Rocky (1976)
Grade: 66
Has any actor gotten more mileage out of a single character than Sylvester Stallone with "Rocky"? He had made feature films before, small supporting roles in minor films. "Rocky" took him to the big time, where he remained despite the mediocrity of the movies that followed.
But give Stallone his due. He is much smarter than the dumb-dumb characters he has played. He seems to know his limitations as an actor, building a career playing characters that fit within his limited range. And, as "Rocky" showed, he can write a script. "Rocky" has crisp dialogue, characters with some depth and vulnerability, and a feel-good story destined for box office success. His smartest move of all was not selling the script until a studio met his demand: he gets the starring role. Although this may not have been for the best: had he sold the script, perhaps he would be writing good screenplays instead of starring in bad films.
"Rocky" tells the story of a humble boxer (Stallone), living in a slummy neighborhood and working as an enforcer for a loan shark. He succeeds in a romance with local wallflower Adrian (Talia Shire), who lives with her verbally abusive brother Paulie (Burt Young). Rocky is finally given a big break when heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) decides to fight him. Rocky is trained by salty old-timer Mickey (Burgess Meredith).
"Rocky" ends with the fight between Creed and Rocky. While entertaining, these scenes are somewhat bogus. Rocky's first punch floors the Champ, while the broadcaster's voiceover says that it is "the first time ever" Creed had been knocked down. Rocky gets his nose broken in the first round, then proceeds to set the world record for absorbing punches flush to the face. Neither boxer shows any defensive skills, and they simply take turns dishing out punishment. At the end of one round, the referee is unable to separate the combatants. While the fight decision is being announced, Rocky seems more interested in finding his girlfriend in the crowd than in learning whether he won.
"Rocky" won the Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director (John Avildsen). Stallone was nominated for Best Actor, and for Best Screenplay. Young and Meredith were nominated for Best Supporting Actor, and Shire was somehow nominated for Best Supporting Actress (when it rains it pours). The great theme song, "Gonna Fly Now", also pulled down a nomination.
kollers@mpsi.net http://members.tripod.com/~Brian_Koller/movies.html
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