Rocky Balboa

I went to see it tonight and I enjoyed the hell out of it.

I know Rocky movies have a bad reputation. I can only assume it's because there are so many of them and at least two aren't very good. But most of the people who roll their eyes at Rocky haven't actually seen any of them. All of them are at least watchable and at best soulful and inspiring.

Has anyone else seen it? What did you think? What's your favorite Rocky movie?

Ooh! I didn't think it was out till tomorrow. Time to haul my ass to the theater.

Uhhhhhh no.

Rocky V anyone?

I watched them this past week on VHS and I thought Rocky IV was the bad one of the bunch (though Rocky jr.'s chain earring in five is hilarious). Sure it's badass how he trains for the fight, but Rocky fighting for America and eventually turning the Russian crowd in his favor... + Not only was it dumb, but every one of those people cheering would have been whisked away by some secret police or something. And that robot was super dumb. Also, Pauly is at his most annoying in four.

I don't know what you're talking about. Rocky IV was fucking awesome. Clearly the second best of the series.

I don't know. If you look at the first three, there's a story arc that completes with Rocky and Apollo competing as friends (all innuendo in that movie aside). The fourth one is completely out of place. And Apollo getting his ass kicked like he did?!? Come on! that guy was so tough Rocky fought him twice and only barely beat him the second time.
Oh, and don't forget, Rocky and Adrian leave their kid in another country supervised by a robot on Christmas. That robot could have gone crazy and tried to kill the kid, simultaneously making it the worst Christmas ever and the best Rocky opponent ever.

All of that is what makes it awesome. Seriously, it's the most mindless, improbable, ridiculous cold war movie of all time. I mean, the training montage where he climbs the 10 mile high mountain? The fact that he gets the Russian crowd in Moscow cheering for him just through sheer grit and determination? The fake Gorby impersonator? Brigitte Nielson's enormous rack? Lundgren in his prime?

All 100% fantastic. Honestly, it's one of those movies that's impossible not to enjoy because it's so entirely fucking absurd. Highest recommendation.

They're making another Rambo movie, it's supposed to come out sometime next year. I'm stoked.

Don't change the subject.

Ok so I just saw it. First I should say I grew up with the series and I'm a big fan of it all, cheesy as it is, the musical montages and everything.

This one could barely be called a Rocky movie though. Stallone put up a sincere performance, one of his best in decades, but it mostly felt like Rocky Lite. None of the gravitas of the previous movies.

I know Stallone was unhappy with the last one and didn't want to end the series on a sour note, but I really saw no point to this.

Wait, robots? What?

I give props to Stallone though, few of us will look that good at 60.

Rocky Vs. Boa

Rocky's kid is the weirdest thing about the series.

Notice in Rocky IV how when he went to Siberia to train, the kid was 10. Yet when he came back in Rocky V, mere months later at best, the kid was 15. Now, 16 years later, the kid doesn't look more than 25.

Holy continuity Batman!

and hopefully with it comes another dick rambone flick.

I enjoyed it right up till just after Rocky told Jr whatfor then I felt it went downhill. The whole movie feels like they've trimmed at least 45minutes. What they should have done is explore the characters more and dropped the hokum fight part altogether, it felt like Eddie Murphy's contribution to Best Defence, 'cept in reverse as it made the movie worse.

I'll put my hat in the ring and say that this could have been Stallone's 'The Shootist'. A missed opportunity.

IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AN EXHIBITION!!

Yet Milo Ventimiglia is nearly the exact age Rocky Jr. is really supposed to be, considering Rocky Two takes place in '76-'77. Really, the lack of continuity belongs to Five. All he had to do was not say it took place immediately after four and all would have been well...except for Tommy Gunn's mullet. Nothing is cool about that.

I thought that Tommy Morrison died, but after checking, I'm glad to see that I was wrong.

The first three quarters of the movie didn't provide enough character development for you? Rocky, is a pillar of his community and not just because of his past. He takes what he has and like the genuinely nice guy that he is, he helps as many people as he can (Marie, Steps, Pauly, and even Spider Rico). And really, the training and the fight were all about character. If he didn't fight, all of the previous "fighter has to fight", "keep moving forward" and "being your own man" dialogue would have been pointless making any ending equally pointless. Plus it's kind of, you know, necessary for a Rocky movie. The fifth one was all character and didn't have a real fight at the end (just a minor street brawl) and people hated it.

That's because we don't have his money. If people had any sense they would boycott this movie.

Why? Because Stallone has a lot of money?

Yes, going to see movie with people who have money supports them, and they don't need more money. Stop supporting the greedy practices of capitalist pigs!

I'll have you know that I only watch films that are made out of twigs and leaves by immigrant farmers. To be fair, their version of Rocky VI was a tad bit lacking.

He's probably on the phone to the surgeon who butchered...I mean surgically enhanced his Mother's face as I type this.