Getting that Stuff Out of the Basement: Rocky Balboa and the Last Hurrah

I'm a child of the eighties. I believe that Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone (and to a lesser degree, Bruce Willis) are as close to superheroes as we are ever going to get. They are the heroes of my youth, and despite their deteriorating physical forms and occasional missteps ("Stop or My Mom Will Shoot" or "The 6th Day") I still have a fondness for them that knows no bounds. I disclose this unabashed love for my matinee idols so that there is no misunderstanding as to my state of mind before seeing the latest installment in the Rocky series.

"Rocky Balboa" is a film that almost nobody (but me and Stallone) was dying to see. There was not a building outcry demanding a further exploration of the declining years of the Italian Stallion. I don't think there were any blogs running poll questions on whether or not Adrian Balboa was still alive. While "Rocky V" was a less than satisfying entry to the series, most people believed that it WAS the final installment. Apparently Stallone thought otherwise.

"I think there's still some stuff in the basement." - Rocky Balboa to Paulie

That's the line that Rocky uses to justify his intention to fight again even though (if you do the math with the film continuity) Rocky must be in his late mid to late fifties. Paulie doesn't believe in Rocky, and his role as the voice of the dissenting and skeptical film goer is well played. Filling the film with characters from the first film (Little Marie, and Spider Rico as examples) is brilliant. Last summer, Bryan Singer and Warner Brothers released "Superman Returns" into theaters. It served as a pseudo-sequel to "Superman: the Movie" and "Superman II". It used the characters, pieces of storyline and even occasionally overtly used pieces of dialogue. "Rocky Balboa" does a better job than that film as a sequel to the series, without venturing into the territory of homage.

Rocky has "some stuff in the basement" and he needs to climb back in the ring and unload those locked up feelings on an opponent. He says he needs to "stand toe to toe and say 'I am.'" I'm so glad he did. It's not all roses and victory bows for "Rocky Balboa." Milo Ventimiglia ("Heroes" Peter Petrelli) is stiff and unbelievable as Rocky Jr., (although, thankfully he's much better than Sage Stallone would have been) and there are some obvious choices that border on cliche, but overall "Rocky Balboa" delivers exactly what you want from it: action, a little heart (say that in your best Meredith Burgess impression), and a lovable character that has transcended the flawed films he appears in to become part of the American consciousness.