Sunday, March 25, 2007

The Rambling Review of Rocky Balboa

Hey all! So it seems no one cared to comment on my evil rip on Phoenix. Oh well. This week has been a crazy one. I am done with my Perspective class (and it kicked my tail), I have been watching a lot of basketball (Are you Mad about basketball in March?), I drank my share of beer last night while the Oregon Ducks won against UNLV and I recently got a chance to watch Rocky Balboa. There was a lot of cheap shots taken at this movie and after the last one how could you not take a cheap shot. I think everyone expected this movie to suck and some people even still refuse to see it because they fear another blow might be dealt to this sacred boxing saga. I had meant to see it in the theaters but just like every other movie this year I missed my window. I don't see many movies at theaters these days. I hate having to take a loan out on my car to be able to afford a ticket and then to have the chance that all my money was wasted. I want to let you know that the money would not have been wasted on this movie. Simply put it was fantastic.


I think this is almost as good as the original movie. It had a lot of heart and it was a good story. Old boxers always come back for one last fight so it really isn't all that amazing that ol' Rock would. What I loved was that this movie addressed the age issue head on. Rocky is old, widowed and hanging on his old memories. He is living in the past going through the motions. He owns a restaurant named after his deceased love and he walks through the restaurant telling old stories of his glory days. During a ritual of mourning Rock runs into a woman who he had met a long time ago. This seems to be the spark he needs. He befriends her and her son and he seems to have re-discovered a reason to pursue his dreams from this contact. What Rocky realizes is that he has another fight in him. He reapplies for a license to box around the same time ESPN plays a fantasy fight simulation of Rocky vs. the current champ Mason Dixon. Low and behold the computer predicts Rocky the winner. So the jack a--es that run Mason Dixon's career decide to capitalize on it. They set up an exhibition with the aged Rock and Mason "the Line" Dixon. The champ naturally underestimates this guy because who wouldn't. He is ancient and looks like he can barely move but he still is a 217 pound muscular scrapper and you should never take your eye off those types. The training montage starts and I was sitting on the edge of my seat. I love the training montage, if real life training only could be half that successful... The fight was fantastic and typical Rocky style wear he blocks every punch strategically with his face, which apparently is a good technique. You have to watch the movie to get the fight conclusion I am not giving it away.

The fight was done like it was something you were watching on pay per view which was a nice touch of realism. It was fantastically shot and you can't help but cheer for the man. I loved the side plot with the woman and her son. It was interesting, it seemed they both needed a friend and that they were able to heal each other. I really didn't care much for Rocky's kid. You know the guy that is also on the show Heroes. I just hated that he was such a punk but he comes around of course. The scene wear Robert (the son) confronts his dad is fantastic. He blames his dad and Rock gives this speech that was so awesome I was cheering. It saved that part of the story for me. Rocky's pal, Paulie, has a smaller roll in this one which was nice. The focus was really on Rocky and how he was dealing with getting older and a life without his wife. He doesn't really let the Champs verbal jabs get at him and he doesn't rise to the barbed questions the reporters fling at him. He is doing this because he wants to and knows he can and I liked it. Overall this movie was amazingly well done and it is one you need to rent and take home. You may sign up for a boxing trainer after seeing it because it is that good.

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