[Previous entry: "Former Champ Jean-Marc Mormeck: "I will bring the title back to France""] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Best Damn Boxing Show"]
03/14/2007 Archived Entry: "DVD Preview: Rocky Sequel Fit to Make Balboa Proud"
DVD Preview: Rocky Sequel Fit to Make Balboa Proud
By Juan C. Ayllon
IT’S a story of being stuck and, with tough love, hard effort and a sense of purpose, finding a way to higher ground.
Dissatisfied with the way his Rocky movie series devolved, Sylvester Stallone sought to produce a more fitting final chapter. However, he ran into roadblocks in bringing his latest opus, Rocky Balboa to the screen. With time and a change of management at Metro Goldwyn-Mayer, according to Stallone, he got his wish.
This story’s quest to market parallels the journey of its protagonist, Rocky.
Now a grieving widower and restaurateur in his early 60s, former heavyweight champ Rocky Balboa longs to reacquaint himself with the ring and his son, who struggles to find his own identity and success.
Taking action, Rocky finds his initial efforts rebuffed. Still, he perseveres.
Along the way, his aspirations gain unexpected momentum when handlers of Mason Dixon (played well by former World Light Heavyweight Champion Antonio Tarver), an unpopular heavyweight champion, see a way to make millions and redeem Dixon’s career by pitting him against the venerated Rocky.
As with all the Rocky movies, the cataclysmic fight becomes a focal point. In this case, however it’s not all about the Rock. Instead, it becomes the vehicle for a handful of characters to find a sense of belonging and resolution.
For Rocky and his brother-in-law, Paulie, it’s a chance to process lingering angst, questions and regrets. It grants aging father and son a chance to bond and the son a welcome chance to reassess his life’s direction. For single parent Marie and her son, it’s a rare opportunity to bond with an extended family in the adventure of a lifetime. And for Mason Dixon, similar to the Tin Man in Wizard of Oz, it’s a test to see if he has heart and truly belongs in the company of champions.
Granted, there are some shortcomings, most notably Rocky’s eschewing live sparring due to arthritic joints in favor of weightlifting, running and hitting sides of beef, yet actually competing with a world champion. That’s just not realistic. And, there’s the stretch of a 61-year-old fighting a world champion in his prime. Sure, George Foreman was in his 40s when he kayoed Michael Moorer, but at 60? Ah, but this is Hollywood, and as with most action films, suspension of disbelief is standard equipment. And, yes, there’s the formula pump-it-up, "we’ll conquer the odds" hoopla of sinuous sound and video bytes.
Still, Rocky Balboa works and I’ll tell you why. In unassuming tone, it speaks to higher truths.
For instance, in a moving conversation, Rocky tells his son, “The world…is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it…it ain't how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward.”
Without heavy-handedness, the movie also addresses the profound human need for a supportive community, grace and a higher purpose bigger than ones self in order to experience healing and growth.
And, for that, Rocky Balboa scores a knockout.
* * *
The Rocky Balboa DVD special features includes: deleted scenes, an alternative ending, a documentary on the making of Rocky Balboa, the making of their computerized fight, and audio commentary with Sylvester Stallone.
The release of the DVD is scheduled for March 20th
