Running time: 102 minutes
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young, Antonio Tarver, Geraldine Hughes, Milo Ventimiglia
Rating 7 out of 10
The idea of a sixty year-old boxer coming out of retirement to challenge the undefeated World Heavyweight Champion might sound a ludicrous premise, but the fact that Rocky Balboa ends up being far more plausible than most Hollywood fare is testament to Sylvester Stallone's understanding and love of his notorious creation. The sixth installment of the franchise that launched Stallone's career more than 30 years ago, Rocky Balboa has recaptured much of the spirit of the first film. As engaging as the original, it also possesses a real tenderness and an understated intimacy. A distinctive feature is that relatively little time is devoted to boxing. Though when it is, it is done well, presented as though a genuine HBO broadcast, replete with the real life commentators and officials. The character of Rocky is one that's very close to Stallone's heart. You can see it in his performance. Much of the bravado and machismo on which his reputation has been made makes way for a real vulnerability, both physical and emotional in his portrayal of Rocky. It's one that becomes more visceral with the boxer's advancing years.
The film opens with Rocky in contemplative mood, firstly as he visits the grave of his beloved wife Adrian, and then as he visits his son (Milo Ventimiglia) who is struggling to emerge from the shadow of his famous father. Clearly lonely and aimless, Rocky spends his days reliving his past glories with the customers at his restaurant. A somewhat pitiful figure, he is still angry at his wife's death. "It wasn't supposed to be like this," he mourns, while his old friend Paulie (Burt Young) accuses him of "living backwards."
When he starts to live forward, he meets the demure Marie (Geraldine Hughes) and befriends her teenage son Steps (James Francis Kelly), who welcomes Rocky's paternal interest more than Rocky's real kid. The development of all these relationships is nicely done using small gestures. Only the occasional clunky moment betrays a more palpable authenticity, in particular Rocky's response to being told Steps' father is from Jamaica. "European," he states knowingly.
Looking for one last purposeful act with which to rid himself of the past that taunts him, he agrees to what is billed as an exhibition match with World Champion Mason Dixon (Antonio Tarver). The unlikely pairing comes about following a computerized bout involving both men to determine who is the greatest of all time. A bout in which Rocky prevails.
Following Rocky's decision to fight again, he faces all the typical questions that would be asked of a man his age wanting to box. It's a tactic designed to preempt the inevitable jibes Stallone faces by revisiting Rocky. Though perhaps his best response is when he removes his shirt to reveal the body of a man half his age. Comebacks are generally speaking a bad idea, whether it's by a sportsman or an artist, but in this case Rocky Balboa provides a triumphant return.
Kevin Murphy
