Growing up, I can still remember seeing Rocky for the first time, and being so young at the time I couldn’t help but feel inspired by this underdog story. It was originally released on December 3, 1976, and ultimately tells the story of a local Italian-American boxer from Philadelphia that defies all odds when he gets the chance to step in the ring with the heavyweight champion of the world, Apollo Creed (portrayed as Carl Weathers), and ends up going the distance. An athlete or anybody that carries a competitive spirit should be able to relate to the sentiments of this movie and be motivated by the main character’s determination to exceed his goals and expectations placed upon him. Rocky’s character does not possess a lot of natural ability, but through hard work and determination, he is able to rise to a standard that allows him to do the unthinkable. that is why this movie has such a strong impact because it allows people to experience the unthinkable and prompts us to question our own lives and motivations.

The trailer for Rocky follows the order of the movie and it gives a very good idea of what the movie’s about. I don’t believe I’ve ever watched the trailer before, and I think it may give away too many details. The concept of Rocky was written and developed by Sylvester Stallone, who plays Rocky, and is loosely based on a boxing matchup that occurred between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner; the idea being an underdog fighter can go the distance with the champion. The movie does a great job of developing Rocky’s character, they take their time to explore the different facets of his life before finally setting the stage for the final match. An old critic review from The Hollywood Reporter refers to the film as “an ode to the human spirit”. As we watch and better understand Rocky’s character, it makes it easy for the audience to get in his corner because he’s a gentle soul, but not weak or pathetic by any means.

I have never been a huge fan of older movies, which for me includes movies made during the 80’s and older. However, Rocky will always be one of my favorite early movies. I will never forget the scene where Rocky is running through the streets of Philadelphia early in the morning, and people start chasing after him until finally he’s got a whole crowd following him. The scene ends where he climbs those steps and raises his arms, which serves as a metaphor for rising to the challenge. The scene is accompanied by the Rocky theme song, “Gonna Fly Now”, and it is just one of the most memorable scenes from the movie. It was so famous that those 72 steps became known as “Rocky Steps” and they erected a Rocky Statue there in front of the Philadelphia Museum. Watching it in the past, I remember more about the actual training and boxing that Rocky did to prepare as well as the final match, but the film focuses more on the characters and we get a better understanding of their personalities as the movie progresses. The dialogue is awkward in some places, but for the most part, it actively contributes to the development of the film which is just as exceptional as I remember. Movies from the past have a way of showing us where we’ve come from and they’re tools that help us examine how society and our values have changed over the decades.

Movie Review Link: Rocky | Reelviews Movie Reviews