Episode 4: Rocky Balboa (or: Rocky Balboa is Great)

Warning! This post may contain spoilers for the new film, "Rocky Balboa."

So, I would say I'm a fan of the Sylvester Stallone "Rocky" franchise. The first two movies by themselves are some of the greatest sports movies ever created (for evidence, the original film was nominated for about two-billion Academy Awards), and the third movie managed to feature Mr. T and not have him be a joke. Four and Five were great, too, but each was different.

Then there's "Rocky Balboa."

This new film, which features an aging Stalone, is breathtaking on many levels. First and foremost, this movie features an aging Stalone who, seriously, looks fantastic for his age (just click on some pictures, here, and you'll see what I mean). I used to think Schwarzenegger looked great in "Terminator 3" a few years back, but whatever Stalone has been doing with himself these past dozen years... it works. I hope to God I look even half as good as I do now in fifteen years, and then Stalone is like... pissing me off with how huge he is.

Then you've got the acting and the characters themselves. Stalone actually shows the same skills that got him a Best Actor nod so many years ago; he actually is Rocky Balboa again, albeit an older, wiser Rock. There is a grace to old-man-Rocky that was only seen in the ring in previous films in the franchise, shown as he deals with the death of (yet another) loved one, his seemingly angst-ridden son, and the reunion (and subsequent blooming friendship) between himself and a minor character from the original film. He plays off all these characters well and in a believable manner.

The rest of the cast is fantastic; Paulie is back and is still Paulie. The rival, Mason "The Line" Dixon is well cast - he needed to be a self-centered, egotistic boxer, so they hired one. Without spoiling parts of the film, Rocky's son and the "minor character from the first film" are wonderful, too, and portray characters that are well developed and easy to identify with.

But if you're worried that this movie is all bark and no bite, fret not; the fight at the end is worth the hour of film you get to enjoy to get to it. The punches in this one look far more real than they did in the previous films, and the foot play is well executed; I'm not a great big fan of the sport, but this fight literally had me gripping the arm rests in my chair while my heart raced. Also, my jaw was dropped with a large, goofy grin cemented on my face. Rest assured, the fight does not disappoint.

But beyond all of this, the real treat of this movie is its story. This isn't the Rocky we've seen in the past, out to avenge the death of his friends, or out to claim a title. No, this Rocky is much, much more. The film explains it well and, again, to avoid spoilers, I won't go into Rocky's motivation to fight at length, but it's evident that Rocky has some issues he has to get out, some unfinished business within himself that needs taking care of, so to speak. And he takes it all out in the ring.

At under two hours, "Rocky Balboa" is worth the price of admission: Great acting, fantastic story, wonderful fight, and a training montage thrown in for good measure. You'll leave the theatre feeling younger (which is an accomplishment in my case, since I'm only 21) and itching for a fight, yourself. With all this and more ("Transformers" preview, anyone?!), there's nothing to NOT like about this picture. Go, see it this holiday season. Then see it again. And then take a friend.

And then your grandmother.
-Skyler