By: debbie lynn elias
Tremendous! Inspirational! A knockout! Pure heart and soul! 30 years after it all began on the streets of Philadelphia, and 30 years after the world triumphantly raised its arms in unison and embraced in its hearts a simple honest and determined young fighter named Rocky Balboa, the saga of this underdog, this “everyman”, and the inspiration to everyone with a dream to just keep punchin’, Sylvester Stallone returns to the ring in this, the sixth and final chapter of the Rocky saga. Rocky Balboa is a character that touches the heart and truly embodies the spirit that life ain’t over until it’s over. And with the film, ROCKY BALBOA, we are all reminded of that undying spirit within each of us and once again, in our greatest and proudest tradition, continue to root for the underdog.
When we first met Rocky Balboa in 1976, he was an uneducated galoot, roaming the streets of South Philadelphia, living in a hovel of an apartment, doing collection work for some businessmen of some questionable stature and hoping for better, hoping to be a fighter. And what a fighter he ultimately became. Going to toe to toe with reigning heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, Rocky became a phenomenon. With feet flying through South Philly and triumphantly ascending the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum, Rocky became a household world. A rematch between Apollo and Rocky found Rocky standing with the heavyweight title as his alone. Endorsements, fashion styling (long before the Fab Five were around to do magnificent makeovers and before Jennifer Flavin Stallone’s phenomenal skin care line was launched), fancy house, fancy cars, expensive jewelry – life was good for the champ. But, all good things come to an end and the good things in life can be bad for a fighter. They have a tendency to make him soft, let him rest a little on his laurels. And as Rocky found out, the bumps in life can make or break you. At his lowest point, with his beloved coach Mickey having passed on and Rocky himself losing battles with Clubber Lang and his own confidence, it took the love and wisdom of his wife Adrien and the dedication of a good friend, Apollo Creed, to make Rocky see what the rest of the world always knew – he had heart, he was heart and that’s what made him the indomitable spirit that he was and still is. And thus, with renewed sense of self, Rocky went on to beat Lang in a rematch, setting himself up for yet more devastation and loss when facing Soviet fighter Ivan Drago. The losses he suffered in his battles with Ivan were more than most men could ever fathom. He loses his best friend Apollo. Almost loses the love of his life, Adrian, and does lose the capability to ever fight again thanks to punishing blows to the head that have caused brain damage. Which brings Rocky straight home to Philly only to find himself unable to fight, unable to comprehend, unable to connect with his son, and very bankrupt. But in the end, Rocky was still Rocky and thanks to his heart and the love and wisdom of his family, found that he wasn’t really that lost at all.
Sixteen years have passed since we last saw Rocky. He’s now pushing 60. Never recouping his financial losses, he nevertheless has survived thanks to his Italian restaurant, Adrian’s. Originally run by Adrian, everything is now in Rocky’s hands since losing her to cervical cancer. Estranged from his now corporate-suited- son, Robert “Rocky, Jr.” Rocky spends his days at the restaurant regaling tales of glory from the past and posing for pictures with everyone that will listen. Adrian’s brother Paulie, still working at the meat packing plant made famous thanks to Rocky’s early training methods, is near the end of his road. Physically and emotionally drained, Paulie can’t keep living in the past with Rock. He can’t make another nightly trek around the neighborhood bars seeing the same guys, hearing the same stories. Life is winding down for these men we have grown to love as one of our own family.
Thanks to 21st Century technology and the insanity of the media, ESPN does a hypothetical “what if” scenario. Pitting a 1976 Rocky Balboa against 2006 heavyweight champion Mason “The Line” Dixon in a computer simulated bout, it’s not long before the whole world is talking – – – talking about Rocky beating Dixon in the hypothetical, and even more importantly, talking because Rocky gets it in his head to step back in the ring and turn a hypothesis into reality. As we have seen time and time again, it’s not long (maybe days if not a mere hours) before money, greed and boxing promoters are overwhelmed by dollar signs and an exhibition bout is set up for Las Vegas between Rocky and Dixon.
Need I say more about the storyline? I think not.
Sylvester Stallone is Rocky – and I mean that literally and figuratively. He can’t walk down a street in Philly or many other cities for that matter where passers by don’t yell out, “Yo, Rock!” to which Stallone always answers. He embraces Rocky and doesn’t shy away from the man, the character or the responsibility to integrity that goes with it. Considered by many himself to be down and out, Sly’s heart and soul shine this time around with a crystal clarity we haven’t really seen since 1976. It is inspiring to behold both on screen and in person when meeting Sly or listening to him talk about Rocky. There is humility and honesty that permeates through the character, adding new emotional layers and depths not just to Rocky but in his connection with the audience. And there is ultimately a peace, a man who finally comes to terms with life and getting old and Sly’s performance articulates that perfectly. Physically, Stallone went to great lengths to “age himself” (I’m tellin’ ya – that skin care line makes it difficult to look old!) Packing on the pounds with carbs, carbs and more carbs, Stallone finally looks like a paunchy heavyweight and not a middleweight.
