It is very rare when I can say definitively that something is my all time favorite but the first Rocky movie is my all time favorite movie ever. It is also one of the very few movies that I can say is perfect. Even movies I enjoy tremendously, like the first Superman movie with Christopher Reeve, I can see its flaws very clearly. But Rocky (and the Godfather) are perfect movies. perfectly cast, acted, directed, musical score EVERYTHING! And the evolution of the characters, from Adrian getting out of her shell, it's just wonderful.

It is also my favorite Romantic movie of all time (The Sure Thing is second).

I'm partial to the fourth, myself.

I love Rocky. Saw it back in its premiere run in the UK in either '76 or '77. American films are/were a bit slow to preem in Europe. I bought the OST on vinyl and played it to death. Got into Bill Conti and Maynard Ferguson. It's probably the only film series where I saw every film in its premiere run on the big screen. Actually, I saw all six Star Wars films in premiere runs at the cinema, as well, but I fell asleep during the last three films, so I don't know if that would count.

Just saw Rocky II. i loved it too but it was starting to slide into unbelievableness. He took a thousand blows that no fighter in the world would be able to take one. But it has my favorite scene ever, one which still gives me chills every time I watch it. When Adrain wakes up and tell Rocky to win, and the bell goes off and the music hits and Mickey yelling "what are we waiting for"...Just a great moment.

3 was okay but 4 started getting completely crazy. He barely made it 15 rounds with Apollo's punches, which didn't even faze Ivan, he wasn't strong enough to slug with Clubber Lang but because he wants to, he can do it against the monster that is Ivan Drago. There was one great scene in that one too, when he finally hurts Drago and Apollo's manager (who always does a great job), yells at him in the corner and says "he's not a machine, he's a man". Good stuff.

5 was not good but I did like the recent Rocky Balboa. It was nostalgic and sentimental, it only got weak when he trains and the fight was not that great. Plus, compared to his other opponents, this chamo was no big deal.

But through it all, him and Adrian is what I love the best. The more Hollywood the films got, the more distant their relationship seemed to be.

That's about the size of it, Allen.

Except I just don't enjoy Rocky II at all, because it just seems like the only point is to replay the first one and have him win.

I liked the third one as my second favorite. And the fourth one is a sentimental favorite -- by that time, it had truly become like a comic book superhero story. Rocky had feet of clay in the first one, won in the second by switching from training and just punching. In the third one, he was retconned into a lousy fighter, and Apollo teaches him fitness and boxing. Then in the fourth, he's all of a sudden on of the all time greats.

Fifth one didn't happen.

Sixth one was a wonderful treat, a tribute to the fans and the franchise. Not the same type of movie, but it has more than one goose bump moment. When he gives that speech on the sidewalk to his son, I feel myself tearing up. I think Stallone and I have a similar outlook on life.

I understand where you're coming from with II but I liked the quieter moments in it and love the scene I mentioned. And I don't think he was retconned into a bad fighter in III, he was just a slugger who needed to learn how to be an Ali type of boxer. But still the amount of punches was also unrealistic by then and yes, a superhero movie.

The fourth one alsy had the nice scene with Paulie and Rocky before the fight when Paulie tells him how much he admires him and kisses him, while Adrian watches proudly.

And yes, the sixth was good too though it was annoying how pillow like his punches seemed during the fight and the training scenes, a Rocky staple, were blah then. I thought he could have shown more emption though when the son joins him in the training. In I and II he was able to show a far more range of emotions, tears etc. then now.

I always think of extra scenes with the characters, like they were real people. One scene I would have added in the sixth one is when the son finally gets it, he convinces the promoters to pay him money (instead of them giving it to charity) and he sets up the Adrian Balboa foundation and he becomes his own man.

I also liked the scenes of Paulie painting, a nice touch. Maybe a scene of someone buying one and acknowledging HIS talent, and some tears as 50+ years of a negative, repressed life(apparently his parents were no picnic and definitely didn't encourage him) gets released in pent up emotion. He's a good enough actor to pull it off.

When Stallone was promoting Rocky V, he felt the character needed to go back to basics, because the character progression was such that you almost expected him to run for president.

I think IV was the worst. All of the Rocky movies are formula to a degree, but that was the first one that really felt contrived. I used to leave the theater all pumped up and excited after a Rocky movie, but not that one.

Rocky Balboa was better than I expected it to be. But I hope he leaves well enough alone and doesn't do a seventh movie, as rumored. Enough is enough, Sly.

The first one directed by Avildsen was far and away the best. And the fact that he lost the fight but gained respect made it perfect

IAWTP

I like Rocky II because I felt it had its own drama to it, not because it was a retread of Rocky. Rocky was about finding love and proving to himself he was a worthwhile fighter, while Rocky II was about him trying to make a life for his new family. A favorite moment was him getting the blessing from Father Carmine before the fight. I rate them--

Rocky
Rocky II
Rocky Balboa
Rocky III
Rocky IV
Rocky V

It was all pretty idiotic and I hated how they threw away Apollo Creed in that film. Just shit all over him.

Rocky Horror.

I went searching at You Tube for this song, and found this weird fan video.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTc4DlAxJ-E[/youtube]

I have't seen the new one, which I hear is good and I'll take that on faith based on the people who've told me this. I will say, however, that I really only like the first one, because it is, indeed, an awesome movie. The second is a joke -- this bum who got to go the distance in the previous film gets a shot and wins on the slimmest of margins and we're supposed to cheer? And then he becomes thoroughly unlikeable from that point on -- I root for Clubber Lang every time in 3, because he at least earned his title and his attitude. And the other two? Stupid films.

But the first one? Great movie.

Rocky IV suffers from the music video aspect of the times, and it knocks you about the head with the man vs machine theme too much.

Good find.

Nothing better than a 70's pop story-song.

Any of you Rocky fans follow boxing as well?

Brinkley vs. Stevens from ESPN2's Friday Night Fights (1/29) was a bit of a Rocky story ... very entertaining fight.

Found it on YouTube for those interested

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGSjTlETLOA[/youtube]

I used to watch the Heavyweight championships on tv in the '80s and '90s, but now it's all on pay tv if they show any at all.

The last fight I saw was in '97, when Tyson bit off a chunk of Holyfield's ear! Insane!

from answers.com:

Then Tyson began making headlines for different reasons: his brief marriage to actress Robin Givens was followed by a bitter divorce battle; he was convicted of rape in 1992 and spent three years in prison; a comeback was stymied in 1997 when he bit off a chunk of Evander Holyfield's ear in the middle of a match;

Did anyone see the Tyson movie?

"He doesn't know it's a damn show, he thinks it's a damn fight!"

best line evah

I MUST BREAK YOU!