Rocky (1976):
What’s It About?: Philadelphia nobody Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) finally gets a chance to prove himself when is picked to fight heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). But between his love for new girlfriend Adrian (Talia Shire), acquaintances he doesn’t know he can trust, and ability he may not believe in, he has to work up the courage to try and go the distance.
How Good Is It?: Like First Blood, a film that started off strong and fell into generic sequel madness, it’s easy to forget that the original Rocky is not some cockamamie film. It possesses a certain care for truth and characters that the later films left by the wayside. For proof of this, check of the trailers for the sequels as they appear on this disc. You’ll see what I mean (if you’ve forgotten). That’s not to say Rocky is great. But it’s certainly good enough, especially when you consider its decently strong pop cultural impression it left behind. It’s handled with quality and care, whilst not shying away from grit and honesty.
Was it Best Picture?: However, that's a no. The Academy may have been wary about skipping Stallone this year (rightfully), as he’d never be this good again. I haven’t seen Bound For Glory, and All the President’s Men is good but not all that lasting. But there’s the whip-smart Network, which was certainly a better choice, and Taxi Driver which was the absolutely correct choice. Yup, the Academy missed the boat on this one.
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