Rocky Balboa

An unexpected knockout of a movie. I went into this not expecting much and was pleasantly surprised at the solid script and acting. Sylvester Stallone sends Rocky out on a high note compared to the punch drunk last few Rocky films.

There is plenty of schmaltz in "Rocky Balboa" but Stallone finds a great balance between the nostalgia of Rocky's past and a contemporary storyline that actually works. The film is very well cast with Burt Young returning as Paulie to provide sage advice and comic relief and Geraldine Hughes as a possible new romance for Rocky. Her character, Marie, is a nice touch having been introduced way back in the first Rocky film. The film also co-stars Milo Ventimiglia as Rocky's grown son and Antonio Tarver as his new opponent, Mason Dixon.

The story works because Stallone keeps it simple and fairly realistic. He takes the characters back to their roots and though there may be some unintentional laughs, you really start to believe in these characters again and care about their outcome.

Adrian would be so proud.