Rocky Balboa is a down-on-his-luck can be boxer. He resorts to being a loan shark to earn a living and his life is usually going nowhere. But he has a coronary heart of gold, regardless of his tough exterior and mangled speech. Fate happens to drop a possibility in his lap when flamboyant boxing champion Apollo Creed (performed by a superb Carl Weathers) affords to provide Rocky a shot at the title. Rocky begins out on a journey which sees him actually going the space with the champ and beautiful the world.
"Rocky" is one of those films that simply aren't made any more. It's story and characters; that is it. It is easy, but strong. This kind of story is not really new however the best way it's performed is contemporary, original and authentic. There's the sense that everybody working on this film was working on 'the little engine that would'. In a case of life imitating artwork (or vice versa, whichever came first!), "Rocky" is a representation of a drive in all of us to understand our goals, and what it means not to. On this degree, most individuals can establish and luxuriate in a film like this even if they have no interest in boxing. It could have been about something (the boxing is just a plot level), but the boxing motif does introduce the concept of actually fighting for your dream.
"Rocky" was one of many first movies to use a steadicam. Cameraman James Crabe is somewhat critical within the audio commentary of his early work with the steadicam in this movie which he feels is kind of tough but it surely does give the film an documentary-type authenticity that you couldn't stage. And given the low budget nature of the film, the steadicam actually gives it far more production value in various scenes. The ultimate struggle sequence appears to be like fabulous, and Avildsen does a fantastic job of recreating a battle versus glossing it up Hollywood style.
Carl Weathers is great to watch. He leaps off the display and completely captures the bigger-than-life Apollo Creed who's impressed by the real life boxer Mohammad Ali. Burgess Meredith is actually authentic as Rocky's manager Mickey. His voice, his mannerisms, even his stroll are simply perfect. These guys are these characters. Talia Shire does very nicely as the shy and reserved Adrian who is literally the other of Rocky. Burt Younger can also be superb, if not likeable because the irritating Paulie, Adrian's brother. But the star of the movie, Sylvester Stallone deserves probably the most credit score, portraying an empathic, realistic character in Rocky Balboa. This movie is all about Sylvester Stallone and what he completed with this film.
