Rocky 1 (1976)

"As perfect a fit of star to role as any in cinematic history.  Brian Webster, Apollo Movie Guide
"...Stallone's performance is sheer magic; an authentic and touching portrait...  Frederic & Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality & Practice
"Stallone is perfect in the ultimate boxing flick.  Gerry Shamray, Sun Newspapers of Cleveland

Editor's Note Director John G. Avildsen's ROCKY is the stand-up-and-cheer saga of Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), an underdog boxer who gets his million-to-one shot at love, self-respect, and the world heavyweight title. Rocky is a down-on-his-luck Philadelphia southpaw who works at a meat-packing factory while fighting at a local club. He's given the chance of a lifetime when the world heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), chooses him as an unlikely opponent in his championship bicentennial fight. What was originally planned as a publicity stunt becomes a chance for Rocky to prove himself as a prizefighter while training with his cantankerous manager, Mickey (Burgess Meredith), to rise to the challenge. Thrilling scenes of Rocky's arduous training, including his unforgettable run up the Philadelphia Art Museum steps, are interspersed with a sweet and touching love story between the fighter and his best friend's shy sister, Adrian (Talia Shire). With the love of Adrian on his side, Rocky struggles to overcome the odds, fighting with all his heart in the glorious and brutal finale. Shot with gritty realism on the mean streets of Philadelphia, ROCKY introduced a new American cinematic hero, spurred on by rollicking action sequences and a rousing soundtrack. A triumph for star and screenwriter Stallone, who himself came from nowhere to reach the top, ROCKY is crowd-pleasing entertainment at its finest.

	Burgess Meredith
	Burt Young
	Carl Weathers
	Frank Stallone
	Lloyd Kaufman
	Sylvester Stallone
	Talia Shire
	Thayer David
	Bill Conti - Original Music By
	Frank Stallone - Original Music By
	Gene Kirkwood - Executive Producer
	Irwin Winkler - Producer
	James Crabe - Cinematographer
	John G. Avildsen - Director
	Scott Conrad - Editor
	Sylvester Stallone - Writer

In ROCKY, a young boxer from Philadelphia rises from obscurity to get a shot at the world boxing championship.

"Your nose is broken."----Mickey (Burgess Meredith)|"How does it look?"----Rocky (Sylvester Stallone)|"Ah, it's an improvement."----Mickey

"Why do you wanna fight?"----Adrian (Talia Shire)|"Because I can't sing or dance."----Rocky

"I can't beat him. But that don't bother me. The only thing I want to do is to go the distance, that's all. Because if that bell rings and I'm still standing, then I'm gonna know for the first time in my life, see, that I wasn't just another bum from the neighborhood."----Rocky

"Yo, Adrian!"----Rocky

Entertainment Weekly
"...Writer-star Sylvester Stallone's parable of redemption remains not only the sports-film paragon but one of the most successful low-budget movies ever..." 01/11/2002 p.36

Total Film
"...A pure pugilistic fairytale..." 11/01/2003 p.129

Premiere
"[S]triking a blow for underdogs with more heart than smarts, and bringing apple-pie values and feel-good endings back into vogue." 12/01/2003 p.12

Uncut
4 stars out of 5 -- "A fine, scuffed, sweaty slab of romantic pulp sentimentalism." 03/01/2007 p.122

ReelViews 9 of 10
There are essentially three kinds of boxing movies: those that offer a grim, tell-it-as-it-is perspective of life in the ring, those that focus (often in an exaggerated fashion) on the business aspects of things, and those that seek to uplift through a rags-to-riches story. Rocky, the 1977 Best Picture Oscar winner, belongs unabashedly in the third category. Although the movie contains realistic elements and is set in a believable arena, it is essentially a fairy tale about a down-and-out pugilist who gets a chance at the fight of a lifetime, and, at the same time, wins the girl...Considering what the Rocky series became - popcorn action films with little heart, less intelligence, and a lot of testosterone - it's a somewhat refreshing experience to go back and re-connect with the original, which offers a lot more substance than the sequels. - James Berardinelli

Chicago Sun-Times 10 of 10
His name is Sylvester Stallone, and, yes, in 1976 he did remind me of the young Marlon Brando. How many actors have come and gone and been forgotten who were supposed to be the "new Brando," while Brando endured? And yet in "Rocky" he provides shivers of recognition reaching back to "A Streetcar Named Desire." He's tough, he's tender, he talks in a growl, and hides behind cruelty and is a champion at heart. "I coulda been a contender," Brando says in "On the Waterfront." This movie takes up from there...And then there's Talia Shire, as the girl (she was the hapless sister of the Corleone boys in "The Godfather"). When she hesitates before kissing Rocky for the first time, it's a moment so poignant it's like no other. - Roger Ebert