Resolutions 2016: Rocky

Okay, kids. Apologies for being a day later than I said, but it’s time to start this brand spankin’ new year off right by getting in a few movie resolutions. That’s right—my Resolutions series has officially begun!!! Got a lot of great stuff from a lot of great folks that will be popping up on here over the next few weeks, and you may be shocked by some of the things people have never seen before! But to kick things off, I’ve got a little resolution of my own to shock you. Until a few days ago, I had never seen Rocky. That’s right, Eric. Try not to be too appalled. But I have now remedied that. Was it worth the watch? Let’s discuss.

Rocky (1976)

Synopsis: “Rocky Balboa, a small-time boxer gets a supremely rare chance to fight the heavy-weight champion, Apollo Creed, in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect.” –www.imdb.com

What I liked:

• Sylvester Stallone as down-on-his-luck boxer Rocky Balboa. I’ve never quite understood Stallone’s appeal, but after seeing this I get it. He completely becomes this character, and he’s great. And I hadn’t realized he wrote the screenplay! Good for him! On both accounts, he earned his Oscar noms.
• The uplifting score. Doesn’t it just make you wanna go out and get stuff done? I’ll admit that I was a little disappointed I didn’t get to hear “Eye of the Tiger” (I believe that’s in one of the sequels), but I still enjoyed the music—particularly during…
• The training montage. Really, isn’t this the training montage that has inspired all other training montages? Well, I know it’s at least inspired plenty of spoofs, but watching Rocky go from this wheezing, hopeless thing in the cold during his first run to a true champion at the top of those stairs with the sun rising—that’s a pretty awesome montage right there.
• Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed. A bit of a showboat, Creed is a larger-than-life personality that could easily rub people the wrong way, but Weathers plays him with oodles of charm and enthusiasm. He’s a fun opponent for Rocky. And, of course, there’s…
• The big fight. It seems almost never-ending—in a good way, of course. At first, Rocky seems at a pretty hefty disadvantage, but he proves he’s can hold his own, and round by round begins to wear down Creed. It’s a great fight. Every punch makes you tense.

What I didn’t like:

• Talia Shire as Adrian. I realize Shire got an Oscar nomination for this, so maybe it’s more that I have a problem with Adrian than Shire’s performance. The whole idea that she’s this ridiculously meek woman until Rocky comes along is kind of annoying to someone like me who is very girl power. I just kept thinking, “Girl, you don’t need a man to suddenly have a life and a backbone!” Perhaps I’m overreacting a bit, but it’s how I felt.
• Rocky is kind of creepy for a while. I was a little dumbfounded by his interest in Adrian when she barely spoke a word to him, let alone reciprocated his interest. Sometimes it felt like he was forcing a relationship on her. Not exactly romantic stuff for a movie that puts such an emphasis on their relationship.
• The people in this movie sure do scream at each other a lot. I guess it’s an Italian thing, huh? But Rocky yells a lot and so does Paulie (Burt Young), and it made me feel like I was watching Jersey Shore. Sigh. The 21^st century really does ruin some things…
• I expected…more, I guess. After the big fight, a lengthier ending would’ve made sense to me, but nope. It just ended. Granted, it wasn’t a bad ending. Just abrupt. Rocky is actually a pretty simple story. I guess after so many people praised it as this epic, must-see film, I was a bit let down.

A Worthy Resolution? Despite my qualms, I absolutely do not regret watching Rocky. It might not have been my favorite film ever, but I see the appeal. Stallone is great, that last fight is impressive, and it’s no wonder that training montage has become so iconic. I’m usually not a sport movie kind of gal, but I enjoyed this one well enough.

My Grade: B+

Well there we go! One resolution down! Feels good to scratch that one off my list. Crossing my fingers that I can cross off two or three more. However, tomorrow I’ll have a guest here to knock out a resolution! It’s a pretty excellent resolution, too, so you’ll definitely have to come check it out. Also, if you’re still interested in participating in this series, let me know! I know I said the deadline was Sunday, but you know me—I’m pretty easy when it comes to deadlines. Particularly for you lovely people. 😉 So let me know! And see you tomorrow!