Now that I’ve had a day to let the adrenaline wear off, I can say that Rocky Balboa gets my thumbs up. For the most part it’s a quiet and warm movie that explores what it’s like to still have fire in your belly even when everybody else tells you to take a seat in the bleachers.
Is it nostalgic and clich?d at times? Yup. And you know what? I don’t care.
If you grew up, like I did, watching Rocky movies, then Rocky is a part of you. He’s become embedded in our DNA. Rocky is a lovable, lNow that I’ve had a day to let the adrenaline wear off, I can say that Rocky Balboa gets my thumbs up. For the most part it’s a quiet and warm movie that explores what it’s like to still have fire in your belly even when everybody else tells you to take a seat in the bleachers.
Is it nostalgic and clich?d at times? Yup. And you know what? I don’t care.
If you grew up, like I did, watching Rocky movies, then Rocky is a part of you. He’s become embedded in our DNA. Rocky is a lovable, loyal lug with the heart of a lion. And he’s our lovable lug.
We [i]want[/i] Rocky to win. We [i]want [/i]Rocky back in the ring. We want Rocky to take a beating and stay on his feet, because with every punch he takes, it’s like we’re taking it too. And every punch he throws is like a punch we’re throwing at the forces that be that try to take us down.
And then there’s the moment we’ve been waiting 15 years to experience. [i]The. Moment. [/i] The movie’s going along, watching Rocky as he is now. He hems and haws, debating what to do, until he finally decides to go for it, to step in the ring one more time.
You wait. There’s a pause. And then you hear it. The music. The ROCKY THEME MUSIC. If you hear those first trumpet blasts and you [i]don’t[/i] get goose bumps up and down your spine and feel flush in the face, then you’re dead inside. It hits you where you live. It works.
I have no problem admitting that when Rocky’s in the big fight, my heart was pounding. I was on the edge of my seat. There I was with my hands up, bobbing and weaving, throwing jabs of mine own, in the ring with Rocky. I wasn’t thinking one little bit about whether I should be liking this movie. I was having too much fun [i]actually[/i] enjoying it. Loving it.
Rocky I, II and III range from good to great, depending on your point of view. Unfortunately, Rocky took a bad turn into cartoon with Rocky IV, although it was enjoyable at the time in its own ridiculous way. Rocky V sort of meant well, bringing Rocky back to reality, with mixed results. But with Rocky Balboa, the franchise–and the character–are redeemed.
Is Rocky Balboa the great movie ever? No. It’s not the best of the Rocky movies. But now that I’ve seen it I’m so totally going to see it again. And enjoy every moment, waiting for that music, waiting for Rocky to step in the ring one last time.
Rocky is back.
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