Stupidest Rocky I ever seen!!  It was LAME!!  BAD acting.  I was not impressed at all.  I thought it would have been much better.

I am ashamed to admit that I like it. . .pure soap-opera Hollywood hokum. . .and I'm the guy with "Das Boot" and Kurosawa in my DVD collection. . .you can't hate the main character, you just can't. . .

  As I have seen the original Rocky over 10 times and can recite almost every line, like so many Rocky Horror revelers at a midnight airing at the Cineplex, there was smart money that I was going to enjoy Rocky Balboa.

The movie did not disappoint.  I'd rank it as the second best of the six Rockys.  What made it particularly enjoyable was the way it tied all the loose ends from the original Rocky of 30 years ago.  We get to meet Spider Rico and Marie (the little brat who told Rocky to screw himself in the original) again.  While both were not particularly likable in the original, they are redeemed in this one by Rocky.  Paulie is still around.  He remains a character you love one minute, and then detest later.  Alas, poor Adrian has died from cancer.  She still plays a prominent role.  Our hero has risen from the depths of despair in the bleak Rocky V and is something of a worldly philosopher, who owns a somewhat successful Italian restaurant.  His Legacy is intact.

An interesting twist (which actually occurred in 1970 between Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali) shows Rocky beating the current champ in a computer simulation.  Well, Yada, Yada, Yada and Rocky is pitted against undisputed champ Mason Dixon (played competently by Antonio Tarver).  One thing I always wondered was why every boxer Rocky ever fought had a cartooney name (except for Ivan Drago, I guess).

The training montage, culminating with "Gonna Fly Now," is always inspiring and never fails to bring a frog to my throat.  The fight between Balboa and Dixon is not totally absurd and the result, while meaningless in terms of winning and losing, shows Rocky delivering his latest message, "You're never too old to have a dream."

Rocky Balboa brings a good closure to the genre.  The fact that the movie was even produced was something of a Rocky story as numerous producers rejected the script.

I will always be a sucker for a Rocky movie, and those of you that have known me for a while, know why. If Im still around for Rocky 25, Ill probably go see it. Boxing in some ways is a metaphor for life, and so are the Rocky movies. Its possible that I may read to much into the movies, but I choose to think that most people dont look deep enough. I know that most of the Rocky movies are entertainment and not meant to be Oscar winning movies, and yet, the first Rocky won a Oscar. Rocky Balboa, is about a man, still seeking respect, and trying to fit in a world, that has changed before his eyes. He's dealing with the alienation of his son, the loss of his wife, and getting old, just like the rest of us. There's no reason to go through the whole plot, because , even I admit that Rocky movies can be somewhat predictable, but it really doesnt take away from this movie. If you're a Rocky fan, you dont care, you just want to continue the journey with him, and if your not a fan, ....well, who cares what you think! Rocky is everyman, an underdog, that succeeds beyond even his own physical capabilities, simply because he refuses to stop trying., and in some ways, the Rocky movies have paralleled Sylvestor Stallones life and career. I loved the movie and judging by the reaction to the crowd in the theater, so did a lot of other people.

The fact that Slyvester Stallone can still kick butt at his age automatically gives this movie a 5-star rating. As always, Slyvester Stallone plays Rocky Balboa with perfection. I highly recommend this movie to everyone.