33 - "Rocky" (1976)

     "His whole life was a million-to-one shot." I love taglines that are used for movies and out of all of them, this is the one I like the best for some reason. I think it just fits the movie perfectly. Also, what is it about boxing that produces so many great films. The Fighter and Million Dollar Baby have already made my list and there are others such as Raging Bull and The Hurricane, to name a couple, that are very good as well. I guess it's the fact that it's a single person sport and that can lead to lots of great character studies, such as Rocky. John G. Avildsen directed the film based on a script by star Sylvester Stallone. Rocky Balboa is a struggling boxer from Philadelphia who is just trying to get by in life and hang on to the dream of possibly hitting it big one day in the ring. He works a job in the local meat packing plant and on the side he collects money for local loan sharks. It's not a fascinating life but Rocky gets by the best he can. He is attracted to Adrian (Talia Shire), a shy lady who works at the pet store near the gym. After an awkward beginning, the two start to date and Rocky treats her with great respect. Rocky's trainer at the gym, Mickey (Burgess Meredith), believes Rocky doesn't put forth a big enough effort and he thinks he will never make it. Then one day the Heavyweight Champion of the world, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), needs to find an opponent for a fight. Apollo has been unbeatable as a champion and wants to do something different for his next fight that will fall on the 4th of July. He wants to give an unknown fighter who wouldn't normally get a shot at the title a chance to shock the world. He picks Rocky from a listing of fighters in the Philadelphia area. Rocky and Mickey don't understand why they have been given this chance but they decide to make the best of it. Rocky has no belief that he will win the fight, he just wants to make sure he puts on a good show so he can earn respect. Rocky is one of the most inspirational films I have seen. Sylvester Stallone proves that he does have some great acting abilities, he just unfortunately chooses not to display it all the time. In the character of Rocky Balboa, he is perfectly cast. Burgess Meredith also gives a stand out performance as Mickey, Rocky's trainer. Talia Shire is quiet in the film but she is great as the person who ends up being Rocky's primary motivation to do well. She believes in him and because of that, he believes in himself. The fight scenes with Rocky and Apollo are intense and very well shot. They may be a bit unrealistic, something that will become a staple of the series, but that's to be forgiven in a movie. Also, this is one of the movies where I think the soundtrack plays a big role in the success of the film and is worth mentioning. When Rocky runs up the steps of the museum with "Gonna Fly Now" blaring, you will feel like you can accomplish anything.
(Rocky has produced several sequels. Stick to parts 2, 3, and 4 which are all pretty decent and skip the rest. The original is best, but part 2 will always have a place on my list.)