Rocky Balboa (2006)

Directed by Sylvester Stallone. Starring Sylvester Stallone, Geraldine Hughes, Burt Young, Milo Ventimiglia, Antonio Tarver, James Francis Kelly III, Tony Burton, A.J. Benza. (PG-13)

The Rocky series had been down for the count for over fifteen years when Stallone, serving once again as star, writer and director, decided to go back to the well once more (penance for Rocky V?). He’s long-retired, his wife Adrian deceased from cancer, shuffling around in a world he hardly recognizes anymore, trying to maintain a relationship with his now grown and distant son (Ventimiglia) while reconnecting with a girl he met some thirty years ago (Hughes). These characters and relationships, replete with flaws, regrets and aspirations, are what makes this the best direct sequel in the series. But since this is a Rocky movie, it’s only a matter of time before “Gonna Fly Now” blasts away on the soundtrack and the Italian Stallion steps back into the ring to face off against the heavyweight champ (Tarver). In addition to being laughably implausible, the boxing scenes are pretty standard issue, even when playing with colors and filters to try and make them look more dynamic, and the outcome isn’t nearly as compelling as what takes place before it. His relationships with Hughes and her son (Kelly) may feel incomplete (and the characters were discarded by the time the Creed spinoffs arrived), but “family affairs” involving his kid and Paulie (Young) ring as true as the Philly legend’s punchy grace and humility.

67/100