movie minute

Rock-y With Me: The sixth and final (hopefully) Rocky movie is out and while it's not a great film it does pack some punch. Rocky Balboa (PG) charts the reemergence of the Italian Stallion as played by Sylvester Stallone. Rocky spends his days at his Italian eatery regaling his guests of the good old days when he was in his prime and also sitting by the grave of his late wife. Yes, Adrian, has passed (woman cancer) and Rocky misses her more than he can say. The role of Rocky has been a blessing and a curse for Stallone but watching him on the screen inhabit the good-natured, simple-minded Balboa, it's obvious he knows the role inside and out.

When ESPN runs a simulation fight between Rocky and the new champ, Mason "The Line" Dixon, and Rocky wins, it stirs interest and soon the manager of Dixon comes a-calling to set up an exhibition fight between the two boxers. Dixon is played by real-life boxer Antonio Tarver and it's too bad that he's made out as such a jerk. Dixon is fighting wimpy, no competition opponents; these guys are barely putting up a fight and Dixon is winning so easily that he's losing fans and not much of a draw. Once the simulated game is shown, and all the pundits come out of the woodwork, the thought of being pit against the aging Italian both intrigues and irritates Dixon. Make no mistake, Stallone's body (he recently turned 60) is still a sight to behold and pretty soon it's young and quick against old and tough.

The side story in the film shows Rocky and the relationship he has with his son, Rocky Jr. (Milo Ventimiglia from Heroes). It's a nice dynamic that these two actors and characters have with each other and I would have liked to have seen more of it. Rocky Jr. (like Stallone with the character of Rocky) is both cursed and blessed to share the name of his father.

The movie really does drag for the first hour but jolts into life when the two fighters start training and the lead up to the fight reminds one of the electrifying feel of the first Rocky. Despite the critics, Rocky has heart and a love for the sport and one can easily say he is hanging on the past; yet there is nothing wrong with doing something and knowing you can do, knowing you can stand up amidst all the jeers and doubts. As Rocky says in one of his speeches, "It's not about how hard you can hit, it's about how hard you can be hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward." The fifth Rocky back in 1990 was a dud of a film but with Balboa the franchise can be put to rest on a high note. And stick around for the credits to see just how much Rocky has permeated our culture.

Bags of popcorn (out of 5): 3

paul