Rocky: The Undisputed Collection

Reviewer: Alyice Edrich

Movie

Rocky: The Undisputed Collection; Rocky 1-5, plus Rocky Balboa

The Plot

A south-paw (left handed) boxer, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is given a chance to fight the champion of the boxing world. When he wins, he must defend his title—both in and out of the ring.

Starring

Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith, Hulk Hogan, Mr. T, Dolph Lundgren, and more.

The Review

As a young girl, I loved boxing and like many, Muhammad Ali was my hero. I’m not sure if my love of boxing came because I needed survival skills to live in the projects and I thought I’d pick up a few tips here and there, or if my love of boxing came simply from the sport itself. But there was something magical about boxing that captivated my attention.

So naturally, when Rocky came out in 1976, I thought I’d enjoy it. But I didn’t. I found the script too boring and the fights too unreal. You see, I knew that not all punches land on one’s opponent and I knew that boxers did their best to protect their assets—themselves and wouldn’t take a punch head on without at least attempting to block themselves. So in my humble opinion, the fight scenes were simply too “staged”.

It would be years before I saw Rocky again. Even when it came out on video, I couldn’t get myself to watch the films—and yet, I absolutely loved the theme song. So imagine my surprise when Rocky Balboa hit theatres and I found myself totally enthralled in the film, cheering Rocky on and finding the underlying message inspirational.

Watching Rocky again, with a mature set of eyes, gave me a new perspective on the film, causing me to be greatly curious as to what I had missed all these years. Even now, I am flabbergasted that I had missed the opportunity to view this series sooner. After all, it’s a remarkable story of what can happen when one follows his dreams—no matter the insurmountable odds.

Here is this young man with nothing but the shirt on his back. He’s a little slow from all the beatings he’s taken during fighting matches so he can’t hold down a traditional job; therefore he works as an “enforcer”—all the while dreaming of a better life. Then one day, he gets his big chance and life, for him, is changed forever. No sooner does he move out of the bad part of town, does he find himself struggling with how to handle his newfound fame and fortune. Then when he gets a handle on that, he must deal with his bitter and jealous brother-in-law who eventually causes him to lose everything he’s worked so hard for. Returning to the bad part of town is not only heartbreaking, but nearly detrimental to his marriage and his relationship with his son. And all the while, he’s got fighting matches to prepare for.

Over the years, there have been mixed reviews when it comes to the Rocky series—some critics hate the predictability that follows with each new match, some critics find the underlying story of Rocky’s home life brings the film down, and other critics credit the series for bringing the world of boxing to the limelight and giving it a fresh start—even going so far as to say that the underlying story, combined with the training sessions and actual matches, saved boxing altogether.

As for me, I stopped watch boxing years ago, when I discovered just how detrimental the sport could be—to one’s body, one’s mind, one’s finances, and one’s relationships. That being said, nobody can argue with the fact that Rocky truly is about living life to its fullest; no matter where you are, what your circumstance are, or what you have. It’s about fighting against the odds to come out on the other side.

While I still find the first Rocky to be a little hard to stomach—perhaps due to the limited dialogue—I have to say that without it there would be no underdog to root for. Then there’s Rocky V, watching it during our current economic state can be a little difficult to handle as Rocky’s financial demise reminds me of all the people in our country who’ve lost their life’s savings, had to sell off their personal belongings to make ends meet, and essentially have to start over. But it was the finale, Rocky Balboa that was truly heartbreaking. After years of fighting, and many ups and downs, Rocky has lost everything—his home, his status, his wife (to an unmentioned death), and even his relationship with his son.

I found the storyline to be inspirational and worth viewing, and I especially liked the way films II through V started with rehashing the old and taking off as though no time had passed. As for the bonus features, I’m not impressed. They are like trailer teasers and leave you wondering, “Where’s the meat?”

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