Rocky Reviews

It's Sly's droopy-eyed, hangdog/underdog that carries Rocky's tale of transformation. He's no oil painting, no blue-eyed hero. He's not supposed to make it -- and that makes us instantly connect with him.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5

A crowning achievement in Sylvester Stallone's career as a writer and a performer...

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4

Sylvester Stallone [is] as likable as a basset hound.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4

One of the greatest, if not the greatest, feel good movies of all time.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4

The story is achingly familiar, and though Stallone has a certain power, he is certainly not the subtlest actor to crawl out from under Marlon's overcoat.

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It's all here: the famous Bill Conti fanfare, the 'Gonna Fly Now' training montage, the inevitable 'David and Goliath' climax. [Blu-ray]

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4

transforms the gritty realities of economic hardship and personal desperation into a celebration of individuality and determination without sinking into mushy sentimentalism

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4

Sly's best pic winner sets underdog-hero standard.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5

Stallone -- an actor who has made a career of bad performances in bad films -- proves that when given the right material he can act with the best of them.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5

There are occasional flashes that the film may be patronizing the lower end of the blue-collar mentality, as much if not more than the characters who keep putting Rocky down on the screen. However, Avildsen is noted for creating such ambiguities.

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A great example of underdog sports cinema.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5

This is really Sly's movie as he slugs his way through a heartfelt performance and delivers some cracking punches, both literally and emotionally.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5

Rocky retains its power to enthrall ... a quieter movie than some may remember.... It's worth seeing again, for what it was, before it was betrayed by it's less intelligent, testosterone-soaked progeny.

Full Review | Original Score: 87/100

A dunce who can fight with a contagious likability: Now that's American.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5

Marty like romance tale with boxing gloves.

Full Review | Original Score: C+

Better films have been made about the world of sports, but for many Rocky is the sports movie.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4

I wanted to like it more than I did, but it'll do.

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A paint-by-numbers inspirational sports film.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4

...there's simply no denying the film's overall effectiveness...

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4

A "guy movie" mega-classic that's really gotten better with age.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5