“Rocky Balboa” is the 6th and final film in the “Rocky” series. And it’s one of the best.
Of course Sylvester Stallone is back to once again play “The Italian Stallion.” It’s been 30-years since Rocky first fought for the title and he’s fallen on some hard times due to the death of his wife Adrien. He’s also sad because he doesn’t have a good relationship with his son. So Rocky decides to fight again in hopes of making the rest of his life a little better.
But instead of simply fighting some small fights Rocky gets the chance to face the heavyweight champion of the world, who’s played by real-life boxer Antonio Tarver. It’s supposed to be an exhibition bout for charity but, as you might guess, things get serious once the two fighters step into the ring.
Here’s the best way to sum-up “Rocky Balboa”: Yo…it’s a knockout! Stallone’s Rocky is his usual funny self, but there’s also a serious side that we didn’t get in the other films. The first part of the movie focuses on Rocky’s life during the time of the original film so you MUST see the first “Rocky” again if it’s been awhile (or for the first time) before seeing “Rocky Balboa.”
Burt Young returns as Paulie. Tony Burton is also back as Rocky’s trainer. And a few characters we haven’t seen in a while also reappear in this finale.
“Rocky Balboa” is rated PG for some bloody boxing scenes but that shouldn’t stop anyone from seeing it. It’s clearly the best Rocky movie since the 1976 Academy Award winner and it packs an emotional punch that even the original didn’t have.
On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, “Rocky Balboa” gets a B+. It was the last movie I saw on the big screen in 2006 and one of the best.