Rocky

An uncomplicated hero steadfastly walking toward fulfilling his American dream with an appropriate dose of genre clichés, sweat, blood, and an easily predictable ending. Given that when it comes to Sylvester Stallone's acting talent - how can I put it diplomatically - I am, let's say, reserved, and I really don't like boxing as a sport and entertainment (if I had to choose between having dinner with Mike Tyson or Hannibal Lecter, I would invite the latter without hesitation), I struggle to find a reason to give more than 2 stars. Overall impression: 45%. (19/11/2010)

A film that bestowed immortality on its lead actor and etched itself into the eternal subconscious of a fanbase that other high-budget films can only dream of. Sylvester Stallone wrote the role to fit him to perfection, and it shows. Even his sappy moral lectures and life advice have something to them, and his relentless work and preparation for the final, emotion-packed fight is the most impressive thing Hollywood has ever offered in its sports section – until Warrior, that is. (07/06/2012)

There is strength in simplicity. A still completely unknown Sylvester Stallone triumphed with a magnificently written script, where one clever dialogue follows another, and he further enriched it with the so-called wooden acting, which has been so criticised. But let's be honest, can you imagine someone else under the name Rocky? America in the 1970s is truly timeless. (05/12/2005)

I fell in love with this movie as a child, and it still is a powerful spectacle for me that affects me exactly as it should. Sylvester Stallone gives an incredibly genuine performance and is believable in his role like never before. Thanks to that, one can easily empathize with him and slowly climb to the top with him, which he eventually achieves, although it may have looked different originally. Nowadays, it's a bit worn-out, but that's because many films drew inspiration from its beautiful perseverance and effort to achieve the impossible. Sly wrote a great script that no one else could have played better. It's almost a shame that he turned the story into a series, but I still can't wait to watch the other films after the first one. (16/03/2014)

The duel of an outsider with a favorite remains an eternal topic in the sports genre, and when the main protagonist himself writes the script about a person who stood up to everyone who didn't believe in him, the only thing left for perfection is some equivalent from the real world. Maybe the one when the Academy really ate it up back then and awarded both Sly and Rocky with a few shiny statues. The fact that a series eventually became out of a unique story is actually a shame, but that's a different story. (17/03/2006)