Rocky Balboa (www.the-usher.com)

"It ain't over 'til it's over"

When ESPN screen a computer generated fight between the current heavy weight champion of the work Mason 'The Line' Dixon and former two-time heavy weight champion Rocky 'The Italian Stallion' Balboa and Rocky wins by a knock out in the first round, the champion doesn't take this very well. After Rocky sees this however, he thinks there might be a little left in the tank for him to return to the ring. He is having trouble coping with the death of Adrian and finds running a restaurant in Philadelphia not enough of a distraction from his grief. When Dixon's manager offers Rocky the chance at an exhibition bout, he makes the decision to step into the ring one more time.

After sixteen years out of the ring, two-time heavy weight champion Rocky Balboa returns to boxing for one last bout but at sixty years old, is Sylvester Stallone too old to don the gloves one more time?

When the sixth film in the Rocky franchise was announced, many fans and critics thought it was a cry of desperation of an 80s icon to try and recapture his superstar status. The thought of a sixty year-old man getting into the ring with the current heavy weight champion of the world may sound a little far fetched but when you remember George Foreman, before he got into the lean-mean-grilling machine market, regaining the crown in his late fifties, then the story isn't as implausible as you might think.

Written and directed by Sylvester Stallone, the film sees Rocky return to his roots and what drew you into the franchise in the first place. This is Rocky the Philadelphia success story returning to the city of his birth to see out his years as a restaurant owner. His statue is gone, his millions have dried up and people just know him as the former champion. The death of his beloved Adrian isn't helping either, as he and brother-in-law Paulie visit the old neighbourhood on the anniversary of her passing away, it is clear that this is a more character driven Rocky movie, much like the first.

Seeing Rocky walking the streets of his old neighbourhood again is much like travelling back to these areas again with an old friend. As he visits Mickey's gym, the pet shop, bar and his old house, we remember these times and reminisce about how he and the love of his life Adrian fell in love. Again this gives Sylvester Stallone to show that Rocky was his greatest creation and the one who you feel the most for. He is an every man, the epitome of the American dream and someone you can easily connect with. When he gets his chance again to enter the ring against the current heavy weight champion of the world, you can't help but get back into his corner.

The set up for the fight is a rather simplistic one. American sports channel ESPN runs a computer generated fight between current champion Mason 'The Line' Dixon and Rocky, in which the Italian Stallion wins. This of course raises public interest and stirs something inside Rocky that he might be able to fight again. Of course Mason's management team see this as an opportunity to raise the profile of the champion and the flagging sport of boxing. The fight itself is one of the most realistic of the series. Gone are the sledgehammer sounding punches and the continuous huge blows to the head. The pair look like they are really boxing and having former light heavy weight champion Antonio Tarver play Mason only helps with the authenticity.

With Burt Young returning as hapless brother-in-law Paulie and Tony Burton as trainer Duke, along with Milo Ventimiglia as Rocky Jr. (doing a lot better job that Sage Stallone) and Geraldine Hughes as Marie, the grown up little girl who Rocky walked home in the first film, you have a good cast to support Stallone in his return to the ring.

'Rocky Balboa' is a suitable send off to the greatest boxing franchise. Stallone gets most things right, mixing the elements that drew you into the story in the first place and a more realistic fight to give Rocky his final bout. This might not be the knockout that fans may have wanted but it will go all the way to the final round.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Widescreen 1.85:1 Anamorphic with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, the transfer is good.

BONUS FEATURES

Commentary by Sylvester Stallone
The man behind the six Rocky movies provides a comprehensive and nostalgic commentary for the last movie in the franchise, 'Rocky Balboa'. He talks extensively about returning to the character, getting back in shape and telling a story again, like he did with the first movie. Fans of the man and the franchise will enjoy this commentary.

Deleted Scenes (19.38 mins)
Entitled 'Paulie paints', 'Breakfast', 'Andy's bar (original), 'Paulie's girlfriend moves his things', 'Rocky and steps', 'Paulie breaks down' and 'Rocky sparing', these deleted scenes suffer from a lack of a commentary track or introduction to say why they were removed. Alternative ending (3.40 mins) As the fight comes to its conclusion you can watch another version of the result.

Boxing Bloopers (1.31 mins)
Watch Sylvester Stallone make a hash of his line and take a few hits in the ring.

Skills vs. Will: The Making of Rocky Balboa (17.47 mins)
Director/writer/star Sylvester Stallone, producers Kevin King, Billy Chartoff, David Winkler, Charles Winkler and Guy Reidal, production designer Giacomo Corlore and stars Burt Young, Milo Ventimiglia, Geraldine Hughes and Antonio Tarver talk about bringing the Rocky saga to an end. Revealing how the film was influenced by George Foreman's comeback in his 50s, the bookend to the series of films regains the heart of the character that drew people to him in the first place. With behind the scenes footage, this featurette takes you into the world of the Rocky franchise.

Reality in the Ring: Filming Rocky's Final Fight (15.37 mins)
Director/writer/star Sylvester Stallone, producers Kevin King, Billy Chartoff, David Winkler, Charles Winkler and Guy Reidal, production designer Giacomo Corlore, boxing technical advisor Rob Sale, production designer Clark Mathis and star Antonio Tarver, take you behind the scenes of the fight and show you how Rocky took over HBO PPV and the Mandalay Hotel in Las Vegas.

Trailers
Previews of 'Rocky Balboa', 'Rocky', 'Eragon', 'A Good Year', 'The Last King of Scotland', 'American Dad' and 'The Fountain'

OVERALL

While it may not be as comprehensive as some fans may have wanted, the DVD package for 'Rocky Balboa' is still very good. A retrospective on the franchise would have been a bonus but the two featurettes and the commentary should please fans of the Italian Stallion.

DVD

Rocky Anthology

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2007