"ROCKY" - MOVIE REVIEW
John G. Avildsen directed “Rocky’ an American sports drama released in 1976
and written and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment of the
Rocky franchise. It also stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burgess
Meredith. In the film, Stallone plays Rocky Balboa, an uneducated, small-time
club fighter and debt collector who gets an unlikely shot at the world
heavyweight championship held by Weathers' Apollo Creed.
Movie sets in 1975, heavyweight boxing champion Apollo Creed announced
plans to hold a title bout in Philadelphia during the upcoming United States
Bicentennial. However, he was informed five weeks after the fight date that his
scheduled opponent, Mac Lee Green, would not be able to compete due to a hand
injury. With all other alternatives booked or unavailable, Creed decided to
spice things up by giving it a chance to challenge a local contender.
Creed picks up Rocky Balboa, an Italian-American journeyman southpaw boxer
who primarily fights in small gyms and works as a collector of loan sharks. Rocky
meets with promoter George Jergens assuming that Creed is seeking
local sparring partners. Reluctant at first, Rocky eventually agrees
to the fight which will pay him $150,000. Rocky goes through weeks of unconventional training like using sides of
beef as punching bags. Rocky is later approached by
Mickey Goldmill, a former bantamweight fighter who turned trainer and
whose gym Rocky frequents, about further training. Rocky is not willing
initially, as Mickey has not shown much interest in helping him before and sees
him as a wasted talent, but eventually Rocky accepts the offer.
Rocky begins to develop a romantic relationship with Adrian Pennino, who
works part-time at J&M Tropical Fish Pet Shop. Paulie, Adrian's brother,
and Rocky's best friend helps Rocky date his sister and offers to work as his
cornerman for a fight with him. Paulie is jealous of Rocky's success, but Rocky
convinces him by agreeing to promote the meatpacking business where Paulie
works as part of an upcoming fight. The night before the fight, a
sleep-deprived Rocky visits the Philadelphia Spectrum and begins to lose
confidence. He admits to Adrien that he doesn't believe he can win but is
trying to prove himself to everyone by going against Creed, which no other
fighter has done.
On New Year's Eve, Creed makes a dramatic entrance as George Washington and
Uncle Sam. Using his overconfidence, Rocky knocks him out in the first round,
the first time Creed has been knocked out. Humble and concerned, Creed takes
Rocky very seriously for the rest of the fight, though his ego doesn't fade
completely. The fight goes the full fifteen rounds, with various injuries to
both fighters. Rocky, who hits his head and has swollen eyes, needs to have his
right eyelid amputated to regain his sight. Apollo struggles to breathe with
internal bleeding and a broken rib. By the end of the fight, Rocky's ability to
absorb unlimited punches and stubborn refusal to go down countered Creed's
superior skills. As the final bell rang, the two fighters hugged each other and
promised each other no rematch.
After the fight, the athletes and spectators were outraged. Jergens
announces the fight over the loudspeaker as "the greatest display of
courage and endurance in the history of the ring," and Rocky repeatedly
calls out Adrian, who runs down to the ring. When Jergens declares Creed the
winner by a split decision, Rocky and Adrien acknowledge their love for each
other and don't care about the outcome of the fight.
Stallone wrote the script of Rocky in three days. Initially, United Artists
did not agree to cast Stallone in the lead role, but he refused to allow the
film to be made without him in the lead role; After turning down a six-figure
deal for the film rights, United Artists finally agreed to cast Stallone.
Filming began in January 1976 in Philadelphia. Many places, like the Rocky
Steps in the picture, are now considered cultural landmarks. With a production
budget of less than $1 million, Rocky popularized pre-movie sports dramas with
rags to riches and American Dream themes.
Rocky premiered in New York City on November 21, 1976, and was released
theatrically in the United States on December 3 by United Artists. Rocky became
the highest-grossing film of 1976, grossing nearly $225 million worldwide. The
film received critical acclaim for Stallone's writing, acting, and story; Among
other accolades, it received ten Academy Award nominations and won three,
including Best Picture.
Many publications have ranked it as one of the greatest films of all time
and one of the greatest sports films of all time. Rocky and its theme song have
become a pop-culture phenomenon, and are an important part of the film series,
video games, and merchandise that make up American popular culture of the
1970s.
In 2006, the Library of Congress selected Rocky for preservation in the US
National Film Registry as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically
significant."
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