Rocky Balboa (2007, Blu-ray Disc)

This was a great final chapter to end the Rocky franchise. After Rocky 5 I think everyone including myself was not looking forward to anything with Rocky in the title. So when I heard that Rocky Balboa was green lit I thought here comes the train wreck of Sylvester Stallone's career that would put him on the sideline with Steven Seagal, Wesley Snipes, and Jean Claude on the straight to DVD shelf's at the local video store. But overall he proved even his harshest critics wrong, this movie was fantastic and not too far from the classic that the original Rocky was but pretty damn close to what everyone wanted with the last movie of the franchise. The production values, acting, directing, and cinematography are above and beyond anything that Stallone has done previously. Where other sports movies try to ohhh and ahhh audiences with bone crunching hits showering it in loud music, visually stunning editing, and over the top action, this movie focuses more on the story of where Rocky has been since we last saw him and why he wants to fight this last fight. We all know that in the end there will be a battle between Rocky and his nemesis but the way that Stallone got to that point was refreshing and unique. Using past characters in the Rocky universe, most of them are of coarse older but not wiser. Rocky interacts and makes these people part of the story that we are watching on screen. We feel for these characters and he makes this easy for the audience to do. I honestly think that women will love this movie, it might be a man's movie on paper but I honestly think it caters to the female audience as well. It's very touching and inspiring and the elements in this movie will have men and women cheering at the end. We get to see Rocky in all his glory, even the training montages of both fighters and in the end we get a Pay Per View type of directorial style as you would watch on TV of the final fight. Some people didn't like this particular style of directing but I think it worked well for the movie and it brought it up to speed of what boxing has turned into. It's not just boxing anymore it pure unadulterated entertainment and Stallone shows this in the final fight with this type of directing style. I loved this movie and would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of Rocky, inspirational movies, or great storytelling. By the way it's rated PG and even the youngest of children can watch it without having to worry about foul language, gratuitous violence, nudity, or adult situations. Highly recommended!

I purchased two Blue Ray discs from this seller. Right after the auction was over I asked if he could combine them into one shipment. He told me that he didn't want to do that... a few days later I received one package with both items even though he told me he doesn't combine shipments. He could have given me a small discount like a buck or something, but he was too greedy.

The discs were both in good condition. The seller was very responsive. Just wish he wasn't so greedy. By combining shipments he saved $3, not a huge amount. I know that he makes money off the shipment, which is fine. But if he is going to cut corners to save a few bucks he should pass part of that along if asked.

Anyways, good guy, prompt service, just cheap.

This movie is more like Rocky 1. It is less about the fight and more about the person and the people he affects with in his life. It is more of a drama then action movie and make me remember who i loved the character in the first place. If you liked the first rocky then your going to like this one.

This was an excellent movie. If you like the Rocky movies you need to own this one. It is an excellent ending to this series.

This truly ends such an inspiring saga. there is a real completeion to The Rocky series with this movie, and it is a true must see. Is Rocky too old? Yes, and that is the story that you will see, not a 50 year old knocking out a 20 year old, in this picture you will se what might actually happen. This movie was really built for high Definition. it has superb picture clarity and sound. True digital theater right here. Don't miss out, own it on Blu-Ray today. Amazing awe-inspiring storyline.

Rocky Balboa was a great conclusion to the Rocky series. It had an emotional side to it, involving Rocky with his los of Adrian, his relationship with his son, and his inner battle with self pride. It was a great movie and makes you not lose focus of what life is, the people you love and your passions.

I'm not sure how to review this. I guess I'll split it into three areas.

The movie: This is a character-driven drama first, and boxing is secondary.
If you loved the action in Rocky III and IV, this may disappoint you. There
is no "villain" in this movie, and it's mostly about how Rocky deals with
certain aspects of his life and relationships with the people around him.

The first 3/4 of the movie is shot on film. This is the part that is shot in
Philly, and is the character-driven portion of the film. It looks quite good,
but not jaw-dropping.

The last fight sequence in Las Vegas is shot entirely with HD cameras, and it
looks brilliant. This is arguably the best-looking content on the Blu-Ray
format right now. Very, very impressive.

It is also worth noting that this movie is presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio,
so it takes up just about the entire 16:9 screen, with no black bars across the
top and bottom. This is an easy recommendation if you liked the first Rocky
movie, as they share a lot of similarities (more drama, less boxing evil
characters.)

The good news is that after all these years, Rocky Balboa wasn't a terrible movie, that bad news is that it hasn't improved too much. If you were a fan of the old, underdog boxing films that were rampant throughout the 80's, then don't miss this final installment in the life of everyone's favorite underdog. If you found the earlier films too melodramatic for your tastes, your opinion probably won't have changed much in the last 20 years. If you are new to the series, here's what you need to know. Rocky Balboa is a long time retired boxer. He had some incredible fights as a younger boxer, competing with opponents who were much stronger favorites than he. He's been retired for years, but now as a much older man, he feels the need to come back for one last big fight. Most of the movie has very little to do with boxing and a lot to do with the little lessons you learn in life. That means the film is less about face paced sporting events and more about relationships and drama. This can be either a good or bad thing depending on what you are expecting and what you like. All in all, Sylvester Stalone does a great job directing and staring in this final film and there's a little bit here for everyone. As I said at the beginning, the movie isn't terrible, but it's not very original either. In the end though, Rocky Balboa good enough to recommend.