Rocky Balboa reigns supreme as the world heavyweight champion and has become friends with his old rival Apollo Creed. But Ivan Drago, a viscious steroid-pumped boxer with the backing of the Soviet Union has entered the ring. The patriotic Apollo Creed retaliates by fighting him in an exhibition match, but when the fight ends in tragedy, Rocky prepares for an epic battle to avenge his friend, in which he must not only defend himself, but his beloved country, much to the dismay of his wife Adrienne (Talia Shire) who doesn't want him to end up like his friend and doubts his chances. Under the charismatic direction and skillful writing of Sylvester Stallone, this is the most patriotic and upbeat installment in the beloved saga. Stallone does an outstanding job as the hero, who supports Apollo in his quest to defeat Drago, but is also concerned that the fight may not end well, and after the death of his friend, travels to Russia to train harder than ever before for his risky fight with the Russian. Carl Weathers makes a great final appearance as the spirited, but always cocky Apollo Creed. Determined to prove the worth of his country, he enters an exhibition fight which seems completely ridiculous to Drago, his representatives, and even embarrasses Rocky himself. Even when Apollo is mercilessly being clobbered by Drago, he orders the horrified Rocky and his trainer Duke (Tony Burton) not to stop the fight no matter what. As Rocky cradles the lifeless Apollo, he looks up into the emotionless eyes of Drago, and his facial expression changes from sadness to blazing fury.
Dolph Lundgren is chillingly emotionless and very menacing as the indestructible villain with superhuman strength, Ivan Drago, while the always overrated Brigitte Nielsen plays his obnoxious and slightly sadistic wife, who seems to delight in Apollo falling to the floor after being beaten to death. Burt Young gets some very entertaining screen time as the mouthy Paulie.There are several things about this movie that make it unique to the other movies. The primarily electronic music score is composed by the dynamic Vince DiCola and adds to the overall style of the film, especially the first training montage and the villain's theme music. The band Survivor composes lots of songs for this movie, the best one being used during a music video composed of Rocky driving in his car and various clips of the previous films, I was somewhat dissapointed by the absence of the classic theme song of the series. One of the funny scenes is during a birthday party for Paulie, when he gets a robot that actually talks and interacts. Apollo tells Rocky and Adrienne that he's going to fight Drago and is randomly interrupted by the robot, who is now talking in a feminine voice and is Paulie's apparent girlfriend, after a brief exchange of words is over, Apollo seems a bit disturbed but continues talking. It'a cheesy touch, but adds a bit of fun and quirkiness to the movie. The training montages are awesome as Rocky trains in the snowy mountains of Siberia, cutting down trees, doing extreme hard labor, lifting weights, climbing to the top of the mountain among other highly difficult challenges. Meanwhile, Drago trains in a tempurature with machinery, is monitored by computers and is injected with steroids, though his wife and representative deny any use of steroids to enhance him.
The fight between Rocky Balboa and Ivan Drago is a literal knockout. Thanks to his iron will and grueling training, Rocky manages to stay alive and eventually does some unexpected damage to his seemingly invincible opponent. Throughout the battle, Drago himself is increasingly shocked by Rocky's endurance and strength, but still tries to intimidate him with threats. I love how Rocky wins over the once hostile crowds as they begin cheering for him instead of the villain. We all know that it's going to end well, but you can't help but be excited and cheer everyone's favorite boxing hero on. At the end of the fight, both fighters are beaten and bruised, but the "Italian Stallion" is victorious once more and delivers a speech saying that everyone can change and the first one to applaud is the prime minister. To be quite honest, this is the weakest of the series in terms of chracter depth, but it's the most patriotic and on the grandest scale of all of them. It's also the most commercial in a sense, with stylized cinematography, something of a music video, electronic music, and a lot of songs. This is a guilty pleasure at best and even if it is predictable, it still rocks. To sum it up, it's an emotionally powered boxing epic with brawling action and a fun experience for the entire family. [PG]
5/5
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
"Rocky III" (1982)
Rocky Balboa is the world heavyweight champion and living a very happy life. Appearing in television commercials, and winning every fight, everything seems to be going great. When Rocky announces his upcomong retirement, the brutal Clubber Lang challenges him to a fight fight that his trainer Mickey isn't keen on. When Rocky suffers a humiliating defeat, it's up to his former rival Apollo Creed to help him regain his edge, the "eye of the tiger", and win back the title. Writer, director, and star Sylvester Stallone portrays Rocky in a more carefree manner as he has become very wealthy and has yet to lose a fight since winning the title, even after his trainer and manager Mickey warns him not to fight Lang because he's losing his edge. Even after this news, he rents out a public place and doesn't take his training very seriously, and it isn't until a brutal clobbering from Clubber Lang that he understands. Mr. T does a very good job as the movie's brutal antagonist, Clubber Lang. Even the now famous wrestler Hulk Hogan makes an entertaining appearance as a wrestler in a charity fight, he has the upper hand at first, but then Rocky manages to take him down, resulting in a draw. Rocky agrees to go bowling with him later and asks him why he went all crazy on him, and the wrestler says that that's the name of the game. As they pose for pictures, Rocky remarks that sometimes charity hurts.
