ROCKY BALBOA: Guess What? It's Good!

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AndyDursin · #1 Post by **AndyDursin** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 6:31 pm

I have a soft spot for the Italian Stallion so I admit that I am rooting for this movie to do well.

The good news from all quarters is that it, indeed, actually MAY be good! The movie has been screened well in advance to take advantage of what the studio believes to be possibly very good word of mouth.

First two reviews are out and they too are positive:

Entertainment Weekly:
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/review/mov ... _0_,00.htm
"There is no movie this holiday season I wanted to see less than Rocky Balboa. Sylvester Stallone already had one go at resurrecting his most beloved character as a creaky, years-beyond-his-prime has-been, in Rocky V, and no one gave much of a damn then. So why should we care about Rocky again? It turns out that the added years only benefit the character, making him seem touchingly new because he's so old. "

Victoria Alexander/Films in Review
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/click/mov ... id=1562161
"The big fight takes place right here in Las Vegas and certainly delivers the goods. Surprisingly, Stallone has done a very nice job of directing. Sure, "Rocky Balboa" harks way back to the good old days of little man dreams coming true, but there is no denying that this is a crowd pleasing finale."

mkaroly · #2 Post by **mkaroly** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 8:16 am

I never cared for this series of films, so I'll skip it. I did like ROCKY IV though-

AndyDursin · #3 Post by **AndyDursin** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 12:45 pm

And the good reviews keep on coming...

Hollywood Reporter
"Defies all expectations with a low-key, technically stripped-down production that really does come close to capturing the heart and soul of the original...

...There's a disarming quality to Stallone's thoughtful script that has a way of stopping smirking skeptics right in their tracks, as if to say: "Yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking. But at least give me a shot here."

...Of course, Rocky wouldn't be Rocky without that signature theme, and Conti has turned it into elegiac lament for the first half of the picture before cranking it up to full throttle for that last hurrah, as well as backing amusing end-credits footage of tourists from all over re-enacting the iconic ascension of those Philadelphia Museum of Art steps."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/fil ... ?&rid=8554

Variety
"a surprisingly satisfying third-act heavyweight bout"

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117932 ... id=31&cs=1

AndyDursin · #4 Post by **AndyDursin** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 11:12 am

From USA Today:

And the movie is earning respect. Preview screenings of Rocky Balboa are delivering a sucker-punch of charm: Jaded Hollywood journalists, many of whom sneered at all the sequels, are grudgingly conceding their affection for it.

"I expected to go all Scrooge on Sylvester Stallone's sixth round as Rocky Balboa," Rolling Stone's Peter Travers writes. "(But) just when you're ready to puke, the old Bill Conti theme (Gonna Fly Now) kicks in — are you feeling it? — Stallone steps in the ring and every day is Christmas."

As word of mouth spreads, preview trailers once met with laughter are now greeted with applause and long, joyful shouts of "Yo!" The PG family-friendly movie could become the Christmas season's sleeper hit.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/new ... lboa_x.htm

mrsbrody · #5 Post by **mrsbrody** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 3:51 pm

I saw Rocky Balboa yesterday. It was touching in spots but fans expecting the heart and power of the original might be disappointed. The good news is that Rocky's brain-damage from part 5 has been cured and that he's more like the subdued Rocky everyone knows and loves. A huge majority of the Conti score was re-arrangements from the first two films. I noticed around three new cues, among them a brief bit of original music for the end of the fight.

AndyDursin · #6 Post by **AndyDursin** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 4:31 pm

Like a lot of fans, I'm really disappointed that there apparently isn't any soundtrack for ROCKY BALBOA coming out. Conti's original music has always been given short shrift and I would've thought this would have been the right time to make a real score album happen. (Stallone said in that interview at AICN that there would be 2 albums coming out, but he was pretty vague with the details).

Perhaps if the movie does well, it will generate interest in a score album. Mrsbrody is there a good amount of music in the movie?

mrsbrody · #7 Post by **mrsbrody** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 5:35 pm

There was actually much more music than I expected, but very little of it was new. I recall a nice new arrangement of the Rocky theme for Rocky buying a fish, some ominous low strings for Rocky's opponent Mason, a brief new horn theme that happens once or twice for Rocky and his love interest (if you can call her that) and the aforementioned boxing piece, which isn't very long and sadly doesn't measure up to Conti's best fight music.

AndyDursin · #8 Post by **AndyDursin** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 2:19 pm

I loved the film, AND the score. This ranks as one of Conti's finest works -- there's plenty of music in the film, there's some beautiful new material (Especially at the beginning of the film) for Adrian that nearly moved me to tears, and how he works in other ROCKY themes (including the ballad from ROCKY II) in the underscore is just gorgeous. It'll be a crime if there's no score album.

