Rocky (1976)

Directed by John G Avildsen
Starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Carl Weathers.

Rocky is one of modern cinema's legends, an icon for the underdog and the underclass uneducated boxer. Rocky Balboa, a struggling debt collector for a gangster and small-time boxer, is going nowhere. But when the undefeated champion, Apollo Creed, needs to fight an opponent, he chooses the unknown 'Italian Stallion' from Philadelphia as a publicity stunt. Rocky, desperate to prove himself as more than a gimmick, trains to try and beat the heavyweight champion of the world.

It's a bold, rags-to-riches story that strikes people's hearts more than their brains. It's the classic American Dream tale. And as a piece of popcorn cinema entertainment, you can't get better. Sylvester Stallone might not be the greatest of actors, but there could not have been a better choice for the role of Rocky Balboa - originally, as an unknown, he was not first choice for the role, but perhaps the fact that he was not a top star suited the character of Rocky through and through. He plays him with a certain kind of pride even with his humble background. Rocky is, like the film, rough around the edges, but big-hearted underneath. However, it is his terrible chemistry with Talia Shire's Adrian which is a crucial weakness of the film. A loud, brash, big-hearted boxer does not fit with a pet-store clerk, who, at times, is so underplayed I could swear she was deaf-mute. Shire's performance so barely registers you wonder why Rocky even bothers with trying to talk to her. Carl Weathers, meanwhile, is the perfect rival for Rocky - similarly brash, but with an edge of confidence and cockiness that no doubt is meant to resemble Muhammad Ali.

The film's limited budget ($1.1 million) is often obvious, but it suitably mirrors Rocky himself as a raw underdog. However, the budget limit does not stop quality shining through - the iconic image of Rocky running up those famous Philadelphia steps lingers in your mind long after the end. However, the real failure of the film is in the boxing scenes - as the climax revolves around it, it is difficult not to notice the amateur camera angles and ridiculous swinging punches by both actors. In the end, the boxing is so over the top all you can notice is the love story . . . which again, has two such unsuitable performers you wonder why Rocky is so inspired by her.

The ending, in which Rocky actually loses, is a twist - in a much worse film, he would have won. But this burst of realism in a film full of cliche and sentimentality ends up being completely out of place. A great performance by Stallone, but the film doesn't quite catch up. But perhaps is sums up the spirit and nature of the film when you realise it won the Best Picture Oscar, beating technically better films such as Network and Taxi Driver. Something about it hits the heart of people who watch it, a je ne sais quoi that can't be summed up and analysed in a review. Despite the cheesy soundtrack.

Rating: 6/10.