Rocky Balboa

Movie: Rocky Balboa
Score: 80/100

I did not have high expectations for Rocky Balboa. After Rocky V, I assumed that Mr. Stallone (who shares a birthday with me) would not be able to create a good movie ever again. I was wrong. Rocky Balboa has the foundations of a classic movie, and I should have foreseen Stallone's desire in creating a good finishing touch to this series. I usually don't give away two 80's in one weekend, but I have to.

Stallone's acting is like that of all the other movies. An Italian with a drawl who has a penchant for making inspiring speeches. Burt Young's acting was good, and Milo Ventigmilia's (who plays Rocky Jr.) acting was passable.

Even with all this praise, I must give some bad news. The beginning is slow. Very slow. When I have to glance at my watch three times before it's halfway through, I usually never give it more than a 5. However, we all gotta remember the quote "It ain't over 'till it's over". And so just like its namesake, Rocky Balboa delivers a spectacular performance in the second half of the movie to save itself and rendering it a critically-acclaimed movie.

The ending is a good one, and I'm not talking about the fight scene. But overall, the movie gave me a flashback of the glory days of Rocky I. This is definitely one of the better ones in the series, which is saying a lot, so you need to watch this.

Rating system explained:
0-9 : Utterly despicable. Rare. But "Gigli", and "From Justin to Kelly" ...
10-19: Still pretty bad. Think "You Got Served".
20-29: A very poor movie, however it may give satisfaction to those familiar with the subject.
30-39: A bad movie, you probably shouldn't watch this. Most people wouldn't like it. Buy or rent on DVD if you have the guts.
40-49: Not an overall horrendous movie, but I wouldn't watch this in theatres. Buy or rent on DVD instead.
50-59: An average movie. You make the call, is this movie something I'm interested in? If you watch it, you probably won't hate it, but now that tickets are $9.00 for students and $10.00 for adults, think of the pros and cons.
60-69: An overall good movie, with a good reason why it's been made. Most high-budget movies are in this category so that they can appeal to a wide variety of tastes. Most people would at least think it's good.
70-79: A very good movie, with (usually) good acting and (usually) good script-writing and directing. Definitely watch it, it's worth your money.
80-89: A great movie and you will almost definitely be satisfied when you leave. This movie leaves you thinking about it for the next couple of days.
90-99: Rare. This is a truly excellent movie and will remain one for years to come. An instant classic with me, you will almost definitely love it.