50 Stallone Movies Ranked From Best To Worst
17) ROCKY BALBOA (2006)
Rocky Balboa does an incredible job of bringing us down memory lane and reminding us why we loved the original Rocky so much. Stallone returned the series to its roots in an effective way, with the tempo being slowed down to allow for character development and with gentle, poignant moments depicting Rocky as he deals with age and loss. These scenes are incredibly affecting. While Rocky Balboa is formula with a capital F, this works in the film’s favour. After all, it would be silly to try and improve or update the formula (Rocky V tried and failed). Fans of the series wanted to see Rocky being put through the motions one last time, proving that heart, sweat and decency will forever trump ego and fancy workout equipment. The Rocky series has always been about the power of the human spirit as embodied in the title character, and Rocky Balboa continues this tradition. The only flaw with the film is that character behaviour seems perfunctory here – Rocky’s decision to get back in the ring feels more at the convenience of the script, while Rocky’s son (Ventimiglia) deciding to come around feels undeveloped and rote.
Rocky Balboa is not a gimmick, nor is it a last-ditch attempt to capitalise on the profitable series and earn a few bucks. Instead, it’s an excellent, warm, engaging film, and far better than it ought to be. Stallone couldn’t do much with Rocky except take him to the same places we’ve seen before with predominantly the same results. Yet, the film has heart, and the character has finally returned to his affable self once again. Rocky Balboa is as strong as the original film, and a fitting requiem for one of cinema’s most popular heavyweights. If the series had ended with Rocky V, it would have remained a joke. With Rocky Balboa, Stallone has given Rocky a proper, dignified burial and told a genuinely heartfelt, entertaining story in the process.
-PvtCaboose91
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