Exclusive first look at the sixth installment!
by Stax
November 4, 2005 - Stax here with an exclusive first look at Rocky Balboa! Sylvester Stallone has written and will star in and direct Rocky Balboa, the sixth installment in the franchise that launched with the 1976 Best Picture winner. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Columbia Pictures and Revolution Studios will bankroll the movie; Columbia will distribute it. Filming begins next month in L.A. and Philadelphia.
Now issuing a MINOR SPOILER alert …
“Rocky Balboa is about everybody who feels they want to participate in the race of life, rather than be a bystander,” Stallone announced. “You’re never too old to climb a mountain, if that’s your desire.”
Revolution Studios founder Joe Roth added, “As a past champion, Rocky Balboa is once again a regular guy who has to find himself and deal with real life. This film brings Rocky’s story full circle.”
Indeed, from the draft I read, Rocky Balboa, like Rocky V before it (the last “last Rocky movie”), returns “The Italian Stallion” to his Philly roots and strips him of his fortune but not his fame. Rocky now runs a restaurant where patrons come in just to hear some old fight stories. Yearning for a shot at proving to himself that he still has it, Rocky manages to get relicensed as a fighter. This move catches the attention of the camp of heavyweight champ Mason Dixon. After a recent computer match-up had Rocky beating Dixon (shades of the Rocky Marciano-Muhammad Ali computer bout), the possibility of a real match-up proves too enticing for both parties to resist.
The bout isn’t for the title. It’s meant for publicity and charity, nothing more. (Dixon needs to boost his image and to get the pay-per-view and moneymaking crowd interested in him again after a series of all too easy fights.) But what was supposed to just be for show soon takes on a greater meaning for both men. If Rocky does indeed want to unload and get into a real fight with Dixon then the champ will have no qualms about shutting him down … or so he hopes.
There are several returning characters, most notably Paulie (Burt Young) and Rocky’s son. The latter is called Robert Jr. here and will not be played this time by Sly’s own son, Sage, as he was in Rocky V. I can confirm that the script even includes a cameo by Mr. T’s Clubber Lang, just as Ringside Report recently claimed.
The most surprising cameo, however, was by a character who appeared way back in the first Rocky. Mickey? No. Apollo Creed? Nope, he’s dead, too. I’m not saying who it is as I liked the reveal but their inclusion added a nice level of poignancy and nostalgia. As Roth said in his statement, this sequel does indeed bring Rocky’s saga full circle.
Rocky Balboa is about rediscovering one’s self-esteem. Rocky himself doesn’t seem to suffer from any real lack of confidence but he knows he’s not the dinosaur people are making him out to be and wants another chance to prove it. Rocky is essentially a kind-hearted, working class schmoe out to make people feel better and more confident about themselves, strolling the blue collar streets of Philly ready to dispense a chestnut of wisdom to someone in need.
In other words, he’s the Italian-American Fat Albert.
Rocky’s son Robert is the one who really seems to have lost his fighting spirit. Robert, who has pursued an office career, is trying to make his own way in the world and, as with all sons of famous fathers, lives in the shadow of a larger-than-life figure.
Theirs is not really an estranged or difficult father-son relationship – there’s clearly love between them – but Robert is oversensitive to people’s judgments about himself and his father. He’s simply trying to blend in and everytime his father shows up, he is judged against him and embarrassed by the spectacle. Rocky, for his part, wants to shake Robert out of the complacency that has made him grow soft.
Even the “antagonist” of the piece, heavyweight champ Mason Dixon, isn’t all bad. He knows he’s grown soft, too, living large and all that. He is a brand to people now not a man. This fight presents a challenge to him; even though everyone says he can take Rocky in his sleep, Rocky’s fear and spirit give him an edge that Mason has lost.
Mortality plays a large role in this story. Obviously, Rocky’s age is an issue but there are other ghosts from the past haunting these proceedings. The most notable is one that I won’t disclose but it should be obvious since their name hasn’t been mentioned here or in any news reports thus far. It’s a bold exclusion that humanizes Rocky even more.
My biggest gripes with the story was its leisurely pace and Rocky’s penchant for playing street philosopher. While it wasn’t boring, the story doesn’t really take off until Rocky goes for his license a little over halfway through. Then we’re basically jumping right into the action; the last act is the big fight. There were a few scenes, particularly between Rocky and Robert Jr., that ambled on a little too long where Rocky kept dispensing one-liners about believing in yourself and such. A little tightening up would be good.
Overall, though, Rocky Balboa was a simple but enjoyable stroll down memory lane. Like an aging fellow, it moved a little slower and rambled on more than its younger self did but it’s also wiser and more seasoned now. While it wasn’t as bombastic and fresh as past installments, I’d advise you against making the same mistake as the champ’s opponents have by counting Rocky Balboa out. – STAX