Burt Young returns for the sixth time as Paulie. Here again, Young brings the character full circle and while he plays curmudgeonly as good if not better than most, there is a heartfelt presence with his performance this time. Still self-centered, he finally does let his heart show…just a little. A real surprise is Milo Ventimiglia. Taking on the role of Rocky, Jr., Ventimiglia is probably most recognizable now for the hit show “Heroes” although I first took note of him a few years back in “American Dreams”, a show set in Philly surrounding another little Philly phenomena called “American Bandstand.” Originally written for Stallone’s son Sage, due to his own entertainment commitments Sage was unable to reprise his role from “Rocky V” and thus Ventimiglia got the call. Good call, too! Physical resemblance aside, his chemistry with Stallone as the frustrated, I want to separate-myself-from-your-legacy-but-I-still-love-you-but-I-don’t-want-to-be-embarrassed-by-you son, is universally appealing. Parents will see it. Kids will roll their eyes and go, “yeah, I know how he feels!”
Boxing champion Antonio Tarver makes his acting debut as Mason “The Line” Dixon” and he is surprisingly good. I had a chance to speak with Tarver in Las Vegas last year during filming and he is actually a charming, affable, gracious and enthusiastic guy who really LOVED coming into this film. “This is fun!” was a frequent intonation. Interestingly, this is the first film where Stallone actually goes toe-to-toe with a real fighter and I gotta say, I am still amazed. As part and parcel to shooting boxing scenes, the fight are choreographed and punches staged. No one plans this, directs and seamlessly edits these type of shots better than Stallone. But, despite planning with this one, Tarver, being a pro, couldn’t always pull back on his punches and thus, was actually pummeling and pounding Stallone. Stallone, being the pro he is, wasn’t about to turn his back on the story and the film, and was actually fighting back throwing his own punches at Tarver. And as if the film footage isn’t enough proof, being on the set, I saw first hand the bruising that was taking hold of Stallone on day two of shooting. Most people through make-up had put the bruising on him. Nope. The bruising was real from the real punches. When you watch the film and see no bruising, THAT’s make-up. With an infectious laugh and real conviction, Tarver recently told me, “I do not want to meet that man in an alley. He is tough.”
Noticeably absent, however, is Talia Shire as Adrian. Only shown in ever present flashbacks, when recently asked about being “left out” in the flesh, Shire stated, “Sylvester and I talked about it about a year ago. But for the story to go where he wanted it to go, I agreed with him that Adrian should not be in the film. I may not be in the film but I am always in Sylvester’s corner.” Class. Pure class. But, what would Rocky be without a little voice helping him rediscover his heart and himself. Which brings us to the return of Marie. Originally a small part in the original Rocky, South Philly gal Marie returns with Irish beauty Geraldine Hughes stepping in. Playing a now single mother struggling to make ends meet, her childhood friendship with Rocky is rekindled. Hughes is a real surprise. Mastering a South Philly accent with no trace of her Irish brogue, she brings a grounded presence. Likeable to a tee. And of course, I have to mention Tony Burton. The only person other than Stallone and Young to appear in all 6 Rocky films, Burton returns as corner man Duke and is, as always a welcome sight.
Written and directed by Stallone, no one knows the character better or the story better. Thanks to the disappointing (and let’s face it, rather schlocky, Rocky V), at age 52, Stallone got the idea of bringing Rocky back one last time. End it right. The right way. Hollywood wasn’t interested. But then a little over a year ago, things changed at MGM and Stallone got the call. They wanted Rocky. Paralleling his own life’s journey as an actor facing questions about age, ability and box office, he brings Rocky full circle. Always the underdog and ever the hero, Stallone’s message here is as loud and true as 30 years ago. Determination. Ethics. Integrity. Heart. Soul. Be true to yourself and never give up. The dialogue is well chosen and well spoken and clearly, from the heart. One monologue in particular will have even you guys grabbing for the tissue boxes. I particularly admire the frankness of Stallone having Rocky weigh the pros and cons of re-entering the ring. Can I throw a punch? Can I knock him out? If I do, it has to be early because my body will collapse. But, I have the will. I have the desire. There is no pandering to emotion.
From a lensing standpoint, the fight scenes are flawless. The energy and excitement is, even at Stallone’s high level of excellence with this type of footage, unparalleled. I didn’t think it could get any better, but together with editor Sean Albertson and cinematographer J. Clark Mathis, it does. And for some of it, I watched the creative process and his care and attention to detail first-hand. Impressive. This is why Stallone is still throwing punches at age 60. And the requisite Philly training sequences and a run up the Art Museum steps, well, its like going home and wrapping your arms around a loved one – as heartfelt and joyous now as ever. And yes, the Bill Conti score still flies as high as it did 30 years ago.
Near and dear to my heart, two of my most cherished experiences in life involve Rocky. My first job on a film was doing some minion gopher jobs on Rocky III. Last December, I had the privilege of being in Vegas for the first two days of lensing on ROCKY BALBOA. There is and always will be only one Rocky. The man. The myth. The legend. (And now enshrined in the Smithsonian.) You will laugh. You will cry. Your heart will soar. You wanna ring the bell? Go ahead. Ding, ding. ROCKY BALBOA. It ain’t over till it’s over. Go for it.
Rocky Balboa: Sylvester Stallone
Paulie: Burt Young
Mason “The Line” Dixon: Antonio Tarver
Rocky Jr.: Mile Vintimiglia
Marie: Geraldine Hughes
Duke: Tony Burton
Written and directed by Sylvester Stallone. Rated PG. (102 min)
