The Italion Stallion

#9 The Rocky Series  

List of Movies: Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, Rocky V, Rocky Balboa

Why I love these movies:

The first time I ever saw the Italian Stallion was in was Rocky 4, which is the one where he fights the Ivan Drago, the Russian. I remember watching it with my dad and my brother Matt when I was about 8 years old. After watching it I went through this phase were all I wanted to do was box my friends (Which didn't always go to well, especially when I boxed my buddy Dan Porter, who was a lot bigger and stronger than me). A few years later Matt and I started renting all of the other Rocky films, and I remember every time we watched a new one I liked it more than the one that I had just watched. Looking back I think this was the first time that I had really seen a true underdog story.

Not only do these movies have some awesome fight scenes but they really show that with heart and determination we can defeat our biggest challenges in life, which for Rocky wasn’t just Apollo Creed, Clubber Lane, and Ivan Drago. These films show how one ordinary man can do extraordinary things, and sure they exaggerate it, but it gets the message across in a fun and entertaining way. For a young shy kid (like I was) these movies helped me see that I could do great things with my life.

Along with the sentimental value and the great fight scenes these movies also have some great drama! Sure they can be pretty cheese as they go along, but they are still relatable. Everyone knows someone like Paulie, Rocky’s alcoholic but caring bro-in-law, or has a great role model and coach like Mickey. But I think my favorite part of these movies has to be the music! Talk about some awesome 80’s music! Eye of the Tiger is still a big hit today! My favorite song though has to be Robert Tepper’s “No Easy Way Out”.

Now I can understand why some people didn’t like all the sequels that Sylvester Stallone kept popping out. For me though, I enjoyed them because I feel like I really I know the character of Rocky. Through out all six films there is a lot of character development going on, and by the end it feels like he is someone I've been friends with all my life. Each film adds something new to the character, which makes all six films essential to his story. I even enjoyed Rocky 5, which many people consider the weakest of series and unnecessary, but I like it because it gives us a new perspective on his life. Its a totally different movie than the other films, and its shows us what happens to him when he has to retire. With all that said if I am ever in the mood for some good fight scenes, some awesome 80’s music, or a good underdog story I know I can always turn to Rocky.

Favorite Film of the Series:  Rocky IV

I wish I had Paulie's robot!

Rocky 4 (for those like me that forget roman numerals) is the best Rocky flick, and I don’t care what anyone says. It has the best training scenes (training in the snowy forest of Russia is pretty awesome), the best music (“No Easy Way Out”, “Heart’s on Fire”, and the classy and patriotic “Living in America”), the best drama (Apollo’s death gets me every time), as well as the best fight scene! No matter how cliché, cheesy, or unrealistic people say this movie is I still love it. Rocky shows us once again how to rebound from a tragedy and fight through the obstacles in our lives.

My next favorite is the first Rocky because I love how it shows Rocky didn’t actually win the fight against Apollo. It taught me that you don’t nessacary have to be number one at everything to be successful in life. Being great, isn’t always about the being the best, it’s about doing your best. Right behind the first one, is number 3. I love this one because it shows Rocky fall from being number one, and how he has to learn to overcome this new challenge. In this mist of this he loses his mentor Mickey, but also picks up a new ally in his former opponent Apollo Creed.

Rocky Balboa is my fourth favorite because I really liked how it showed that even though he had been through so much in his life, like losing all his money and his wife, he was still able to move on and do great things. I believed this film is very under appreciated, and deserves some more credit. Rocky II was a great follow up to the first one, and shows him dealing with the birth of his first son, as well as trying to get train for his rematch against Apollo. Rocky V may be my least favorite, but I still really enjoy it, and it's a fun addition to the series. Rocky V is awesome because of this scene alone! Everyone needs a Mickey in there life!

Final Rankings:

Favorite Scene of the Series: The “No Easy Way Out” montage in Rocky IV. This scene pretty much shows it all. Check out this scene right here!

Favorite Quote: "The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!"-Rocky

                                                 Favorite Hero:                                         

        RockyBalboa

                               


                                                                       Favorite Villain:     
                                                                           Ivan Drago

                                                            Favorite Supporting Character:
                                                                          Apollo Creed