Monday 12 April 2021

187 - Rocky

 Flicking through the channels, I see ITV4 is showing Rocky 3. So, being a massive sucker for the Rocky film, of course I watch. 

This is despite the fact it's only in SD, has a flippin' DOG in the top left corner, and has adverts. And yet, just over to my side is a Blu-Ray boxset of six of the Rocky films that I could put on instead...

There's no logic, 

Like I say, I do adore the Rocky films. I had a binge of them last year, one a week over eight weeks, with my son (who was seeing all of them for the first time), and it is a glorious series of movies.

Of course, the first of them is the best. Goes without saying. But the rest are all damn great movies, too. Yes. All of them. Even that one you're going to cite as being a bit rubbish. It's not. It's great. Fine. You disagree. But you're wrong, and you're a grotesquely ugly freak. 

Yes, Rocky 4 doesn't have a second act. 

Yes, there's not a proper fight in Rocky 5. 

Yes, Rocky should be waaaaaaaay too old to fight in Rocky Balboa. 

But, you know what?

Absolutely NONE of that matters. 

It's a glorious series of movies. So much to love. The underdog becoming champion, becoming has been, becoming the inspiration for the next generation. You absolutely feel for Rocky across all eight movies. 

And that's one of the things that's not going to be the same when we get Creed 3; Stallone has said he's not going to be playing Rocky in it. And that's a real shame. I would at least have like to have seen a cameo from Rocky; maybe if it's even just a single scene of Rocky telling Adonis Creed that he's taken him as far as he can, and that he needs someone else to take over. A symbolic passing of the torch. HIs absence will be felt. 

Still, there is the new "director's" cut of Rocky 4 to come; hopefully they'll find that second act. 

As I watch, Rocky 3's getting very close to the point where Mickey's going to die. I would actually say that he's my favourite of all the characters across the 8 movies (I realise this may be sacrilege to some!), as Burgess Meredith is such a damn brilliant actor that I would gladly watch anything he's in. He's a brilliant Penguin in the Batman TV show, and I recall seeing him in a movie of the Steinbeck novel, Of Mice and Men as well. He just gave a brilliant performance in everything he did.

I just love these films...
 

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