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It ain’t over ’till it’s over

I finally got round to watching Rocky Balboa on DVD, having missed it in the cinema. When the sixth installment of the Rocky Franchise was announced I was disappointed, and didn’t believe that there could be another part to the Rocky story.

I think it was a very wise decision to title the film “Rocky Balboa”, as opposed to “Rocky VI”. This is not a “Rocky” film, more it is a film about Rocky. It is more of a character piece than the previous installments, with the first hour containing no boxing, other than in the title sequence which merely sets up the back story of Rocky’s Opponent for the inevitable finale.

While I feared with my previous rant post that it would be a vehicle to boost Stallone’s ego and frankly limp career, Stallone actually lets the story tell itself. The characters around Rocky become more than window dressing, and get room to breathe alongside the larger-than-life character of Balboa. Marie, the young girl from the first Rocky film provides both a link to the series past, but also allows for a positive female role. I always thought Adrian was far too discouraging of Rocky – having a character believe in Balboa’s ideals (however misguided they might have been) is a breath of fresh air.

The other minor characters are a bit hit and miss – the plot thread contrasting Rocky’s son resenting his father’s ‘big shadow’ and Marie’s son gaining some self-belief is glossed over, and doesn’t really get as much gravitas as it pehaps deserved. However, with a 90 minute running time and several plot angles to explore, some things have to fall by the wayside.
However, the star turn is surprisingly by Burt Young. As Rocky’s brother-in-law Paulie has never been a likeable character, he bullies his sister, was resentful and jealous of Rocky’s success, and was even the instigator of Rocky’s bankruptcy. However, with the assistance of some of the best lines in the film, Young injects a spark into the character that finally makes him a lovable rogue.

Perhaps the most jarring part of the movie, and one which people will love or hate are the certain sections of the finale fight that switch into black & white. The boxing in the film is more ‘real’ than we’ve seen before in a Rocky movie, and even in the behind the scenes features, Stallone states that for the first time, the punches are real – they actually land (much to the director, and I’m sure Stallone’s insurers disapproval). Raging Bull was shot completely in black & white, and Scorcese made that decision to make the fights look more brutal. With Rocky, it doesn’t work – bright primary colours have defined the series.

Overall, an enjoyable movie and one I will watch multiple times, but despite all its efforts, I still don’t see it as part of the Rocky franchise, more of a companion piece.