I hope the film does well -- packed (!) at 11:30am for one showing here. It's a beautiful movie, filled with heart and soul, that pretty much puts every ROCKY except I to shame in terms of character development. Wonderful supporting performances, a rousing finish...I can't say enough about it.

Even when we get a few too many speeches, at least you know Stallone is coming from the heart here. This is a real, honest-to-goodness FILM and not a studio "product". Perfect for Christmas, and highly recommended!

mrsbrody · #9 Post by **mrsbrody** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 5:48 pm

While I didn't think it was a very good movie, I can't say I'm upset that people seem to love it. I love the character and I thought his speeches were the best parts of the movie, but Rocky's opponent is paper thin and I didn't feel like there were any real stakes for the big fight. And what happened to Uncle Paulie? He's one of my favorite characters but he's shrill and thoroughly unlikeable in this one!

AndyDursin · #10 Post by **AndyDursin** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 5:56 pm

mrsbrody wrote:Rocky's opponent is paper thin and I didn't feel like there were any real stakes for the big fight. And what happened to Uncle Paulie? He's one of my favorite characters but he's shrill and thoroughly unlikeable in this one!

Paulie WAS kind of obnoxious back in the original...I rewatched it the other day and he definitely was pretty bad to poor Adrian back in the day.

As far as the stakes of the fight, and the opponent, I don't think either needed to be developed much more than they were. That's not the thrust of the film or what Stallone was trying to say this time (which is why I thought this movie had far more meaning than any of the sequels, except for possibly the second film). To me, you can sense this by how Stallone framed the end, by having Rocky and his crew already out of the ring when the decision was read...it didn't matter if he won or lost the judges opinion. He already had "won."

I do hope Stallone adds some footage for the DVD -- the young actor who played Marie's son was quite good and I felt there was probably more there that was cut. Still, I liked him, Milo Vertagmilia as Rocky's son, and particularly Geraldine Hughes as Marie -- she really did a nice job.

mrsbrody · #11 Post by **mrsbrody** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 6:27 pm

>>He already had won.<<

I agree with this and I'll take it a step further: It felt like he had already won before he even stepped into the ring, which is why I felt no suspense during the actual fight.

I also hope they put some stuff back into the dvd. I think what I missed most in the movie was Rocky rediscovering his killer instinct, his passion for fighting. I liked all the "stuff in the basement" talk but it could have used a scene that mirrored him pounding the beef in the first film.

AndyDursin · #12 Post by **AndyDursin** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 11:55 am

mrsbrody wrote:>>He already had won.<<

I agree with this and I'll take it a step further: It felt like he had already won before he even stepped into the ring, which is why I felt no suspense during the actual fight.

I also hope they put some stuff back into the dvd. I think what I missed most in the movie was Rocky rediscovering his killer instinct, his passion for fighting. I liked all the "stuff in the basement" talk but it could have used a scene that mirrored him pounding the beef in the first film.

I wouldn't disagree with that. I also understand what he was trying to do with Antonio Tarver's character, but the fight was so quick in developing that you never got a sense of how Dixon's manager was supposed to instruct him on how to fight (i.e. "respecting" Rocky, not just plummeting him with punches). I thought the film was supposed to get that point across, but it kind of muffled that moment.

Hopefully we'll get an Extended DVD, but it always seems that we get the "Extended" versions of movies we don't want to see again!

DavidBanner · #13 Post by **DavidBanner** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 2:47 pm

Not knocking the new movie, as I haven't seen it, but flashing back to an earlier era of Rocky...

Back in late 1985, when Rocky IV came out, my brother and I extrapolated what could be a really interesting Rocky V. We figured if he had exhausted all the regular opponents, why not try something unexpected - say the Abominable Snowman. We were inspired by the Russian training sequence in IV, particularly the bit where Rocky climbs up a snowy peak and does his thing at the top. The thought was perhaps Rocky had disturbed a Yeti up there and would have to fight one in an exhibition match. (named Abe Boniminable)

So my brother's vision of the new trailer, modelled of course from the Rocky IV trailer would begin with the Rocky fanfare and Rocky's USA glove rising up in frame, albeit a little tattered now. The next shot would be a giant white paw and forearm rising up in frame. The next idea would be for the white paw to grab the USA glove and pull Rocky across the screen. This would of course be followed by the breathless sports commentary of "Balboa is in trouble! Balboa is down! Balboa is d - Balboa is being EATEN! What a surprise this is!"