Rob’s Retro Review: Rocky (1976)

With the calendar creeping up on the 50th anniversary of its release—as well as the biopic I Play Rocky forthcoming—I decided Saturday night to sit down with Kid 2 and watch the original Rocky once again.

By now, the movie has become the stuff of legend. Writer and actor Sylvester Stallone was absolutely hellbent on getting his script picked up, but only if he starred as the lead protagonist. The film went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, Bill Conti’s score became a legend in its own right, and every year, thousands of people run the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art because they saw Rocky Balboa do it five decades ago.

The Plot

For those who aren’t familiar with it, the story is about Robert “Rocky” Balboa. A down-on-his-luck “bum from the neighborhood,” he isn’t just a has-been—he’s a never-was. He’s a boxer who never got his shot at the big time.

Enter World Heavyweight Champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). When contender after contender bows out of Apollo’s planned Bicentennial extravaganza, he decides to find a local, small-time boxer to give a shot at a world championship match. This is where Rocky and Apollo’s destinies intersect.

Rocky also meets Adrian, the sister of his good friend Paulie, and they begin a budding relationship. Adrian is quiet, and Rocky, by his own admission, is slow. Mickey, the owner of the gym where Rocky trains, decides he finally wants to hitch his wagon to Rocky’s train and offers to be his manager for the upcoming championship bout.

Of course, there’s the iconic training sequence: Rock running through the streets of Philadelphia, pounding raw meat, working out to the tune of “Gonna Fly Now,” and that legendary run up the museum steps. Even if you haven’t seen any of the Rocky movies, you’re probably familiar with that scene.

Finally, fight day arrives. No one expects Rocky to do anything, let alone win. Rocky’s only goal is simply to go the distance with the world champion. (To all the younger folks out there: heavyweight championship matches used to go 15 rounds; they don’t go more than 12 today.)

Initially, Apollo thinks it’s just going to be an exhibition match, but Rocky fights like it’s World War III. The two go the distance, with Apollo winning by a tight split decision.

“Ain’t gonna be no rematch,” Apollo says.

“I don’t want one,” Rocky responds.

The movie ends with Rocky achieving his moral victory while he and Adrian declare their love for each other in the middle of the ring. Incidentally, it never occurred to me until watching it Saturday night that the last spoken words in the movie are “I love you.”

My take

Growing up as a kid, I saw this movie God knows how many times. As cable TV made its way to southeastern Michigan in the early 1980s, I grew up mostly on reruns of Rocky III and eventually Rocky IV, with a little bit of Rocky II sprinkled in.

The original Rocky, although I had seen it, never really stuck with me as a kid. It felt slow. But watching it again Saturday night, it hit me: Rocky really isn’t a boxing movie. It’s a character study about a guy who just happens to be a boxer. Even the characters throughout the franchise state that he’s far from the greatest boxer in the world. He’s a fighter, and his real strength isn’t technical skill—it’s an indomitable spirit that refuses to give up.

What struck me most while watching it with Kid 2 is how much it feels like a true 1970s film. It’s deliberate and patient. It wasn’t made for today’s generation of computer-generated special effects and digital backgrounds. It is slow, nuanced, and gritty. It makes you feel like you’re right there on the streets of Philadelphia, living through Rocky’s day-to-day life.

Final Take

Rocky is required viewing. It was the launchpad for what has been, for better or worse, one of the most inspirational movie franchises of my lifetime. Winning Best Picture for 1976 automatically thrust the film into Hollywood immortality.

Sylvester Stallone is no Laurence Olivier. Nor is he Laurence Fishburne. In fact, he might be just slightly higher than Larry the Cable Guy on the Hollywood acting food chain. But that’s the entire point of Rocky. He is the ultimate underdog. He’s the everyday person who has been told “no” their entire life and refuses to lay down. In that sense, there’s a little bit of Rocky in all of us.

All six movies in the original Rocky franchise, as well as the Creed trilogy, are currently streaming on multiple platforms, including Amazon Prime Video

Rebuilding a life takes grit, consistency, and a lot of ‘Option C’ thinking. Having crossed the 1,000-day milestone, I’m now charting the territory beyond. The mission remains the same: No glitz. Just the work. New to the blog? Start your journey here to see the blueprint and the ‘Tricorder’ perspective behind the rebuild.

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