This is the first time I've watched Rocky Balboa since it was released. I was shocked to learn that was 7 years ago. Shocked because Stallone just hasn't gone away since. This was supposed to be his swansong, like it was for Rocky; perhaps his most beloved creation.

Rocky Balboa felt like the perfect ending to a wonderful series of underdog movies. Rocky, as a character, had a natural charm to him that continues to shine in Rocky Balboa. Obviously…

I imagine this is how WWE imagine all their comebacks are like every Wrestlemania when they drag up some old, half crippled wrestler of years gone by and put them in their vest & pants to please the fans one last time - but in reality it's a bit embarrassing for all involved.

Rocky Balboa is different to that and I really, really, really enjoyed it. There are flaws, but I don't care. I am a full and complete Rocky convert…

Another perfect progression in the story of Rocky Balboa's life in the boxing world. It is completely unbelievable to me that the fight during this film's climax would have ever played out the way that it did, but does anyone really think that Balboa should have stood a chance against Ivan Drago after seeing how his character was built up in Rocky IV?

I loved all of the callbacks to the previous films including the appearances of Spider Rico and…

Trailer

I have a theory that Sylvester Stallone has been going through a midlife crisis for at least the last decade. Ignoring his turn as one of the bad guys in Spy Kids 3D for a moment, it’s patently obvious to anyone who’s been following his career that the man is now doing little else but harking after past glories. Fair enough, The Expendables 2 is a wonderful nostalgia trip for all concerned and it’s tough not to appreciate Sly’s…

"Time goes by too fast"

It took me till the last 20 minutes to realize that Rocky Balboa was nearly an identical retelling of the original Rocky . If you can accept that fact, from a series already criticized for rehashing old ideas, Rocky Balboa is a very charming and quaint film.

After watching the new champion boxer named Dixon (Antonio Tarver) win another fight, we're welcomed with establishing shots of Philadelphia and the iconic song "Take you Back" from…

I reviewed Rocky Balboa as part of the panel on Now Playing Podcast's Rocky Movie Retrospective Series:

In 14 years Sylvester Stallone had made five Rocky films, and for a long time it was easy to assume Rocky V was the last film. A financial failure and derided by critics and fans alike, it seems Rocky had finally retired once and for all. But 30 years after the original Rocky, Stallone put the gloves back on and returned to the…

I didn't grow up with the Rocky series—as it happens, this is the only sequel even released in my lifetime—yet watching the grand finale I still get smacked with the pangs of nostalgia. It's the kind of film that draws so heavily on the past you almost feel as though you were part of it yourself. It's also the first sequel, in my opinion, that comes close to challenging the original in terms of quality. Like that first film, Stallone…