SZoner, Brett Dexter, sent in a copy of Empire magazine’s review of “Rocky Balboa.” Overall they gave it a three star rating and seemed to really like it despite the fact that they really didn’t want to… Here are some excerpts:
* “Rocky Balboa”… pulls off the unique cinematic feat of being totally terrible and completely brillant at the same time.
* There have been no “Casino Royale” style re-inventions here but, in some senses, this is equally smart.
* Completely understanding the level on which the movie needs to work, “Rocky Balboa” is bold, broad and magnificently big-hearted.
* Stallone clearly loves his character and knows that we feel the same. As a director he is not afraid to commit to the material… as an actor he has an inate dignity and hangdog charm that can make the corniest dialogue palatable…
* And the final showdown with Mason Dixon [Antonio Tarver], with its full-bloodied, hyper-real, toe-to-toe pugilism is up there with the Apollo Creed/Clubber Lang fight nights of old.
– Craig Zablo