I'm not quite sure it deserved to win Best Picture against some tough competition in When you combine the continued resonance of both Watergate and Vietnam with the jingoistic glory that surrounded the Bicentennial, it's not surprising that Rocky , the only "feel-good" picture in the bunch, would take home the prize. The fact that the film's success - Rocky also was the biggest moneymaker for - paralleled the story's "underdog" theme certainly helped as well. Did Rocky deserve to beat some of the classics against which it competed?
Probably not, but that shouldn't diminish the fact it's still a fine and entertaining film. Unfortunately, the combination of some dreadful sequels and Stallone's generally-poor reputation have diminished this movie's legacy, but if it's inspected on its own, Rocky offers a strong experience. Stallone himself offers a gently sweet and affecting performance as Rocky, a not-too-successful fighter who gets an improbable shot at the big-time.
While I wasn't sure I completely bought Sly during Rocky's moments of rage, he made the character endearingly modest and simple without creating a moronic joke. Rocky retained his dignity and seemed surprisingly real. Also effective was Talia Shire's turn as Rocky's sweetheart Adrian. Oddly, I found her more believable as an intensely shy wallflower than when she grows as a person due to Rocky's affection.
One unusual aspect of Rocky is that it actually makes some attractive people seem unappealing. Most movies take good-looking folks and try to make them look ugly, but it rarely works; it almost always appears obvious that underneath some bad style choices exists a hottie.
That's not the case here. Both Stallone and Shire look pretty grotty at times in their roles, and this sense of realism helps the film. Though the plot seems improbable, the film presents it believably and I easily buy into Rocky's story.
The movie progresses at a nice pace which keeps the viewer involved and interested, though I think it moves a little too rapidly at times. For example, Adrian's transformation from skank to babe happens too quickly and effortlessly. One minute she's hiding in a corner, and the next she's all dolled up and ready to go! I also thought the climactic fight flew by too fast.
We don't get enough of a feel for what an epic battle this thing was supposed to be, as the montage treatment loses the sense of desperation and weariness it should portray. It's still a fairly rousing climax for the film, but I thought it could have been paced better. Speaking of the fight, I could never figure out one thing in regard to it: the match is billed as occurring on a big day for the US, and it seems likely this should be July 4. In fact, Apollo Creed Carl Weathers once refers to the bout as taking place on the nation's biggest birthday.
However, the fight actually happens on January 1, In any case, it seemed very confusing since every aspect of discussion about the bout clearly leads one to believe it'll take place on Independence Day. That oddity excepted, Rocky remains a very good film. The story of the underdog who makes good is as old as time itself, but it continues to maintain appeal and this movie shows how that can happen. I won't argue that Rocky deserved its Best Picture victory over some strong competitors, but I think it's a nice piece of work nonetheless.
Sharpness almost always looked nicely crisp and precise. Only a few isolated scenes displayed minor evidence of softness, usually due to some mild edge enhancement.
No issues with shimmering or jagged edges occurred, and source flaws were insignificant. Other than a bit more grain than usual and a couple of specks, this was a clean presentation.
Colors were generally subdued - this is a gritty character drama, after all, and Philly isn't Miami - but what I saw looked well-saturated and solidly accurate. Apollo's costume at the start of the fight came across especially nicely, and the other occasional examples of brighter hues appeared strong. Black levels appeared deep and dark, and shadow detail also was appropriately thick without any signs of murkiness.
Both of those seemed especially important since so much of Rocky took place in low-light situations. I found a lot to like in this quality transfer. Also relatively strong was the film's Dolby Digital 5. This remix of the original monaural audio expanded the image in a modest but pleasing manner. Most of the sound remained anchored to the center channel, but a few effects spread nicely to the sides as well.
Probably the "showiest" instance happened early in the film when Rocky walked past some street singers and their voices panned from the center to the right. Other than that, it's just music - which boasted some very nice stereo separation - and ambience on the sides. The surrounds also included these factors. The effects popped up from the rear mainly during the final fight scene, but the music drifted back there and that added to the impact of the score.
Quality seemed decent but unexceptional. Dialogue appeared vaguely flat for the most part, but it remained consistently intelligible and clear.
The one poor instance that involved speech occurred at about the minute mark, when Rocky and Paulie talk in the meat locker; the dialogue sounded rough during that scene. This wasn't an issue at other times, though, and it appeared obvious the problems stemmed from the source material. Effects were clean though thin, and the music sounded pleasantly crisp and full. The 5. All of them come with what appear to be identical 5.
Only the 25th Anniversary Edition included any substantial bonus features, all of which also appear here. On DVD One, we find three separate audio commentaries. He offers a running, screen-specific chat. Overall, Stallone provides a reasonably introspective and thoughtful look at the flick.
His track comes short on filmmaking details and long on character insights. These prove quite interesting to hear, and he throws in enough behind the scenes material to flesh out those elements.
This ends up as an enjoyable and satisfying piece. Both sit together for their own running, screen-specific track. They mostly joke around and razz each other. However, they do reflect on aspects of the movie as well as elements of their own lives and careers. The good-natured ribbing between the pair dominates the track, and they even poke fun at the flick itself on occasion. Toss aside the horrendous sequels, common cliches and Stallone jokes and let Rocky show you how American cinema is done right.
Much like the title character, Stallone had a screenplay that no one wanted to take a chance on. The new two-disc Collector's Edition is well worth the triple-dip trade in. The film is the Cinderella story of a lower-class henchman whose aspirations of being a boxer are dwindling. With the likelihood of becoming a bum looming on the horizon, Rocky Sylvester Stallone is given a shot at the championship in a match against Apollo Creed Carl Weathers.
Instead of filling the film with endless boxing sequences, the film only features two fights. He is quiet, humble and hopeful. Despite the parodies, poor sequels and Stallone jokes, it should not be forgotten that Rocky is a gem of American cinema. The transfer is far from perfect. Age was not so kind to Rocky and it shows. The video is riddled with artifacts and dirt from the film. The 5. As for the good stuff, disc one offers not one, not two, but three audio commentaries — one with Stallone, one with boxing trainer and veteran boxing commentator Bert Sugar and one with director John Avildsen, producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, actors Burt Young, Talia Shire and Carl Weathers and Steadicam inventor Garrett Brown.
While the track with the director and assorted cast and crew appears to be mostly recycled from the Special Edition, the two new tracks offer some insight and entertainment.
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