My Review of "Rocky"

Rocky is a classic movie that came out back in 1976. It just shows you how timeless it is when it can still entertain me today. I've seen this movie many times and each time I get something more out of it. From what I remember, this is my favorite movie of the franchise for a reason. Watching it again I can see why.

The movie starts out with a slugfest. Rocky and this unknown boxer named Spider Rico. Though Rocky wins the match, it doesn't seem like he's won at all. He gets barely any pay from the match and he's all beaten up. The fight is rough and dirty. There's practically no technique at all in the fight, it's basically a brawl. Still, Rocky is proud of his achievement and wants more.

When we get outside of the ring we learn even more about Rocky. He doesn't live a glamorous life. In fact, he lives a very desolate life where he has to make ends meet by working for a local mob boss. The one thing that brightens his day is the very brief moments he has with a pet store worker named Adrian.

Rocky is smitten by her but she's really shy. He is terrible and awkward around her but he's trying. Luckily for him, he's friends with Adrian's brother Paulie. The problem is that Paulie wants Rocky to help him get a job with the mob boss and Rocky doesn't want him involved with crime.

Things start going from bad to worse, until the world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed has an unfortunate incident. His opponent for his big New Years boxing match gets injured. Due to the time and expenses they paid for this big event in Philadelphia he has to find a replacement. Somehow, out of pure luck Apollo chooses Rocky because of his moniker, "The Italian Stallion".

Hesitant, Rocky accepts the fight and this becomes a huge ordeal that no one expects. It's like as if someone with a regular everyday living gets suddenly propelled to stardom. Somehow this is still relatable to today with social media.

There is a lot of situations that are quite of the times. This movie was made in the 1970s. The culture of the time and place are quite evident. I felt like there's an air of realism throughout this movie. Each of the characters have huge flaws in themselves. Some of them overcome those hurdles like Adrian and Rocky, however, some stay the same like Paulie. There's a beautiful metamorphosis of each of the main characters. Somehow, this movie also makes the city of Philadelphia itself a silent character of its own. The way the community bans together to cheer their local hero is quite something.

Of course, the training is also a great highlight of this movie as well. Though this isn't totally the emphasis of this movie. We see Rocky evolving but not only in terms of his skill but his confidence and awareness of himself. Although this movie is about boxing it really explores Rocky's understanding of himself. He sets goals for himself but he tries to make them realistic despite the absurdity of the situation he's in. He's a simple man and knows what he wants. This is why it's such a relatable movie. Rocky just goes for his goals even though they may seem unattainable.

Overall, I love this movie. There's so much to love about it. Yes, the beginning is quite awkward. To be fair, it's right on the money to be this awkward because Rocky is trying to figure himself out. By the middle of the movie when Rocky gets to opportunity to fight Apollo this movie propels like a rocket. It's so much fun and so much to love. I have to give this movie an 8.5 out of 10, highly recommended.