Review

Rocky Balboa
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Writer: Sylvester Stallone
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Geraldine Hughes, Milo Ventimiglia, Burt Young
Genre: Action/Drama/Sport
Rating: PG
Runtime: 102 mins
Tagline: It ain’t over til it’s over

The sixth and final installment in the Rocky series, this is a film I fully expected to rip to pieces but although there’s plenty to criticise, I don’t mind admitting I was pleasantly surprised with how much I really enjoyed it.
I was two when the first Rocky came around and only 16 when the last one came out. I hadn’t yet come to appreciate writing and directorial credits so imagine my surprise to find out all were written by Sylvester Stallone and four (including this latest one) were directed by him too. 
Let’s face it, none of the Rocky films can claim to be intellectual masterpieces and this latest one is no exception but I couldn’t help being impressed with some of the poignant and surprisingly deep and meaningful dialogue with a couple of laughs thrown in for good measure.
Sylvester Stallone isn’t going to win any acting awards for his performance but when you take into consideration he plays an aging meathead with a slightly less than generous helping of brain cells, it’s hard to imagine a more perfect person for the role. And although an over the hill body builder is never a pretty sight, there are few that could have pulled off the shear power and body strength necessary to make this a credible storyline.  
Slow moving to begin with and a little soppier than you’d expect, this is a film that was believable against the odds and kept me gripped to it’s surprising conclusion.
— Marie-Claire