THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
The American Dream is arguably the biggest challenge for anyone to achieve as we all come from different backgrounds and go through different obstacles to get there. But once you do, the trip can be worth it.
PLOT
Rocky follows heavyweight boxing champion Apollo Creed planning to host a title bout in Philadelphia. When his scheduled opponent gets injured five weeks apart from the match and other ranked opponents being booked elsewhere or can't get in shape in time, he decides to give a local contender a chance to challenge him. He ends up picking Robert 'Rocky' Balboa, an Italian American who collects loan sharks when not fighting in small gyms. When he meets a promoter of the offer that stands 150 grand, Balboa accepts and begins training. While Apollo thinks he can beat him with ease, his trainer Tony ‘Duke’ Evers (Tony Burton) worries how dangerous he can be, as footage of him using sides of beef as punching bags is televised. In the meantime, Balboa gets trained by a former bantamweight named Mickey Goldmill who originally didn’t have an interest in him. When not training, the Stallion would also have a romantic relationship with Adrian Pennino, sister to his friend and cornerman Paulie. Although the latter would be jealous of his success, Rocky is able be at peace with him by advertising his meatpacking business for the fight. On the night before, Balboa admits to Adrian on feeling nervous of the fight; He doesn’t think he can win, but is sure to go the distance with Creed. On New Year’s Day, the fight goes down and goes in various ways. During the first round, Rocky would shockingly knock the champion down in the first round, but Creed would only get back up and take the other 14 rounds serious from then on. During those said rounds, Rocky’s eye would get swollen whereas Creed has a hard time breathing and suffers internal bleeding due to a broken rib. Despite the Stallion’s refusal to go down, Creed retains his championship via split decision. The film would end with Balboa and Adrian ignoring the fight’s outcome as they profess their love for each other.
THOUGHTS
As I reached the end of my personal life, concluding middle school, I needed something to motivate me to get through the next step and this film was my solution. Throughout the runtime, I was floored with fear of failure and joy personal success. Those two feelings came my way because Director John G Avildsen was able to teach me that in life, there will be always be obstacles and when you confront them, it is more about proving your worth than actually succeeding. It can be good to win, but the more you win, the more complacent you'll feel and that's a feeling no one should feel after all the hard work that's given. The only thing that matters is the deserving recognition you receive after giving your all in what you do. As long as you're not giving up during this, than there is nothing that can disappoint you. I would've not felt this at all had it not been the fantastic performance from Sylvester Stallone, who wrote the script for this film and the five sequels that would come afterwards. We have been in love with Balboa from the beginning because he is the most humble protagonist we've ever witnessed. The guy acts hesitant with every decision because he wants to ensure it'll be good for him and is honest to himself as he is to others. He was honestly nervous about winning, but that only made him determined to give a great fight which he did. He didn't even care losing by the end because he was already proud of himself of what he was able to do. And looking back, it is nice to know that he had a band of people that cared for him along the way. Burgess Meredith made one hell of a chameleon performance in the role of Mickey: He is a tough trainer on the outside, but soft man inside. He gives Rocky a hard time for Rocky at first because he wanted what was best for him. He hated how he made his living because he could do better than that. When it came to the announcement of being Apollo’s challenger, he knew it was time for him to be there for him and Rocky came around because he accepted that he meant well, thus being a great pair together. As an athlete, it’s not easy to have a companion that’ll support you emotionally since there is commitment as strong as a trainer. Whether it’s a friend or a lover, Rocky got lucky and gained both in the buildup of the fight that changed his life. I don’t want to make it an insult when I say Paulie is one of those friends that are formed out of pity, considering how different he is compared to Balboa. For the majority of his screen time, Burt Young shows him as a guy who is obviously dissatisfied with how his life turned out. After serving as a Navy veteran, he hates how slow things got for him and feels miserable with the only job he has in meat packing, hence having interest in loan shark collecting like Rocky did to strive. He was extremely jealous of him because he couldn’t stand how lucky he was for the opportunities to come his way without even trying too hard. Seeing that firsthand only makes him more angry than before. He gets so angry that he wrongfully takes it out on his innocent sister Adrian. Talia Shire makes a big impression in showing her as one who gains confidence in coming out of her shell. She started out shy but once she let Rocky in, she gained newfound confidence and was always herself around him. That’s where the romance is earned: She loves him for bringing out the best in her and he loves her for seeing how strong she is deep down. Not even she cares that he lost the fight because he is a winner in her eyes no matter what. Personally, I don't think Apollo is the villain here or in the second film because Carl Weathers played him as the champion you would expect: a charming wisecracker that is overconfident with himself. That is exactly the case here because he had no idea what he was in for until it was too late. Seeing his expectations exceed him was a bold way to show that you can't underestimate anyone on what they're capable of. I find it hilarious that he doubted the chances of a rematch because he knew deep down some encounters must happen again. This movie may feel timeless, but there were a few moments that confused me a whole lot. First off, I know Duke is a great trainer because Apollo would never become champ without him, but how did he not get insistent on having him take the fight serious? He should've shown him the tape of Rocky punching the hell out of those ribs, which would've motivated him to have better preparation. And why does Rocky not use a towel for the ice he puts on his head? It'll just melt faster if it's on his plain hand. And why doesn't he pay for the turtle food? I mean even if he's nice to Adrian and her boss, he can't avoid it forever especially if he gets a cut as a loan shark collector. Speaking of which, how does his employer Gazzo (Joe Spinelli) find out about going easy on someone who owed a loan shark? Cellphones didn't exist yet and there were no witnesses in the prior scene, so it made no sense to me. If he was saying that to get Rocky to confess, that should've been clarified. It's even weirder when Gazzo finds out Rocky went out with Adrian. I even wonder how come no one wants to fight Apollo? The excuses don't add up because even if they worry of losing, taking on a champion would be good publicity for any of them, which is exactly what happened to Rocky. Also, I don't blame Rocky for asking Paulie of Adrian's interests, but it's so dumb of him to ask seconds before their first date. And is his whole schedule really thrown off if he did a 3 minute interview? I know he wants to focus, but it's not like he's still collecting loan sharks during this. He literally showed himself train which should've not been that bad. He literally could've asked at the bar. Other than that, there's no true reason to hate this movie. In short, Rocky is a worthy Best Picture winner for inspiring the drive people need to achieve desired success, ultimately becoming one of the best movies ever made. If sports motivates you to bring out the best in you, it shouldn't take you so long to see this.
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