So I'm sure this movie will net Stallone enough money to stay wealthy through old age. I doubt anyone who ponies up the cost of a ticket is expecting another Oscar performance, anyway. Jeez, didn't Police Academy go on for about a dozen sequels? They must be making money for someone.

But they won't get mine.

you just can't help rooting for Sylvester Stallone

Wanna bet?

If Andrew O'Hehir wants to suspend his rational faculties and his disbelief in order to wallow in the nostalgia-pit with Sly Stallone - he's welcome to do so - and since he probbly gets in to see the movie free - he won't even be out nine bucks.

Those of us who like to keep track of our disposable income - or who like to fancy that we are not complete imbeciles - we'll be skipping this latest bit of kitsch from the one-trackest-mind in show-biz.

Both "Pursuit of Happyness" and "Rock Balboa" have been ruined for me. It's not just Salon, it's all the media. They reveal nearly the whole story before I even get to decide if I want to see the film. I even know how the fight in Rocky turns out thanks to another article. There was a time when such things started out with spoiler warnings. Not anymore.

I would add one other observation re: Sylvester Stallone. He is a writer, first, and this has often been over-looked. The "canny intelligence" lies in his mind's ability to translate his dreams into choreographed fantasies. He is a good actor, something often overlooked, and, like good actors, he is aging to the point where nothing is being offered to him. Why? Because serious ideas rarely appear in Horrorwood films because serious ideas do not often occur to movie makers. Russell Crowe is facing the same dilemma: he made two, truly interesting films (GLADIATOR and A BEAUTIFUL MIND), and, now, can't recapitulate anything because he is becoming a parody (as is Spielberg, who can't escape a childhood he never experienced). This, in essence, is Horrorwood; bankers, disguised as Ed Wood, have killed the creative spirit with far more devastating results than HUAC in the late 1940s/early 1950s. I think it is time for writers (including Mr Stallone, who should pursue the discipline of writing novels) to abandon Horrorwood. Look at what they did to Rod Serling, or Michael Crichton. Cinema is being explored as an art elsewhere by writers who are not type-writers.

we had the unfortunate experience of seeing the trailer for this crap a week or so ago ( we had no idea that they were STILL milking this dead cow ) and the audience hooted and hollared and booed the silver screen.

a big hit ??

lmfao

I enjoyed the first movie back in '76. But I've never seen any of the sequels.

On the other hand...

If they made something called ROCKY VERSUS GODZILLA, I might see it.....

I agree about Russell Crowe, but his two interesting films are The Insider and Master and Commander, not Gladiator and A Beautiful Mind.

Uh...so Rocky doesn't DIE at the end of this one? So much for "ending" the series, right?

Also - didn't he have a daughter as well as a son? Not being a follower of the series, I'm curious as to what happened with her.

Rocky represents the best of American manhood. Strong and gentle, tough and faithful, punishing in the ring and loving in the home. Not terribly intelligent but with instincts that are right on the mark. Innately just. American. That's why we watch Rocky movies, that's why his statue stands in Philadelphia---you can deride him all you want, he is the ultimate in Americana. Sylvester Stallone is a genius for giving him breath. When we as a country "grow up" and get cynical, our heroes will too. We ain't there yet.

I'm not much on fan letters, especially to movie reviewers, but I have to say that Andrew O'Hehir's write-up of "Rocky Balboa" was exceptionally well done. I enjoyed every word, and laughed at the last sentence. Nice to see a real writer among the slobs.

I'll plunk down my hard-earned $$ to see this film simply for the fun of it. The Rocky series (particularly the original is a piece of Americana and, in many ways, symbolizes the American Spirit. Let the critics have their say and pan the film for its originalilty, depth, and character development shortcomings. I go to the movies for entertainment and I think Rocky Balboa will do just that - entertain. Merry Christmas to all!

Now I'm DEFINITELY NOT SEEING IT. I didn't know Adrian would die in this. Unless they had a Rocky 5 1/2. You're a movie critic?

She died in one of the earlier "Rockys". No spoiler here.

Now I know that Rocky attempts a comeback in the movie! And that he has challenges in training and being taken seriously due to his age! And he boxes someone in the movie! God, it's getting so you can't read a summary of a movie anymore without learning some basic plot points about the movie. I am so tired of Salon ruining movies for me. A few weeks ago they spoiled The Nativity Story for me by letting on that Jesus is born at the end. And in 1997 they spoiled Titanic by telling me the ship sinks.

In case you can't tell, I'm being sarcastic. (Anyone who really does write in to complain about a movie review spoiling the movie might thing I'm serious and on their side).

When there's a movie that I'm really interested in, I DON'T READ THE REVIEWS! Just like Frank Costanza, I like to go in FRESH!. For example, I haven't read anything about The Departed, because I plan on watching it very soon.

Please, enough with the complaints about Spoilers. You're embarrassing yourselves.

Sylvester Stallone makes a lot of money from this movie and is able to support his autistic son whom he had with his first wife, who stuck with him until he became successful and he dumped her. He's gotta be a great guy.