Rocky Balboa

A legend like Rocky Balboa could hardly have asked for a better retirement. More than ever, Stallone gave me the impression that he literally connected with Rocky, imprinting him with heart and soul, and it shows not only in his great performance, but especially in his sensitive and sincere direction. The film is a beautiful depiction of perseverance, indomitable desire, and the power of friendship, and though the story takes a predictable and well-trodden path, it still manages to strap us firmly into our seats and knock us off our feet at the end. I enjoyed it, plus I definitely figured out who Stallone's most famous and best movie character is: the Italian Stallion Rocky Balboa. 4.5* (10/02/2012)

I liked the slightly grim humor and the nice old-fashioned mentoring tone that carries the film most of the time. I hope the Italian Stallion does not get mad at me, but the last match sucks. It lacked clear motivation, enthusiasm, a strong opponent and some reasonable resolution - it hangs at the end of the film just for show. Until then, Rocky's last adventure has all the attributes that made the first film famous (although they are somewhat shabby now)... it focuses more on simpler but catchy psychology and on Stallone's still functional two-sided acting. I enjoyed it, but I consider a boxing film which does not wow me with the final fight to be slightly weak. (12/13/2008)

The last (I hope) Rocky doesn't surprise with anything, the story is again simple and straightforward, with a pinch of combat adrenaline, and life wisdoms that sound out of Harlequin books, some of which caressed the soul. Rocky's final farewell to the audience in the boxing ring (and symbolically, Sly's farewell to this character, which suddenly catapulted him to the cinematic Olympus) left me surprisingly cold, but there’s no denying that it is a worthy farewell. Mainly because there is no lack of insight, Stallone faces the advancing years head on and occasionally throws down some nice and funny lines. In short, Sly made me happy. The film is worth 3 stars, the fourth one is thrown in for nostalgia’s sake, which Sly enlivened with several functional short flashbacks. And why not admit it, I have a soft spot for this hard-working "Italian Stallion". (01/09/2007)

Sly did it. The end of the series about the Italian Stallion Rocky Balboa worked out as it should and as I wished. Stallone was clever about it using the only thing he had left: memories. It’s as though he's recapitulated his own life and transferred it to the character who's been with him from the beginning. The movie's success is also due to the performances, which are definitely above standard. In addition to the excellent Stallone, there is also the great Burt Young as Paulie (the only link with the past) and Milo Ventimiglia, who shows that he can stretch beyond Heroes. I'm overjoyed to return to the old days for an hour and a half, and I'm giving Rocky an extra star to say goodbye. Thanks. (06/29/2007)

Perhaps the saddest, slowest, and most sentimental of the entire saga, with an absolutely banal storyline and a ton of outrageous clichés. Nevertheless, there is one key word that nobody can resist, not even Hollywood triviality and its classic effort to squeeze as much money out of the viewer as humanly possible, and that word is nostalgia. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve seen him, you still can't help but root for the protagonist, and Stallone definitely deserves clenched fists not only for the gripping and touching scene in the meat-packing plant, for which I would gladly award him an Oscar in the imaginary category of the best performed moment of the year. His fists are still strong and even though the finale is heavily edited and confusing, it's still worth watching. The pleasant supporting roles bring joy, the typical cloyingness is annoying, and the blatant simplicity is striking, but they squeeze everything out of it and the legend can end with honor. (08/15/2007)