Category: Rocky 2

Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky Balboa: Best of the Best

Craig / / 2010, Honors, Rocky, Rocky 2, Rocky Balboa

On December 17, 2010, Newsday posted a piece titled Actors, Fighters Weigh-in on Boxing Flicks.  As you can imagine the Rocky movies were selected as top choices several times.  Here’s what was said:

  • Frank Vincent, played Salvy, opposite Robert De Niro in “Raging Bull.”  He’s appeared in numerous other films, including “Goodfellas” and “Casino.”
    1.     Although it was a fantasy,  I have to go with “Rocky 1”, for the inspirational message.
  • Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, former WBA light heavyweight champion, played Billy Fox opposite Robert De Niro in “Raging Bull.”
    3.     “Rocky.” “The entire Rocky series was great for boxing. Even if it wasn’t real, it was an opportunity for Sly to come in and make those movies. It gave boxing a boost.”
  • A.J. Benza, played L.C. opposite Sylvester Stallone in “Rocky Balboa.”
    1.     “Although “Raging Bull” is a better film, with incredible acting and all the sacrifices Robert De Niro made to literally become Jake LaMotta, and having the great Martin Scorsese at the helm, I still have to say the greatest boxing movie of all-time is “Rocky.” Here we are 34 years later and I still drop the remote and stop whatever I’m doing whenever it’s on TV. That song is in everybody’s heart. That fight is a fight we will all face one day in our lives. Sylvester Stallone did it. Game over. Who doesn’t get the chills when they hear the trumpets?”
    3. “Rocky Balboa.” Mainly because I’m in it. But I remember being on the set, on the last day, and watching Stallone run the steps for the last time. And when he was done and it was a wrap, no one wanted to leave. Stallone just sat on the steps. And I remember telling him, “You been making us cry for over 30 years. Who does that outside of our own families?”
  • Jeff Waxman, co-producer, “The Fighter”
    1    . “Rocky”
    2    . “Rocky II”
    “I loved all those movies,” said Waxman. “I loved them not just for the boxing, but for the story. With Riocky, it was about going the distance, in this movie (“The Fighter”), Micky Ward had to go the distance, he had to win and he did.”
  • Steve Farhood, boxing analyst for Showtime:
    1.     “Rocky.” “The right movie at the right time. My friend and I saw it in the dead of winter, and we were so pumped up, we ran home two miles through the streets of New York City. By the way, not one of the 347 sequels compares.”
  • Lou DiBella, boxing promoter, played himself in “Rocky Balboa” and is a producer on “The Fighter.”
    1.     “Rocky.” “I think the character of Rocky Balboa is the greatest personafication of the underdog in movie history and it gets to the essence of why people love boixng. I think Rocky Balboa is the most iconic figure every created about boxing.”
    2.     “Rocky II.”
  • Mark Breland, Olympic gold medalist and WBA welterweight champion. Has appeared in “The Lords of Discipline,” and  “Summer of Sam.”
    2. “Rocky.”
  • Jose Rivera, former two-time world champion who played Mark Wahlberg’s sparring partner in “The Fighter.”
    1. “Rocky.”
  • Junior Jones, former world bantamweight and junior featherweight champion:
    1.     “All of the “Rocky,” movies. I liked the training scenes and the music, too. It allows you to see the hard work and the intensity of a fighter.”

To read the full piece, click here.

6 Stallone Movies Crack Top 100

Craig / / 2010, Honors, Over the Top, Rocky, Rocky 2, Rocky 3, Rocky 4, Victory

On October 13, 2010, Matt King, a senior analyst at BleacherReport.com posted his choices for the 100 Greatest Sports Movies of All Time.  Not surprisingly, Sly had six movies that made the grade.  Here are Matt King’s choices and commentary.

#79   Over the Top

You can thank Sly Stallone for knowing why you turn your hat around when you arm wrestle somebody. That’s valuable information there.

Seriously, though—it’s a movie about arm wrestling. How awesome is that? It’s Stallone right around the time he discovered steroids, facing off against some guy with more neck rolls than a pug. As a man, you just have to love this. It’s man law.

#62 Victory

What’s this? It’s a sports movie and we’re playing the Germans during WWII? Yes, please.

You could make a water polo movie where a team faces off against the Germans during WWII and I would be all in. It’s too easy. The villain is built in. You don’t need to build them up or give them any depth. It’s cool. We hate them. Let’s move along.

I also have a soft spot for sports movies ending a ridiculous note. Sly Stallone catching a penalty kick pretty much fits that bill.

#46 Rocky IV

It’s hard to rank the Rocky movies. Usually when a sports movie comes out with a sequel, it sucks. But Rocky managed to make not one, but three sequels that are extremely watchable.

Somebody has to bring up the rear and, while I do have a special place in my heart for Ivan Drago and Rocky IV, it can’t compete with the others.

It does however give us some amazing lines (I must break you) and a training montage that set the gold standard for cheesy goodness. I’ll always be thankful to Rocky and the fourth installment for singlehandedly winning the Cold War.

