The sixth and final movie in the long running series sees Rocky still residing in his old neighbourhood, the erstwhile champ now settled down running his own restaurant named Adrian’s, a tribute to his late wife. Yes, Adrian’s gone, leaving Rocky with his whiny son (Milo Ventimiglia) and surly, old Paulie (Burt Young).
Time hasn’t been kind to Rocko and his neighbourhood. The old ice rink where he and Adrian shared precious moments has been demolished, Mickey’s old gym is falling into disrepair, much like the big man himself, the dilapidated buildings are beginning to display the ravages of time. In his advancing years, Balboa has become reflective, internal, melancholy and emotional, which pretty much sums up the movie’s tone during the opening minutes. We’re taken on a tour of the sites of the Stallion’s hometown and shown how they look now: a reminder of the many years that have passed since Rocky V (1990) filled fans and critics alike with venomous bile. Characters from the first film crop up, firmly rooting the movie in the world that Stallone created some 30 years ago. It’s a comfortably familiar film to watch if you’re a fan of the previous films, whereas newcomers may feel somewhat alienated but no less entertained.
More than any of the previous films Rocky Balboa is a human drama first and foremost. A story of a man whose time in the limelight is over, the relationship with his son somewhat strained and distant as they drift further apart, unable to find a common ground. So, it’s well established that the big lug has nothing to lose and a lot to gain when the chance arrives for Rocky to fight one more round.
In a fairly contrived plot device involving a computer generated fantasy face-off between current champ Mason ‘The Line’ Dixon (Antonio Tarver) and Rocky in his prime where Balboa emerges victorious, Rocky gets to thinking. After much cajoling from Paulie and drawn out procrastination, Rocky resolves to climb into the ring one final time. Fire still ‘in the basement’, his heart never in question, the Italian Stallion trains in the same manner as always: montage style! It’s air punching time again as our hero gets into shape in time-honoured fashion to take on Dixon, the reigning champion with a lot to prove. Rocky's final bout doesn't disappoint and is as visceral and fun as any of the boxing choreographed in previous Rocky movies.
Rocky Balboa stands up as a triumphant conclusion to an enduring character’s story even going some way to compensate for the awful fifth instalment. Stallone does justice to his creation, one of the most legendary, inspirational characters ever to be committed to celluloid. “Yo, Adrian! We did it! We did it!” He did do it. We’re just sad it’s all over. At least we’ve got John Rambo to look forward to. Um...
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