Burgess Meredith makes a moving performance as Mickey, who dies of heart failure after Rocky's ill fated battle with Lang. Rocky is totally devastated at this point and after the funeral goes to the old gym, there he sees Apollo Creed, who had been at the fight and saw what had happened, he agrees to let his old rival train him so that he can win back the title. Carl Weathers plays a much kinder Apollo Creed, who wants to help our hero get his edge back. Talia Shire is a much bolder Adrienne this time, who tries to help her struggling husband cope with his failure. Burt Young returns as Paulie, who in the beginning of the film, has recently lost his job and thinks that Rocky has forgotten about him on his climb to the top, but Rocky graciously gives him a job helping him get ready for his fights. The training montage in this movie is awesome as Apollo and his trainer Duke, played again by Tony Burton, help Rocky become the same fighting machine that he was in the first two films, and of course accompanied by the immortal theme song of the series, "Gonna Fly Now."
As they train and once more before the fight, Apollo reminds Rocky that he owes him a favor, which Rocky keeps asking about. The rematch fight between Rocky and Clubber Lang is really awesome as we watch our hero come back swinging out with a vengeance. The "Italian Stallion" keeps his part of the deal and returns the favor and when the big fight is over, Rocky and Apollo have their own little rematch with no cameras and no press, which Apollo says is his chance to come to terms and possibly beat Rocky in a good natured sparring match. In a nut shell, this is an impressive and fun installment in the series. Rocky is now a wealthy celebrity with a family and an overall good life, but he's losing his edge as a fighter and needs help getting back on his feet. It's also kind of strange to see such merchandise displayed in the film including a Rocky pinball machine that Paulie destroys in a drunken rage in the beginning of the movie or when Rocky rents out a public place to train where there are baloons with his name on them and even a life size cardboard image. Another great thing about this movie is while Bill Conti composes most of the music, the rock band Survivor makes it's grand entrance by introducing the legendary song "Eye of the Tiger." In the end this is an enteraining movie that is well worth watching. [PG]
5/5
Burgess Meredith makes a moving performance as Mickey, who dies of heart failure after Rocky's ill fated battle with Lang. Rocky is totally devastated at this point and after the funeral goes to the old gym, there he sees Apollo Creed, who had been at the fight and saw what had happened, he agrees to let his old rival train him so that he can win back the title. Carl Weathers plays a much kinder Apollo Creed, who wants to help our hero get his edge back. Talia Shire is a much bolder Adrienne this time, who tries to help her struggling husband cope with his failure. Burt Young returns as Paulie, who in the beginning of the film, has recently lost his job and thinks that Rocky has forgotten about him on his climb to the top, but Rocky graciously gives him a job helping him get ready for his fights. The training montage in this movie is awesome as Apollo and his trainer Duke, played again by Tony Burton, help Rocky become the same fighting machine that he was in the first two films, and of course accompanied by the immortal theme song of the series, "Gonna Fly Now."