#32 Rocky II [and if you take a look at their original post, notice where they got the Rocky II photo]

At the end of Rocky, Apollo tells him that there won’t be a rematch and Rocky says that he doesn’t want one.

Good ending, but that’s hard for us sports fans to accept. We need some kind of resolution.

It’s the same reason most Americans hate soccer for three out of every four years: we hate ties.

Thankfully, Rocky II gave us that rematch and managed to do so without seeming like a horrible cash grab and was a really solid movie.

#24 Rocky III

Rocky III is probably the most entertaining Rocky movie. It’s got over-the-top characters like Hulk Hogan and Clubber Lang, Mickey dying, and a great final fight.

Mr. T really did kick ass as Clubber. With the first two Rockys, you always liked Apollo at least a little bit. He was mouthy, but it came with charm. Clubber Lang was just big, scary, and mean.

#6 Rocky [and don’t ask me why the photo for Rocky is from Rocky Balboa]

The ultimate underdog story.

The first Rocky was the ultimate everyman. He’s just an unassuming, humble guy from Philly who ends up getting a shot at the champ through a series of events and making the most of it.

Eventually, Rocky turns into this super fighter in later movies, but in this one he’s just your average guy with a bigger than average heart. Nothing special.

Stallone will never be considered a great actor, but he’s terrific in the movie. He nails the “aw shucks” attitude.

And who could forget Mickey. That gruff voiced little troll is one of my favorite sports movie characters of all time.

*****

I was happy to see that Over the Top easily made the top 100.  I was surprised that Rocky Balboa didn’t appear on the list.  What’s up with that?  It should have been right there along side Rocky.

If you’d like to see Matt King’s entire list of 100 Greatest Sports Movies of All Time, you know what to do.

Sly & Dolph Receive Awards

Craig / / 2010, Celebs, Expendables, Honors, Rocky, Rocky 2, Rocky 3, Rocky 4, Rocky 5, Rocky 6, Rocky Balboa

From Yahoo News!

Actors Sylvester Stallone (L) and Dolph Lundgren receive an award from the Guinness Book of World Records for creating the most successful sports franchise in film history with their movie “Rocky” during a news conference for the upcoming Lionsgate motion picture “The Expendables” at Comic Con in San Diego, California July 22, 2010.

REUTERS/Mike Blake

Rocky Balboa IS the American Spirit

Craig / / 2010, Honors, Rocky, Rocky 2, Rocky 3, Rocky 4, Rocky 5, Rocky 6, Rocky Balboa

In honor of Independence Day, Cinema Blend posted their choices for the Ten Movie Heroes Who Make Us Proud to be Americans.  Making the list were:

  • Scarlett (Gone with the Wind) O’Hara
  • President James (Air Force One) Marshall
  • Captain John H. (Saving Private Ryan) Miller
  • John (Die Hard series) McClane
  • Atticus (To Kill a Mockingbird) Finch
  • Jason (The Bourne trilogy) Bourne
  • Will (High Noon) Kane
  • Sarah (Terminator series) Connor
  • Bryan (Taken) Mills
  • Rocky (Rocky series) Balboa

Here’s some of what they had to say about Rocky…

Everyone loves an underdog, and that’s the reason why Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa is such a great character

Balboa is a hero because of the inspiration he provides,

Rocky Balboa IS the American spirit.

Click here to read the full piece.

“Rocky” Rated Top Film Franchise

Craig / / 2010, Honors, Rocky, Rocky 2, Rocky 4, Rocky 5, Rocky 6, Rocky Balboa

On June 22, 2010, We Are Movie Geeks.com posted their selections for the Top Ten Film Franchises.  Back to the Future; Planet of the Apes; Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter; Rocky; Alien(s); Lord of the Rings; James Bond; The Godfather and Star Wars all made the list. Here’s some of what they had to say about the Rocky series:

…you cannot dismiss the genius of the character of Rocky Balboa.

Rocky was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Screenplay that Stallone wrote, and won 3, including Best Picture and Best Director.

Rocky stole the heart of America and reminded us why we should always root for the underdog.

You can read the entire post by clicking here.

The “Rocky” Series Most Inspiring!

Craig / / 2010, Honors, Rocky, Rocky 2, Rocky 3, Rocky 4, Rocky 5, Rocky 6

On May 2, 2010, PasteMagazine.com posted their list of the Five Inspiring Movie Montages.  Of course the Rocky series had to be represented… and what better way than to include ALL of the Rocky movies.  Here’s what they had to say:

5. All the Rocky movies
Each Rocky movie could honestly have occupied a slot on this list—if you’re watching one, you’re eventually going to see Sylvester Stallone pulling a cart through the snow, or doing one-armed pullups on a Philly playground, or doing wind sprints down a beach with Carl Weathers. Eye of the tiger, baby.

To see the full list as well as the montages for the movies, click here.