Already in theatres ROCKY BALBOA (Sylvester Stallone). 102 minutes. For venues and times, see Movies, page 91. Rating: NNN Rating: NNN
When Rocky V, the I Am Sam of the series, hit screens 16 years ago, Mad Magazine parodied the pasture-bound Italian Stallion with a cartoon of him battling the Grim Reaper.
Certainly the idea of a sixth Rocky is laughably bad. But Rocky Balboa is a surprisingly poignant and mostly successful swing at late-career redemption, both for the character and for Sylvester Stallone.
Here’s a round-by-round rundown of Stallone’s fight to make Balboa and himself relevant to an audience not yet born when Rocky took the best picture Oscar 30 years ago.
Ding-ding.
Round 1 Cue the Bill Conti theme every jogger’s hummed at least once.
Round 2
We learn what’s put Rocky on the emotional ropes – his wife is dead and Rocky Jr. wants out from under Dad’s shadow. Rocky’s pretty much where he was before he ever fought Apollo Creed – alone and empty and angry at the world, with only turtles Cuff and Link and drunken brother-in-law Paulie ( Burt Young ) for companionship.
Round 3
Stallone’s acting. He’s physically convincing, sure – he looks like a sculpture of Atlas carved from cheese that’s been left in the sun – but this is the first time since his original Oscar-nominated turn that he delivers an actual performance.
Round 4
Rocky is drawn back into the ring to fight the unpopular undefeated champ, Mason “the Line” Dixon (real-life champ Antonio Tarver ), in a Las Vegas exhibition bout. Stallone, who also penned the script, undercuts the absurdity by making his age an (intentionally humorous) issue in the film.
Rounds 5 to 7
The requisite Rocky training montage: raw eggs are swilled, iron is pumped and those famous Philadelphia steps are climbed.
Round 8
With Paulie in his corner, Balboa squares off against Dixon. Stallone, who also directed Rocky II, III and IV, brings a fresh, live-on-pay-per-view feeling to the fights that previous Rocky movies lack.
Round 9
There’s something in this critic’s eye – is it blood? No wait, it’s nostalgia.
Round 10
Stallone says this, a worthy bookend to a saga that began strongly, is the last Rocky movie. He’s planning a fourth Rambo movie. If it’s as enjoyable as Rocky Balboa, I, for one, can’t wait.
