The famous last line from Rocky 2 still chokes me up to this day. Why? I’ve seen this movie probably 50 times since it came out 42 years ago in 1979. And yes, the first time I saw this movie was in a movie theater when it premiered. Old…
Personally, I love all the Rocky movies. They all had something in them that appealed to people. They must have, right? There have been six Rocky movies with two Creed movies now, and a third coming out next year. Hollywood would not keep making these movies if they weren’t profitable. And they are profitable because of the story they continue to tell: You can do anything if you put your heart and soul into it. The underdog can win.
Aren’t we all the underdog in some way, shape or form? If you ever had to work for something, be it your education, owning a house or car, supporting your family, you may have felt at times like the world was against you. But you put your heart and soul into it, and it was done. Some things are continuous and probably don’t even feel much like effort anymore. The point is, there are very few of us that are the “best” at anything. We all can relate to being the average person who gets a once in a lifetime shot and then makes the most of it. We can dream about it at least.
The other component of the Rocky movies that is undeniable is that one word that speaks volumes: LOVE. Isn’t Rocky really a love story with boxing as a side story? It’s Adrian that Rocky is calling for at the end of 1 & 2. Adrian is who gives Rocky tough love in 3 & 4, and who Rocky leans on to complete his missions. Even in Rocky Balboa and then the Creed movies, it’s Adrian who Rocky consoles with at the grave. The question can be asked, if it weren’t for Adrian and her love and support, would Rocky have accomplished what he did?
I honestly don’t know where I would be in life if it weren’t for the love and support I had growing up and now with my own family. Scary to even dwell. When I meet people who obviously didn’t have a great support system and still managed to climb mountains, I’m in awe. You read about these people every once in a while, who defied all odds and succeeded. I know people who lead a normal life despite having some serious setbacks in their past. I’m in awe of them too. The classic underdog.
What athlete, past or present, can watch a Rocky movie and not relate with the competitiveness? If you have read any of the past BEAST BLOGS, you would understand that I am a very competitive person. To this day I have fire burning in my soul to compete. Athletically speaking, that is. That is probably the number one reason why getting older is rough on me psychologically. No one wants to get old, but to me it’s another door shutting on my fire to compete. Most realistic doors are completely shut now at age 52, but thank the good Lord for the gym. The gym allows me to expel some of the fire; I compete against myself every damn day!. You see memes about this, but for me it’s real. It really is therapy.
I also love to golf. Completely different form of competition but I love the shit talking with my golfing buddies. I’m not too bad either. And very much like the gym, golf is really you competing against yourself. Pretty sure you won ‘t see a Rocky type movie based around golf. Tin Cup? Happy Gilmore? No, I don’t so!
Which is your favorite Rocky movie? Hard for me to pick. The original or 2 are the obvious choices, but 3 has a great story with Clubber Lang, and 4 was the USA vs USSR! What could be a better story line for the mid 80’s during the cold war? Also, I probably saw 4 with a date as I was a junior in high school! Memories...
Whichever is your favorite, there is no doubt Rocky Balboa is, was, and always will be a BEAST! I could never thank Sylvester Stallone @officialslystallone enough for bringing this character to the screen. Literally hours upon hours of entertainment…and dreams.
Peace to all.
The Beast Life
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