Rocky Balboa: It ain't over 'til it's over.

Rocky: But it ain't how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done.
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I am big fan of Rocky, the character and the movies. May be I'm a little biased toward them, because they were one of the first movies I watched when I first got addicted to movies, but nevertheless they are classic movies. True, some of them are better than others, but they were all good. Maybe Rocky V was a little below the bar, but that's about it. I watched them long time ago on VHS, but not long enough to catch any of them on theater. When Rocky V was playing, I was 5 yrs old.

When the news came out about a sixth Rocky, I got excited and anxious at the same time. I was excited because Rocky character is coming back to life, and I am gonna watch it in theaters. I had never expected that. At the same time, I was anxious, because the plot seemed a bit cheesy and I didn't want Rocky to leave on a bad note. But I had no doubt that I want to see it.

Yesterday, my bro made some compromises since it was my birthday and accepted to watch Rocky Balboa with me, even though he only saw the fourth one. After dinner at Olive Garden, I found myself in a theater waiting for Rocky to come on screen. man, was I excited?

At first, Rocky is shown spending his day between his restaurant, where he tells old stories to fans, sign autographs, and take pics with customers; and remembering Adrian, she passed away 5 yrs ago but he isn't over that yet, and he visits her frequently. Rocky's relation with his son is not at ease, but clearly he's not giving up on it. Rocky is the shadow of a champ now, however the champ characters are clear in his approach to life. Age has taken its toll on Rocky; he is wiser. He knows all that, and he is living with it, but certainly there is something bugging him, unfinished business, for which he decides to get back in the ring.

The movie brings back secondary characters into the focus. He meet a girl that he helped in the first movie with which a relationship builds up that helps in exposing Rocky the human. Paulie is still around, and Paulie has not changed a bit. Rocky Jr. has a corporation job, however, he is not really settled in his life.

Overall I have to say, the movie was the best way to end the story of Rocky. All the characters were fully developed by the end of this movie, and the essence message of Rocky was delivered, again. We all now know how Rocky's life is ending, and we all know he is happy and satisfied. This movie recaptured the same feeling and spirit of the first movie, which showed the brilliance of Sly. However, it was not a surprise. No one knos Rocky better than Sly, and he knew how to end it. Even though the movie was directed toward the fans of Rocky, it was a great movie, and a great Rocky movie. If you have not seen the first 5 movies, I recommend watching them. But don't let that hold you from watching Rocky Balboa.