As they train and once more before the fight, Apollo reminds Rocky that he owes him a favor, which Rocky keeps asking about. The rematch fight between Rocky and Clubber Lang is really awesome as we watch our hero come back swinging out with a vengeance. The "Italian Stallion" keeps his part of the deal and returns the favor and when the big fight is over, Rocky and Apollo have their own little rematch with no cameras and no press, which Apollo says is his chance to come to terms and possibly beat Rocky in a good natured sparring match. In a nut shell, this is an impressive and fun installment in the series. Rocky is now a wealthy celebrity with a family and an overall good life, but he's losing his edge as a fighter and needs help getting back on his feet. It's also kind of strange to see such merchandise displayed in the film including a Rocky pinball machine that Paulie destroys in a drunken rage in the beginning of the movie or when Rocky rents out a public place to train where there are baloons with his name on them and even a life size cardboard image. Another great thing about this movie is while Bill Conti composes most of the music, the rock band Survivor makes it's grand entrance by introducing the legendary song "Eye of the Tiger." In the end this is an enteraining movie that is well worth watching. [PG]
5/5
"Rocky II" (1979)
Rocky Balboa has gone the distance with the world heavyweight champion, and boxing fans expect a rematch. But having sustained massive injuries in the bout, he turns down a rematch to make a new life for himself with Adrienne. Being new to having a good amount of money, he spends the money on a house, a car, and other luxury items. But with a child on the way, running out of money, and being unable to secure a job, Rocky prepares for the long awaited rematch with Apollo Creed. It's interesting to see Rocky in new situations, spending the money he has rather excessively, buying some things he doesn't even need. It's sad to see how hard he tries to find a good job and keep it, he finally lands a job at the same meat factory where his friend Paulie (Burt Young) works and ends up getting laid off with other workers. Burgess Meredith returns as Mickey who gets upset with Rocky for being half-hearted in his training. Carl Weathers also returns as the embittered Apollo Creed, who is almost obsessive about his rematch with Rocky and still angry about people believing that Rocky should've won the previous fight. Adrienne (Talia Shire) initially doesn't want Rocky to fight and even returns to her job at the pet shop while pregnant.
This movie doesn't focus as much on the hero yearning to go the distance and it's not as laid back as the first film, but it gives us a deeper look at the struggling Rocky and it turns out to be a bit more exciting in some cases, very upbeat and lively, despite this, this is the least talked about film in the series. When Adrienne passes out due to overworking while pregnant, Rocky realizes the importance of the rematch and why he has to win, and Adrienne finally understands as well. While the training scenes don't feature Rocky in a meat locker this time, he still does the same things as last time and Mickey even has trying to catch a chcken to improve his speed. We actually even see Apollo Creed training vigorously this time. We also see how much having a son affects Rocky as well as it becomes a driving force in his training and a big reason he wants to make a good income to provide for his family as a father and husband. Rocky is even offered his old job as a collector from his former boss of the first film, a loan shark who even wanted him to break a man's thumb if he didn't have all the money he owed. Of course Rocky had let the man go unharmed. One of the film's great features is that Bill Conti composes the music again and mixes some new music to the original compositions.
Another problem for Rocky this time around is his bad left eye, which seems to be a result of having the swollen eyelid cut so that he could see in the previous film's big fight. In this movie, we get two big training montages instead of just one. In the latter montage, the famous theme music plays while Rocky is running through the city and is joined by a whole bunch of kids cheering for him. The big fight scene toward the end of the film is more suspenseful, more satisfying, and on a much grander scale. By the end of it, both Rocky and Apollo are even more battered and bloody than in their first fight. I'm pleased to say that this is an awesome sequel that actually lives up to the greatness of the first film, perhaps becase writer and star Sylvester Stallone now directs as well. The climax is more intense and a bit more bloody than that of the first film, but there is actually much less profanity this time around. This movie is definately worth watching and while it isn't considered to be quite as good as the first, it's an explosive sports movie with a lot of heart and plenty of excitement. [PG]
5/5
This movie doesn't focus as much on the hero yearning to go the distance and it's not as laid back as the first film, but it gives us a deeper look at the struggling Rocky and it turns out to be a bit more exciting in some cases, very upbeat and lively, despite this, this is the least talked about film in the series. When Adrienne passes out due to overworking while pregnant, Rocky realizes the importance of the rematch and why he has to win, and Adrienne finally understands as well. While the training scenes don't feature Rocky in a meat locker this time, he still does the same things as last time and Mickey even has trying to catch a chcken to improve his speed. We actually even see Apollo Creed training vigorously this time. We also see how much having a son affects Rocky as well as it becomes a driving force in his training and a big reason he wants to make a good income to provide for his family as a father and husband. Rocky is even offered his old job as a collector from his former boss of the first film, a loan shark who even wanted him to break a man's thumb if he didn't have all the money he owed. Of course Rocky had let the man go unharmed. One of the film's great features is that Bill Conti composes the music again and mixes some new music to the original compositions.
