Rocky Balboa - 2006

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Columbia Pictures, Revolution Studios

Written and Directed by Sylvester Stallone

Cast:

• Rocky Balboa – Sylvester Stallone
• Paulie – Burt Young
• Mason “The Line” Dixon – Antonio Tarver
• Marie – Geraldine Hughes
• Robert Balboa Jr. - Milo Ventimiglia
• Duke – Tony Burton
• Steps – James Francis Kelly III

Story: The aging prizefighter has come full circle. Adrian has passed away, he lives in his old neighborhood, he visits his wife's grave every morning and places flowers on the headstone, and he owns a nice little Italian restaurant. He's still the champ, and people come to his restaurant where his memorabilia is displayed to sit, have a nice meal, and get up close and personal with the former heavyweight champion of the world. His life is routine, but a computer generated fight between him and the current champion, an unpopular fighter named Mason “The Line” Dixon, stirs something within him, and he applies for a boxing license. He runs into Marie, the little girl in the first film who yelled “Up yours, Creepo!” at him for walking her home away from her friends. They become friends, and Rocky befriends her son, Steps. Rocky's son is all grown up, but unhappy. Paulie is still around, but unhappy. Meanwhile, Dixon's managers have heard about Rocky getting his boxing license back and see an exhibition fight as a way of turning around their fighter's career. When Rocky and Dixon meet, Dixon learns the meaning of heart!

Review: The first time I saw the original Rocky, I was at a drive in theater outside of Bremerton, Washington. It was cold, it rained half the time, and you had to idle the car now and then to keep the windows from fogging. But one thing amazed me: during the fight scenes between Rocky and Apollo Creed, you could see the cars shaking. I mean, literally shaking, as if the wind were blowing at high speed. This is the kind of excitement the Rocky series has inspired since 1973, and this final film is no exception. This is the film that reveals the persistent message of every film in the series in detail. “It's not how hard you get hit, it's how many times you can get up and keep going!” Rocky is a singularity in a world of chaos. He is devoted to Adrian, even though she has passed away. He still befriends his brother-in-law, Paulie, even though Paulie has never truly grown up. He is a testament to the persistence of the human spirit, always trying to see the good. The cast, new and old, is perfect in this summation of the series, and Stallone's signature in this film is evident from beginning to end. A must see movie for the family, and an absolute must have for the Rocky collector, or anyone who needs to be reminded we can all be champions if we try.

Undisputed - 2002

Amen Ra Films, Millennium Films, Hollywood Partners

Directed by Walter Hill

Cast:

• Monroe Hutchen – Wesley Snipes
• George “Iceman” Chambers – Ving Rhames
• Mendy Ripstein – Peter Falk
• A. J. Mercker – Michael Rooker
• Jesus “Chuy” Campos – John Seda
• Mingo Pace – Wes Studi
• James “Ratbag” Kroycek – Fisher Stevens
• Warden Lipscomb – Denis Arndt
• Darlene Early – Amy Aquino

Story: Heavyweight Champion of the World George “Iceman” Chambers has a few problems. He's been convicted of rape, he's a high profile prisoner that no one wants, and he is one egotistical, arrogant ass. He's sent to Sweetwater, an isolated prison in the Mojave desert in California. Sweetwater is also where the current heavyweight champion of the prison system, Monroe Hutchens, is housed, along with a former underboss to Meyer Lansky, Mendy Ripstein. Ripstein is an aficionado of boxing, old enough to remember the days of bare knuckle fights. He is under the protection of La Emme, the Mexican prison gang. Through his connections, he sets in motion a plan to stage a fight between Chambers and Hutchens. Chamber's lawyers only want to get him out so he can start fighting again and make some money to pay his bills. After some negotiations, the date is set, and the fight is on.

Review: As boxing movies go, this is somewhere in the middle of the pack. The action is compressed into three or four incidents, with the story focusing on the characters. A considerable amount of the footage is about the “Iceman” the rape charge. Walter Hill uses a combination of flashbacks to relate to what is going on in the character's mind at the time. Peter Falk has that “mob” arrogance of the original gangsters, defiant even in prison. Rhames and Snipes are polar opposites, one brash and arrogant, one steely and cold. Michael Rooker plays a dispassionate head guard who realizes the limits of his authority. The characters are fleshed out just enough to become real. Shot at the High Desert State Prison in Nevada, a modern facility to house prisoners serving long terms and confinement problems, there is no question about authenticity of the surroundings. The cast performs well as an ensemble, and the film resolves well with the final bout. Definitely not for the kiddies, the language alone would do that, and a collectible if you love boxing, Wesley Snipes, or Ving Rhames.