1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- Rocky

#636- Rocky (1976)
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Carl Weathers
Directed by: John G. Avildsen


Plot Summary: World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Apollo Creed is set to defend his title in Philadelphia on New Year's Day, but his scheduled challenger has backed out of the match due to injury. Desperate to find a new challenger for the fight, Creed selects Philadelphia native and small-time boxer Rocky Balboa. In preparation for the fight, Rocky undergoes a rigorous training regimen under the guidance of his trainer, Mickey Goldmill, who wants to help unlock Rocky's true potential as a boxer and go the distance in the ring with Creed, something no other boxer has done. While training for the fight, Rocky is also courting Adrian Pennino, a clerk at the local pet shop and the sister of one of Rocky's good friends, Paulie. With not many expecting Rocky to win, he enters the fight an underdog but intends to fight like a champion.


When it comes to sports movies, the biggest story told is that of the underdog. You see these types of movies all the time to the point where they seem overdone. But in 1976, when Rocky was released, there weren't too many movies like it. In fact, Rocky is one of the most influential films in the genre, with many of its plot details laying the foundation of the "overdone" sports film stereotypes that we have today (so do we owe this movie a "thank you"?). Whether or not you have actually sat down and watched this movie, I'm sure you have a pretty vivid impression of what happens in this movie. Rocky's a boxer, who runs up the steps to epic music, and is the ultimate underdog who must overcome all his adversities to win the match at the end of the movie...you get the idea. Even though, I had a pretty strong impression of what happened in the movie, I was still surprised by the amount of good acting performances in the film as well as the tremendous pacing and storytelling to make this underdog story one of the top contenders to be the champion of sports movies (see what I did there?).

Sylvester Stallone stars as the titular character, Rocky Balboa. One thing that I absolutely loved about this movie is that it doesn't really feel like a boxing movie, but is instead a film about a character that boxes (see the difference?). Usually, sports movies establish the conflict that the team or athlete that is considered the underdog by having them lose their first game or match. Rocky doesn't need to have any of that happen to him, and instead, we spend the movie getting to know Rocky as a person before he needs to step into the ring at the end of the film. Little subtleties in storytelling like that really help the audience connect with the character of Rocky, instead of just him being just a boxer. Also, I know nearly EVERYONE likes to make fun of Stallone's voice while quoting Rocky (I'm guilty as well), so there's some extra fun to be had while watching the movie.

The biggest challenge in Rocky's boxing career is in the form of the World Heavyweight Champion, Apollo Creed, played by Carl Weathers. I wouldn't say that Creed is an antagonist, because he isn't a stereotypical villain doing dastardly things. He's over the top only in terms of his charisma to entertain his fans (his star spangled attire is enough to have everyone's eyes rolling), and only proposes the match with Rocky as a marketing strategy (what he thinks will get the public to rally behind the match). Admittedly, he doubts that Rocky will be a legitimate threat, but he learns very quickly into their fight that Rocky is the real deal and a legitimate threat to his title. Weathers provides just the right amount of charm into this role, but is also flashy enough for viewers to side with the more relatable.

Rocky's main love interest is Adrian Pennino, played by Talia Shire. Her relationship with Rocky develops very naturally, with the clichéd love that can be classified as "opposites attract." I'm not sure if it's strange to call their relationship "cute," but I do think it is a very charming relationship to watch unfold throughout the film, and it feels realistic enough to believe that these two characters would be in love throughout these events. Adrian's brother Paulie, played by Burt Young, is also one of Rocky's close friends and helps train him for the big fight. Paulie is a very complex character to find "likable" since he's a drunk who berates his sister and openly criticizes her relationship with Rocky. However, he gets some sense knocked into him by Adrian when she finally grows the confidence to give him a verbal tongue lashing (which is VERY entertaining to see). Afterwards, they're all on the same page heading into Rocky's fight.

In order to train for the match against Apollo Creed, Rocky seeks training from Mickey Goldmill, played by Burgess Meredith. Mickey's one of my favorite characters in the movie for one reason and one reason only: his one-liners are PHENOMENAL. He says arguably the best line in the entire movie "you're gonna eat lightning, and you're gonna crap thunder," and has a very compelling relationship with Rocky that stems far more than comedy. It's almost awkward to see Rocky and Mickey dance around agreeing to work together, as you get neither man wants to show "weakness," but you can also see they know that they'd make a very formidable team.

The training montage in Rocky is arguably the greatest montage in film history, accompanied by the equally iconic "Gonna Fly Now" composed by Bill Conti. The running on the steps in Philadelphia, punching large amounts of meat in a freezer, drinking raw eggs, and the overall training for a big fight with the accompaniment of epic music are used in nearly every type of sport movie that is either paying tribute or satirizing this famous scene. It's the perfect type of scene that belongs in a film like this, because it gets the viewer pumped up and inspires them that if Rocky Balboa can go the distance, so can they.


Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Even if nowadays the sports underdog story has been done to death, Rocky was one of the earliest forms of this genre, and is easily one of the best films this genre has to offer. Thanks to the development of one of film's most legendary character, I'll give this movie a solid recommendation, and worth owning in the collection of all moviegoers.

Comment below to share your thoughts on the movie or to discuss a topic that I left out of my review 

Rocky and movie images are copyrighted by United Artists