Another problem for Rocky this time around is his bad left eye, which seems to be a result of having the swollen eyelid cut so that he could see in the previous film's big fight. In this movie, we get two big training montages instead of just one. In the latter montage, the famous theme music plays while Rocky is running through the city and is joined by a whole bunch of kids cheering for him. The big fight scene toward the end of the film is more suspenseful, more satisfying, and on a much grander scale. By the end of it, both Rocky and Apollo are even more battered and bloody than in their first fight. I'm pleased to say that this is an awesome sequel that actually lives up to the greatness of the first film, perhaps becase writer and star Sylvester Stallone now directs as well. The climax is more intense and a bit more bloody than that of the first film, but there is actually much less profanity this time around. This movie is definately worth watching and while it isn't considered to be quite as good as the first, it's an explosive sports movie with a lot of heart and plenty of excitement. [PG]
5/5
"Rocky" (1976)
Rocky Balboa is a Philadelphia man who meets ends working as a collector for a loan shark and boxing in clubs for minimum wages. But when he is given a shot at the title of the World Heavyweight Championship, he knows that this is his chance to go the distance and come out a winner. Sylvester Stallone, who was relatively unknown during that time, succeeds in writing a powerful movie with a story that is sweet and simple but never dull under the skillful direction of John G. Avildsen. It's a dynamic sports drama about perseverance and triumph. Sylvester Stallone brings a warmth and likability as he plays the title character, an unusually gentle character striving to overcome the odds and fight for self respect. Burgess Meredith makes a great performance as his grumpy old trainer Mickey, who realizes that Rocky has potential and that he can help him, Talia Shire does a wonderful job as Adrienne, an extremely shy girl who works at a pet shop and comes out of her shell with Rocky's help. Burt Young stars as Adrienne's older brother Paulie, a loudmouthed guy who works at a meat factory and helps Rocky by letting him use the hanging hunks of meat as punching bags. Carl Weathers also shines as Apollo Creed, the charismatic and cocky champion who chooses Rocky because of his nickname the "Italian Stallion."
At first he takes the fight lightly, but is taken by surprise when Rocky abruptly knocks him down, the exhibition fight escalates into a furious battle. However, this is a much more laid back film than one would expect from a movie about boxing. One of the best training scenes is when Rocky goes to the meat factory and is put off by reporters that Paulie has brought in to film him in action, he proceeds to let the cameraman film him punching the meat watched by Apollo Creed's trainer (Tony Burton), who realizes that Rocky means business. There is also a beautiful love story in this movie between the outgoing Rocky and the quiet Adrienne, one of the best of these scenes is when he takes her ice skating and talks with her, occasionally being interrupted by the man watching the place telling him how long he has before he has to leave. Rocky treats her very kindly and always makes attempts at making her laugh with jokes. Bill Conti's wonderful music score ranges from light piano music for romantic scenes and emotional scenes to the booming use of trumpets and violin music for the famous training montage or the thrilling fight scene toward the end of the movie.
