by Carl Conrad

Created on: January 24, 2009

Rocky Balboa - A Fitting Conclusion.

The Rocky series slugged its way through five previous movies beginning in 1976 with "Rocky", then adding Rocky II (1979), Rocky III (1982), Rocky IV (1985), Rocky V (1990) and, sixteen years later, ending with "Rocky Balboa" which was released in 2006. All the movies stir the emotions of heroism, patriotism, courage and hope, but only the last one really captures the inner heart and undying spirit of the fighter. This is truly a movie about Rocky, the man.

A much older man now, in his mid to late 50's, Rocky is weathered and bruised, both inside and out, but his memories and his appreciation of others still shines through the tough life that surrounds him. His wife, Adrian, has died, his career ended many years ago, he isn't rich nor privileged, he lives a very modest life with only his tiny, Italian restaurant, "Adrian's", his son, Rocky Jr. (Milo Ventimiglia), and Paulie (Burt Young) the remaining parts of his life. People in Philadelphia still recognize him everywhere he goes, often asking for an autograph, and never seeming to tire of his stories as he circulates in his restaurant to repeat many of his famous memories of fights and triumphs that have now passed him by.

The strength of this movie is in the genuine concern you have for Rocky. He faces life with all the heart and affection that he has always had, but in a nave and simplistic way. You like Rocky, but you also know that there isn't much depth to the man. His life is guided by simple principles, and he tries to pass them on to a son who feels as if he can't escape from his father's shadow, as well as to the son of a woman whom he meets and feels a fondness for, Marie (Geraldine Hughes), as he tries to turn them in a direction that will make them self-reliant and strong.

Some of the clichs that pepper the Rocky dialogue have the power of a right cross as they strike their target. In one scene, he advises his son that: "It ain't about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and still keep movin' forward," when he tells him, in Rocky's pugilistic way, that life is about getting up after you've been knocked down, not about never getting knocked down. He also tells Paulie, and explains to the audience, why he feels the need to fight again even at his advanced age when he says that: "I still got somethin' in the basement, somethin' down here," as he indicates that the warrior in his gut is still alive. Then, when he talks to the Boxing Commission about

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