In the final installment of the original Rocky series we find the former title holder, now in his late fifties, widowed and running a restaurant – living in the past and struggling to maintain relationships with family and friends. Lured back into the ring to face the reigning heavyweight champ, who finds himself unpopular despite being undefeated, in a charity match. Whilst rebuilding bridges and rediscovering himself, can an aging, arthritic Rocky get back under the lights and prove himself one more time?
As far as believability goes the Rocky series is getting pretty tenuous at this point – the reality is there’s not much chance that a nearly sixty year old man could hang with any pro, let alone a champion, but let’s face it, the Rocky series hasn’t been so iconic because of how realistic it is, it’s all about the underdog. Overall the films alright – its not iconic, but it holds its own and is a good way to round out the series (at least until the Creed films came along). At the least, it’s worth watching Rocky Balboa just to finish off the series, even if it’s not going to blow your hair back.
“You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.”
– Rocky Balboa
Our Rating
4 stars out of 5