After the inspirational brilliance that was the original 1976 Rocky, the character goes in a multitude of directions--he tangles with professional wrestlers (III), ends the Cold War (IV), and is once again exiled to the meaner streets of Philadelphia (V). While opinions on those movies vary tremendously, one constant is that the character isn't quite authentic to the '76 film. That all changes with Rocky Balboa--a movie that by all rights should not exist but remarkably recaptures the Rocky magic 30 years after it began.
For a very basic overview, Rocky Balboa tells the continuing story of the titular pugilist (Sylvester Stallone), now in his 50s living in Philly. Adrian has passed away and Rocky runs a restaurant in her honor, but it quickly becomes clear he has a lot of unfinished emotional baggage. Egged on by Paulie (Burt Young) and inspired by the rekindling of an old friendship with Marie (Geraldine Hughes), Rocky decides he has some "stuff in the basement" that he wants to excise and thus pleads to be re-licensed to box again. At the same time, an opportunity arises when heavyweight champion Mason "The Line" Dixon (Antonio Tarver) is desperate to prove himself as a true champ--even if such an exhibition seemingly puts Rocky on the outs with his son (Milo Ventimiglia).
What Rocky Balboa immediately makes clear in the context of the franchise is that Sly does his best work when life imitates art (or is that the other way around?). In '76, Rocky's story might as well have been Stallone's own--and a masterpiece was a result. A similar thing happens here: after years of box office bombs or inactivity, one could be forgiven for thinking Sly's career was effectively over. Instead, he channels those emotions into the Rocky character and the result is perhaps the best sequel to that original.
The hallmark of Rocky Balboa is probably its thematic consistency--something the up-to-this-point Rocky sequels do not always excel at. There are a couple moments in Balboa that might make you roll your eyes (including a final fight sequence that is perhaps a bit too supercharged), but it never really drags down the proceedings because Sly-as-writer is so on point. Rocky's struggles are immediately laid bare, and his steps to overcome them all hit a logical and emotional chord. Character consistency is also strong here. More than any other Rocky sequel (even the close-proximity II), Sly just feels like that '76 Rocky again.
Another area of success here is a perfect balance of "nods to the past" versus "forward-facing material". Stallone deftly weaves both of those things together so it never gets out of whack either direction.
Overall, Rocky Balboa is a remarkable sequel to a seemingly unassailable original. From the first time you see Stallone re-inhabit the character, it just feels like "1976 home" and continues that thematic consistency all the way to the closing credits. Pretty amazing considering the 30-year gap between the two.
For a very basic overview, Rocky Balboa tells the continuing story of the titular pugilist (Sylvester Stallone), now in his 50s living in Philly. Adrian has passed away and Rocky runs a restaurant in her honor, but it quickly becomes clear he has a lot of unfinished emotional baggage. Egged on by Paulie (Burt Young) and inspired by the rekindling of an old friendship with Marie (Geraldine Hughes), Rocky decides he has some "stuff in the basement" that he wants to excise and thus pleads to be re-licensed to box again. At the same time, an opportunity arises when heavyweight champion Mason "The Line" Dixon (Antonio Tarver) is desperate to prove himself as a true champ--even if such an exhibition seemingly puts Rocky on the outs with his son (Milo Ventimiglia).
What Rocky Balboa immediately makes clear in the context of the franchise is that Sly does his best work when life imitates art (or is that the other way around?). In '76, Rocky's story might as well have been Stallone's own--and a masterpiece was a result. A similar thing happens here: after years of box office bombs or inactivity, one could be forgiven for thinking Sly's career was effectively over. Instead, he channels those emotions into the Rocky character and the result is perhaps the best sequel to that original.
The hallmark of Rocky Balboa is probably its thematic consistency--something the up-to-this-point Rocky sequels do not always excel at. There are a couple moments in Balboa that might make you roll your eyes (including a final fight sequence that is perhaps a bit too supercharged), but it never really drags down the proceedings because Sly-as-writer is so on point. Rocky's struggles are immediately laid bare, and his steps to overcome them all hit a logical and emotional chord. Character consistency is also strong here. More than any other Rocky sequel (even the close-proximity II), Sly just feels like that '76 Rocky again.
Another area of success here is a perfect balance of "nods to the past" versus "forward-facing material". Stallone deftly weaves both of those things together so it never gets out of whack either direction.
Overall, Rocky Balboa is a remarkable sequel to a seemingly unassailable original. From the first time you see Stallone re-inhabit the character, it just feels like "1976 home" and continues that thematic consistency all the way to the closing credits. Pretty amazing considering the 30-year gap between the two.