Rocky Balboa

"Defies all expectations with a low-key, technically stripped-down production that really does come close to capturing the heart and soul of the original..."

"Anyone who appreciates Sylvester Stallone or enjoys the "Rocky" movies will find moments to enjoy in Rocky Balboa and will leave the theater reasonably satisfied. It's just good to see the guy, and it's good to revisit the character. And that's everything good to be said for the experience..."

"What gives Rocky Balboa its unexpected pathos is the titanic humility of Stallone's performance, the earnestness with which he plays a man knocked down (but not out) by the ravages of time..."

"The acting in the film is grade-A, with Stallone bringing the more mumbled Rocky from the first film spliced with some rousing inspirational monologues when the moment is right (not forced, not preachy… just perfect)..."

"If you hear the Rocky theme and think '118 118', you might wonder what all the fuss is about. For the rest of us, this is a reminder of why we fell in love with the character in the first place..."

"The result is a lot better than we'd dared hoped. Although not messing with the patented Rocky formula (human drama, bad jokes, training montage and big fight), writer-director Stallone has clearly learned the lessons from Rocky V by placing a greater emphasis on character..."

"Stallone, we should admit, is not a bad director. Rocky, on the other hand, is a terrible boxer, but he just won't go down. This, finally, seems to be the masochistic moral behind the whole franchise: forget talent, it says. Forget youth and money and brains. None of those matter, as long as you can take a thrashing and come back for more. Men, eh?.."