Rocky

So. How to review Rocky, and yes, up until last night, I'd never seen it. Not like you don't know the story, The movie is iconic. I guess I'll keep it simple and tell you what I like about it and what I didn't, because you know the story, and you know why this movie is as iconic as it is. Let's start off with what didn't work for me. LOT of mumbled and slurred dialogue. Don't tell me "they were trying to portray Italian-Americans" or whatever; you want your movie's dialogue to come through? Speak clearer. Period. I thought there were a few occasions where the script leapt over significant portions of the story for the sake of getting somewhere. A great example is after Paulie loses it and bashes up his house with the bat, only for a scene later for him and Rocky to be walking together. Or Rocky's and Adrian's relationship, which goes from awkward to boyfriend/girlfriend in literal seconds, pushed along by a sudden explosion of passion that feels a little like sexual assault. And a huge pet peeve of mine in boxing movies is that the sport is portrayed as a rain of haymakers, like the bombing of Dresden but with punches. If you've ever watched boxing, it is not non-stop, continuous punching; it's circling, it's psychology. The boxing in this movie is like the boxing in a video game, not real life. But I liked a lot more about this movie. I liked that Rocky isn't an underdog because he's an outsider or a geek or any of the other cliches that riddle sports underdog movies; he's an underdog because he's never put the effort into succeeding. And he's never done it because, deep down, he doesn't believe he CAN succeed. He hasn't embraced being a loser, but he doesn't feel like he can escape it, so there's no point trying. He doesn't even dream big; he has no illusions of beating Apollo Creed, just going the distance is good enough for him, and he's not confident at all he can do that. I like that Adrian doesn't have the shy-girl-comes-out-of-her-cocoon-and-pretties-up arc; she does start to have more character as the movie goes on, but she doesn't suddenly go from awkward wallflower to drop-dead hottie because a man loves her; she is who she is. I like that Apollo Creed isn't mustache-twirling evil, or evil in the slightest. He's just the other boxer, and the measuring stick against which Rocky is comparing himself to, and, in his mind, coming up way short. And he isn't dismissive of Rocky because he watches the tape and thinks less of him; Apollo is just so wrapped up in the marketing and the gimmick, he doesn't stop to remember this IS a boxing match, which means there's a chance. I like how the movie doesn't succumb to the neighborhood-guy-gets-too-big cliche either; Rocky is a neighborhood guy and, throughout the movie, stays that way. He doesn't roll out with his fight purse and pick up a Mercedes or move to a fancy new house. He's a guy. and he stays a guy. Overall, a solid film. I can see why its hailed as it is. It didn't strike that deep a chord with me, but that's not the movie's fault, it's just my taste. I won't say it's perfect like some people do, but I'm not gonna say the negatives outweigh the positives either. This deserves its reputation. It's a well made film.