This is generally a good movie for people of every age to watch aside from the profanity and the brutality of the thrilling fight between the underdog protagonist and the grand champion, a scene which is violent actually kind of bloody. Both fighter are sweating heavily, badly bruised, and are swollen in the face. One scene that is particularly bloody is when Rocky's left eye is swollen so bad that he can't see and he asks Mickey to have it cut so that he can. It's a movie with no major plot twists, but a character study about an unlikely hero that you can pull for, someone you want to see be triumphant. There is one particularly touching scene where Rocky comes home from the stadium where he's going to fight at, he confesses to Adrienne that he's unsure about his chances at beating Apollo in the fight and that it doesn't really matter if he wins or not. He goes on to say that if he could just go the distance with him, then would prove his worth not only to the world, but to himself. It's an exciting and amazing feel good movie that has definitely stood the test of time and it always gets me really pumped up every time I watch it, you should see it too. [PG]
5/5
At first he takes the fight lightly, but is taken by surprise when Rocky abruptly knocks him down, the exhibition fight escalates into a furious battle. However, this is a much more laid back film than one would expect from a movie about boxing. One of the best training scenes is when Rocky goes to the meat factory and is put off by reporters that Paulie has brought in to film him in action, he proceeds to let the cameraman film him punching the meat watched by Apollo Creed's trainer (Tony Burton), who realizes that Rocky means business. There is also a beautiful love story in this movie between the outgoing Rocky and the quiet Adrienne, one of the best of these scenes is when he takes her ice skating and talks with her, occasionally being interrupted by the man watching the place telling him how long he has before he has to leave. Rocky treats her very kindly and always makes attempts at making her laugh with jokes. Bill Conti's wonderful music score ranges from light piano music for romantic scenes and emotional scenes to the booming use of trumpets and violin music for the famous training montage or the thrilling fight scene toward the end of the movie.
This is generally a good movie for people of every age to watch aside from the profanity and the brutality of the thrilling fight between the underdog protagonist and the grand champion, a scene which is violent actually kind of bloody. Both fighter are sweating heavily, badly bruised, and are swollen in the face. One scene that is particularly bloody is when Rocky's left eye is swollen so bad that he can't see and he asks Mickey to have it cut so that he can. It's a movie with no major plot twists, but a character study about an unlikely hero that you can pull for, someone you want to see be triumphant. There is one particularly touching scene where Rocky comes home from the stadium where he's going to fight at, he confesses to Adrienne that he's unsure about his chances at beating Apollo in the fight and that it doesn't really matter if he wins or not. He goes on to say that if he could just go the distance with him, then would prove his worth not only to the world, but to himself. It's an exciting and amazing feel good movie that has definitely stood the test of time and it always gets me really pumped up every time I watch it, you should see it too. [PG]
5/5
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
"Transformers: The Movie" (1986)
The autobots and the decepticons are at war, but a giant transformer named Unicron is wreaking havoc throughout the galaxy. This is a great movie with cool new characters and old favorites boasting a stellar voice cast including Leonard Nimoy, Eric Idle, and even Orson Welles as the main villain. Sadly, this film has been regarded as a feature length toy commercial, but I strongly disagree. The plot is actually very good, the action scenes are well animated and the characters are well written. Something that may come as a surprise is that there is some brief profanity.
The movie's soundtrack is loaded with a rousing music score and brilliant songs that go well with the battle sequences they accompany. The most surprising thing about this movie is that several well known characters die, including the autobot leader, Optimus Prime. This is the most tragic scene in the movie and was very unexpected. There is also a lot of space travel in this movie, perhaps because of it's obvious Star Wars influence. There is much resemblance to those movies, including scenes where the autobots use weapons similar to lightsabers, and other thematic elements you may recognize.
One of the most unforgettable scenes in the movie is beautifully animated sequence when the dying villain Megatron and his wounded followers are transformed into more powerful transformers by Unicron, in his attempt to destroy the autobot Matrix of Leadership. This movie is one of the greatest animated sci-fi films ever made, it's a fun and epic masterpiece with a great combination of action, humor, and suspense with incredible characters and enough exploding music to get your blood pumping. It's an awesome movie for people of all ages. [PG]
Grade: Perfect.
The movie's soundtrack is loaded with a rousing music score and brilliant songs that go well with the battle sequences they accompany. The most surprising thing about this movie is that several well known characters die, including the autobot leader, Optimus Prime. This is the most tragic scene in the movie and was very unexpected. There is also a lot of space travel in this movie, perhaps because of it's obvious Star Wars influence. There is much resemblance to those movies, including scenes where the autobots use weapons similar to lightsabers, and other thematic elements you may recognize.
