-spirited individual who's not afraid to speak out and jump for joy with pride in Rocky. As for the Italian Stallion himself, Stallone knocks it out of the park. He carries his performance with such slyness, it's no mystery where he got his nickname. Rocky is always one-step ahead, and he fights for goals. What's even more admirable is how different Rocky is from a lot of boxing and sports movies after. Many sports movies focus on an "unreachable" goal. Rocky has that. But many heroes fight for personal goals. They're trying to prove something to themselves. I honestly feel like Rocky's just doing it for Adrian. He loves fighting, but he loves her more, and he's just doing what it takes to reach that goal. While the belt might be nice, he's after the girl.

As for the other aspects of the movie, the script (written by Stallone) is air-tight. That's because it's not complicated. It has a few characters, and a basic plot that everyone can identify with. And the action scenes are fantastic. The famous training scene will inspire anyone watching it. "Gonna Fly Now" is an instant classic warm-up song. And the fight between Creed and Rocky is also very tense. The stakes are high. What's brilliant about the ending is that he doesn't win. We all hope he'll come out the winner, and he achieves something arguably harder. He goes the distance. He makes it to the end with Apollo Creed. It's a clever message that we don't need to win. It's about going the distance. Also, that ending scene where Adrian weaves through the crowd to say she loves him is one of my favorite movie scenes of all time. There's so much emotion. So I'd be crazy if I didn't give Rocky 10/10 stars. Don't worry, I'm not crazy. It's perfect because it doesn't try. It's a simple script, a simple idea, with simple characters. That allows Rocky to fill the hearts of all who watch it.

A personal request for my review was to also rank the sequels and give advice on which ones to skip. I'll be honest, I haven't seen all of the films. But here I go anyways.

1. Rocky (1976)- I just spent paragraphs explaining this so I shouldn't have to again.

2. Rocky II (1979)- I really like Rocky II. It doesn't quite reach the heights of the first one, but it's a surprisingly stable sequel. I enjoy how they explore Rocky's relationship with Adrian post-wedding, and his illiteracy. Plus the re-match where Rocky finally wins is amazing.

3. Creed (2015)- This is the newest film, which stars Michael B. Jordan as Apollo Creed's son who goes to an old, grizzled Rocky to learn to fight. Stallone gives a performance to rival the original, winning the Golden Globe and getting an Academy Award nomination for his tragic performance as a man who wants to erase his past, yet feels an obligation to the son of his rival. Plus, it has an interesting portrayal of inner-city African-American living that is a poignant afterthought.

4. Rocky Balboa (2006)- This is the revival of the franchise. It's not great, but it's leagues better than I heard 4 and 5 were. While his grief and depression aren't as strong as they are in Creed, we see Rocky Balboa right after Adrian's death. He fights, but doesn't care because he's so broken. That final scene, where he visits her grave and says "Yo Adrian, we did it. We did it." will break your heart. It's this tenderness that made me enjoy Rocky Balboa.

5. Rocky III (1982)- It's far from great. It's campy, and it's phoning it in a little too much. Hulk Hogan? Mr. T? It's far from bad, but it lacks the originality that the previous two had. Granted, I haven't seen this film in a long time, but I wasn't wildly impressed. The Eye of the Tiger scene is awesome though, and I give points for that.

6. Rocky IV (1985)- Skip Rocky IV. Just do it. I didn't even make it through the film. I don't remember much except that I hated it and it ended the franchise for me. Dolph Lundgren is hamming it up in a ridiculous role. Brigitte Nielsen is a pretty awesome fighter but her character is also ridiculous. The film doesn't know whether to be funny or serious, and it ends up being laughable. This killed Rocky for me.

7. Rocky V (1990)- Didn't see this due to the mess that is Rocky IV. Heard I didn't miss much

If you're trying to have a marathon, go 1, 2, 3, 6, 7. Omit 4 and 5. You'll thank me.