IF YOU HAVEN'T MY REVIEW ON "ROCKY" CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
http://tylermovietvreviews.blogspot.com/2012/01/tylers-movie-review-on-rocky.html
A while ago, I did a review on "Rocky" which I thought was a great film and epic classic with its acting; story; characters; fight scenes; cinematography; score; editing; and having a great moral about winning and losing. The film was a success and won the Oscar for "Best Picture" and after its success; a sequel was made to not only star and to be written by Stallone, but now it's Directed by Stallone who will go on to direct most of the films in the franchise as well. Is it as good as the first film? ON WITH THE REVIEW...
Sylvester Stallone brings the same charm; emotion; laughs; and likability to his character as he did in the first film. Throughout the whole film, you're not only rooting for him to get back into the ring, but you also get to sympathize with the character as you see him go through his struggles with his life such as dealing with a serious injury; looking for a job than working for the mob again; having financial problems after spending most of his money on expensive stuff; and being a married man who's expecting a baby and promising not to fight any more. Those aspects don't just create more problems for the character and plot, but it also makes our character very relatable, which makes me feel drawn to this character even more. The scenes I really enjoy him in are the scenes when he's sitting at the hospital with Adrian as she's in a coma from a premature birth and the moment that really touches me in the whole movie and shows Rocky's love for her is when he reads a poem that he wrote for her while she's still in a coma and not only is it an emotional moment but it also brings back the joyful memories of Rocky's relationship with Adrian in the last film. Like I said, Stallone can be very funny in the film with some of the funniest dialogue that he's written and for me his funniest moment in the film is when he fails at saying his lines as he's being filmed for a commercial while dressed as a Jungle Caveman (I guess) with two bored hot girls and working for a frustrated director. That scene alone just kills me while at the same time making me feel bad for the character.
The supporting characters are all played by the same actors from the first film and not only are they great at reprising their roles, but the characters are just as fun, likable, and interesting as they were before. Talia Shire not only brings a great performance as Rocky's wife Adrian but it's great seeing the character fully out of her shell from beginning to end. The chemistry between her and Rocky is just as powerful and romantic as their relationship was in the first film and seeing them finally married really does bring a new angle to their relationship. Next we have Paulie played by Burt Young and while not really showing up much in the film or doesn't have as big as a role as he did in the previous film; he's just as great as he was in the previous film and still manages to make you both love and hate this character. It's also nice to see him finally get a job working for Gazzo. There's also Burgess Meredith as Rocky's Trainer Mickey and as you probably guessed his performance is just as perfect as he was in the film. He's grouchy, he's nice, he's funny, he's tough, he's smart, he's emotional, it's just an all around great character and performance. On top of it, Rocky and Mickey are closer than they were in the first film and their relationship is just as fun and as interesting as it was in the previous film. Other actors who've appeared in the previous film like Joe Spinell as Rocky's old boss Gazzo and Tony Burton as Apollo's trainer Duke while not in the film that long, they still bring the same magic as they did in the last film.
Now for Rocky's opponent Apollo Creed, who's once again played by Carl Weathers. Remember how cocky and careless Apollo was in the first film, well forget about it, because in this film he means some serious business! This guy goes from a full of himself celebrity to a blood hungry monster seeking for revenge. He insults Rocky in many different ways just to get him back into the ring so he can destroy his reputation and still be the undefeated champion. How he insults our hero just makes you want to root for Rocky to beat the living daylights out of him. He'll never ever leave him alone until he gets what he wants and when Rocky is finally stepping into the ring, he's not only just as mean as he was before, but he's now back to being his old cocky self only this time he's full of rage. While hating everything he's doing to poor Rocky; the film actually does make you feel bad for this Champion. While winning the fight in the last film he keeps getting hate mail from people telling him that Rocky should have won; he doesn't spend time with his family do to the pain he's going through; his kids are being picked on at School because of the fight; and you feel bad that this might be the end of his successful boxing career. So while against him and rooting for Rocky, you do at least feel a little sympathy for him than seeing him as a straight out villain. Carl Weathers does a brilliant job reprising this character and his acting of making you both hate and feel sorry for him is done very convincingly.
The films look and atmosphere match the same look and tone as the first film. It all really does feel like the second act of the first film and that's saying plenty considering what follows in the sequels. Instead of getting one Training Montage; we get three actually. The first one is seeing Apollo and Rocky train. While we see Apollo really punching the crap out of those bags and knocking out his sparring partners; Rocky isn't doing as well as he did before do to his stress and bad eye which makes everything seem grim for the film's final fight. There's also a funny moment where Rocky has to chase a chicken as an old training method which is not only hilarious, but also makes Rocky says the funniest line in the film next to the Condominiums joke. The last two are actually played back to back and are both really awesome montages. The second Training Montage is Rocky succeeding at his Training which is downright as awesome and cool as the previous film with its kickass music, lighting, cinematography and edits. Speaking of music; the music is really fantastic and really does capture the emotion and epicness of a Rocky film. The third and final Training Montage is Rocky running to the steps of the Philadelphia Museum but instead of him running alone, a bunch of kids all over Philly see him and join him in his run as we hear kids sing the lyrics to Rocky's theme song "Gonna Fly Now" which brings a cute touch to this last epic Training Montage.
While the last film had two fights; this film is one big build up to the film's final fight. The films climatic showdown between Rocky and Apollo is just as amazing and holding you on to the edge of your seat grabbing as the first film. While I was watching the fight, I was so invested in it that I couldn't for a second relax or chill out. I was seriously rooting for Rocky from beginning to end. The fast edits; the choreography; the screaming from Mickey; the worried reactions from Adrian; the epic music; great use of slow motion; and some of the sound effects made it a fantastic fight. I don't care if half of the choreography has noticeable fake punches; I don't care if most of it is Rocky getting beat up; I don't care if some of it looks awkward; I didn't even find the final round as ridiculous as most people claim it to be; it was still a cool, epic, suspenseful, and emotionally engaging fight.
This sequel is not only a great sequel but I personally think it's the best sequel out of the whole franchise. The acting is great; the writing feels like the second half of the first film; the characters are still interesting; the Training Montages are epic; and the final fight while a little phony looking at points is still awesome enough for you to overlook its flaws, at least for me that is. It's an epic sequel that's just as great as the first film and is probably the most respectable one in the franchise.
RATING 5/5
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