Rocky Balboa (film)
Sixth Rocky film, released 16 years after Rocky V.
via Wikipedia: Rocky Balboa (film) · Fair use
Rocky Balboa, a 2006 American sports drama, was written, directed, and starred in by Sylvester Stallone. Serving as the sequel to 1990's *Rocky V*, it marks the sixth film in the franchise. Burt Young appears alongside Antonio Tarver, who took on his sole acting role here. The plot follows an aging Rocky Balboa (Stallone), now running a small restaurant, who receives a challenge for an exhibition match from the brash young champion Mason Dixon (Tarver). Stallone began developing a sixth *Rocky* film after feeling the previous entry ended poorly, a disappointment he wanted to correct. The script weaves in nods to earlier films, and Stallone drew on his own recent hardships and successes for inspiration. This was his first time directing since *Rocky IV* in 1985. Filming ran from December 2005 to January 2006 in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia. Unlike earlier installments, the fight scenes were less choreographed, with Stallone and Tarver actually landing real punches. Composer Bill Conti, who scored the first three films and the fifth, contributed his final work for the series here. Produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Columbia Pictures, Revolution Studios, Chartoff Productions, and Winkler Films, the movie was released by MGM Distribution Co. on December 20, 2006—sixteen years after *Rocky V* and thirty years after the original. It was the first *Rocky* film not distributed under the United Artists banner, the franchise's original owner, and the last to be solely written and directed by Stallone (though he remained a producer for the *Creed* spin-offs, co-writing the second). Critics generally praised the film for its screenplay, Stallone's performance, and its heartfelt look at Balboa's character, calling it a major improvement over its predecessor and one of the franchise's best entries. Commercially, it earned $156 million worldwide. A spin-off, *Creed*, launched its own series in 2015. Sixteen years after his street fight with Tommy Gunn, Rocky, nearly sixty, has retired from boxing. He lives quietly in Philadelphia as a widower, his wife Adrian having died of cancer four years earlier. He runs a small Italian restaurant named after her, where he tells customers stories from his past. He struggles with grief over Adrian and a strained relationship with his son Robert, now a corporate accountant.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Sylvester Stallone
- Producer
- Charles Winkler / William Chartoff / David Winkler / Kevin King
- Based On
- Characters · Sylvester Stallone
- Starring
- Sylvester Stallone / Burt Young / Antonio Tarver
- Cinematography
- Clark Mathis
- Editing
- Sean Albertson
- Music
- Bill Conti
- Studio
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures / Columbia Pictures / Revolution Studios / Chartoff Productions / Winkler Films
- Distributor
- MGM Distribution Co.
- Released
- 13 December 2006
- Runtime
- 102 minutes (Theatrical cut) / 116 minutes (Director's cut)
- Country
- United States
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Development for a sixth Rocky film began after Stallone expressed regret over the outcome of Rocky V, which was viewed as a disappointing conclusion to the series. Rocky Balboa includes references to characters and objects from previous installments, and Stallone was inspired by recent personal struggles and triumphs when writing the film. It is Stallone's first directorial effort since Rocky IV (1985). Principal photography began in December 2005 and lasted until January 2006, with filming locations including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia. In contrast to previous entries in the franchise, the fight choreography in Rocky Balboa was less scripted, featuring real punches thrown by Stallone and Tarver. It is also the latest film overall for composer Bill Conti, the composer of the first three and fifth films in the series.
The plot follows Rocky Balboa, now approaching sixty, long retired from boxing and living as a widower after losing his wife Adrian to cancer. He runs a small Italian restaurant named after her and battles grief and a strained relationship with his son Robert. He meets Marie, a woman he once escorted home, and bonds with her son Steps. Meanwhile, heavyweight champion Mason Dixon is unpopular and seeks a true opponent. A computer simulation of a fight between a younger Rocky and Dixon inspires Rocky to return to boxing. Both men agree to a charity exhibition bout. Rocky trains with Duke Evers and fights Dixon to a close split decision, winning the crowd's respect.
Reader's Guide
Rocky Balboa is significant as the sixth and final film in the original Rocky series written and directed solely by Sylvester Stallone. It was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Columbia Pictures, Revolution Studios, Chartoff Productions and Winkler Films, and theatrically released by MGM Distribution Co. on December 20, 2006, sixteen years after Rocky V and thirty years after the first film. It is the first Rocky film not released under the United Artists banner and the last to be written or directed solely by Stallone, though he would remain a producer for the Creed films. The film received generally positive reviews, with praise for its screenplay, Stallone's performance, and heartfelt exploration of Balboa's character, with many critics calling it a significant improvement over its predecessor and labeling it one of the best entries in the franchise. It was a commercial success, grossing $156 million worldwide. A spin-off, Creed, was released in 2015 and started its own series.
Did You Know?
- Antonio Tarver, who plays Mason Dixon, appears in his only acting role.
- The fight choreography was less scripted than previous entries, featuring real punches thrown by Stallone and Tarver.
- The film is the latest overall work for composer Bill Conti, who composed the first three and fifth films.
More in Characters & Personalities
Elsewhere in Rocky
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