Rocky for the Next Generation



For viewers who have grown up watching the multiple “Rocky” sequels, the first one must seem totally boring. There’s very little action (the final fight, really). The film is entirely dialogue, character development, and extended shots of the ghettoes of Philadelphia.

I recently watched “Rocky” and was stunned by what a brilliant film it was and how completely invested I was in each character. Stallone’s screenplay is outstanding as it gives us an interesting plot in which well-written (and well-acted) characters can develop.

For any audience member who saw Rocky shortly after its release in 1976, Sylvester Stallone must have seemed like a genuine filmmaker. Here’s a young actor struggling to survive, so he writes his own screenplay in less than a week. And the only way he can get himself cast in his own film is if he forfeits his salary. Nonetheless, the film succeeds, even winning the Oscar for Best Picture and goes on to become one of the greatest sports films of all time. So the rest is history for the great Sylvester Stallone, right,

Of course, as we all know, Sly forgoes what might have been a promising career in legitimate filmmaking. But instead he goes on to make one subpar film after another. It’s enough to make lovers of the first Rocky scream. At least he gave us the first Rocky film, so it’s easy for us to forgive the Italian Stallion for giving us at least one good film.

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