One of the most unforgettable scenes in the movie is beautifully animated sequence when the dying villain Megatron and his wounded followers are transformed into more powerful transformers by Unicron, in his attempt to destroy the autobot Matrix of Leadership. This movie is one of the greatest animated sci-fi films ever made, it's a fun and epic masterpiece with a great combination of action, humor, and suspense with incredible characters and enough exploding music to get your blood pumping. It's an awesome movie for people of all ages. [PG]
Grade: Perfect.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
"The Black Cauldron" (1985)
A teenage boy longs to be a great warrior and unwittingly finds himself with a young princess, a quirky minstrel, and a curious furry creature, trying to keep a powerful artifact from the frightening and evil Horned King, voiced to diabolical perfection by John Hurt. This may be one of the best animated Disney films ever, it isn't cute and happy, it's actually dark and even a bit violent. The main characters are flawed and have their own weaknesses, the villain is truly evil and not comical, and there is even a little blood.
I'm impressed that the directors were willing to make a popular fantasy novel into the first animated Disney film to get a PG rating. Another great thing is that there are no musical numbers. There are plenty of things traditional of an animated fantasy film, an evil sorcerer, mischievous fairies, ferocious dragons, crafty witches, and little creatures for comic relief. It's a fun and exciting movie about lust for power, self sacrifice, and friendship. The only annoying part was the main character, who is not only headstrong and cocky, but simply sounds annoying as well.
Overall, I think that this is a great movie that is sadly overlooked. It breaks all the rules of a Disney film by being dark and violent as well as not being a musical. One of the darker scenes is when the boy's pig, who can actually summon images of the future, is cruelly being forced to show the Horned King the location of the all powerful Black Cauldron, another great scene is when the Horned King uses his new powers to raise an army of the dead. In my opinion, this is a wonderful movie for movie lovers of all ages, it's very cool. [PG]
Grade: Perfect
I'm impressed that the directors were willing to make a popular fantasy novel into the first animated Disney film to get a PG rating. Another great thing is that there are no musical numbers. There are plenty of things traditional of an animated fantasy film, an evil sorcerer, mischievous fairies, ferocious dragons, crafty witches, and little creatures for comic relief. It's a fun and exciting movie about lust for power, self sacrifice, and friendship. The only annoying part was the main character, who is not only headstrong and cocky, but simply sounds annoying as well.
Overall, I think that this is a great movie that is sadly overlooked. It breaks all the rules of a Disney film by being dark and violent as well as not being a musical. One of the darker scenes is when the boy's pig, who can actually summon images of the future, is cruelly being forced to show the Horned King the location of the all powerful Black Cauldron, another great scene is when the Horned King uses his new powers to raise an army of the dead. In my opinion, this is a wonderful movie for movie lovers of all ages, it's very cool. [PG]
Grade: Perfect
Friday, August 15, 2008
"The Abyss" (1989)
James Cameron writes and directs an unforgettable science fiction fantasy with amazing special effects and a lot of heart. When several people are stranded at the bottom of the ocean by a storm, an estranged couple reconcile and a conspiracy is at work. But something strange has emerged from a mysterious abyss, something that has been down there for thousands of years, something with the ability to control water, something that will decide the fate of humanity.
Ed Harris is great as the film's courageous hero, and Michael Biehn does good job as the antagonist, a soldier who is growing increasingly insane. The special effects are truly outstanding, the digital effects for when water comes into the underwater base and assumes the form of various people's faces are great, and that's just the beginning. The underwater battle scene with small submarines is one of the highlight scenes. The revelations at the end of the film are unbelievable.
This really is an exciting and tense science fiction thriller with action and adventure and I think it's safe to say that this is one James Cameron's greatest and most artistic films. The movie has an anti-war message, but I actually didn't mind that. I definitely recommend this movie, but be prepared to be blown away. [PG-13]
Grade: Perfect.
Ed Harris is great as the film's courageous hero, and Michael Biehn does good job as the antagonist, a soldier who is growing increasingly insane. The special effects are truly outstanding, the digital effects for when water comes into the underwater base and assumes the form of various people's faces are great, and that's just the beginning. The underwater battle scene with small submarines is one of the highlight scenes. The revelations at the end of the film are unbelievable.
This really is an exciting and tense science fiction thriller with action and adventure and I think it's safe to say that this is one James Cameron's greatest and most artistic films. The movie has an anti-war message, but I actually didn't mind that. I definitely recommend this movie, but be prepared to be blown away. [PG-13]
Grade: Perfect.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
