Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Rocky Balboa’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

‘You, me or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.’
- Rocky Balboa

I would like to think that when the time comes to settle in for retirement, that we can look back and say we accomplished everything we ever wanted to in life. But unfortunately, that may not be the case. Regardless of how hard we work to accomplish everything we can, there will be something we miss. Sometimes it may be a little thing, or it can be important, but unfinished business is often a fact of life.  

If there is one place where this notion is extremely prevalent, it is in the world of sports. After all, there can only be one respective champion and only a handful of people get the chance to hoist their respective trophy and walk away at the top of their game and there are many athletes out there who would love one last shot to finish what they started and it is that idea, of going back to handle unfinished business, that is central to the core of a beautiful motion picture, Rocky Balboa.

Rocky Balboa has settled into retirement and life after boxing, but he has continued to see his share of loss. The love of his life, Adrian, has passed away. His son has grown and moved out into the world. But Rocky is doing okay for himself. His friend Paulie is still at his side and he owns a lovely restaurant named after his late wife. Yet Rocky is still haunted by the career that was taken from him in an instant, and the pain that comes with that, is only made worse when a computer simulation sees Rocky in his prime beating the current Champion, Mason ‘The Line’ Dixon. It inspires Rocky to return to the ring where he expects to battle it out in a few unimportant matches, but Dixon's team sees an opportunity to improve the champ's flailing image by pairing him up with Rocky in an exhibition match and Rocky agrees to the fight, in order to finally get the opportunity to close out his boxing career, win or lose, on his own terms.   

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I'll say it now, this is my favorite film in the series. It's beautiful and full of heart and incredibly inspirational as we see Rocky's journey finally come to an end. He has seen more incredible loss over the years, yet he has come to realize how short and precious life truly is and this opportunity to step into the ring one last time is just a poetic way to end the series. I love the fact that Rocky finally gets his shot to handle the unfinished business in his life, exactly how he wants to.  

Yet, the story takes the time to venture beyond the fight between he and Dixon. Especially since the film is also about reflecting upon the life we live and lead. Because Rocky is stuck in the past in this movie, but in the right kind of way. He honors Adrian every day that she is gone, he does his best to keep his son at his side and he reminisces with his guests at the restaurant about his wonderful career. That's why I think I like this film the most, it's truly a celebration of life and all the things that make it worth living. 

It's also the ending that Rocky deserves, and its handled in such masterful fashion that it doesn't retroactively forget the events of the last film, it merely enhances them and we as fans are treated to one last incredible fight that sums up so much about the character, the series and life itself as Rocky leaves the boxing world the same way he came into it... by simply going the distance. This is just a wonderful movie that you need to see. Not only out of respect for the character, but also because it's an incredibly inspirational motion picture, and a fine way to say goodbye to a movie legend. 

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