It's hard not to like Rocky. His simple pop philosophies never fail to get you pumped up and his working class hero shtick proves to have legs even if the formulaic story is older than Yoda's granddad. Those of you hoping that the new instalment would try to broaden its horizons will be disappointed, as Stallone stuck with the 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' mentality when everyone knows that the franchise has been broken for quite a while now (since Rocky III in fact).However, those of you hoping for a good old Rocky movie will be more than satisfied. In what must be the most pointless movie of the year, the ageing palooka (Stallone) is now an owner of a little restaurant in Philly, but still feels he has 'something in the basement' and yearns to get back into the ring. When a computer simulation matches him with present World Heavyweight Champion Mason 'The Line' Dixon (Tarver), Balboa sees one last opportunity to prove to himself and accepts the challenge of an exhibition fight. Everything you want in a Rocky movie is here: a man against the odds, the angry opponent, the little speeches, Burt Young's quips and the montage - the only thing missing is Adrian, who dies before the movie opens. The movie has a lot of heart, its message - don't let anyone tell you that you can't do anything - although simplistic and unoriginal, is delivered in one of the best Rocky speeches of the six movies and Stallone proves again that he can act when he wants to. The downside is that we've seen it all before. Dixon is the most uninteresting opponent in the franchise (worse even than V's Tommy), the fight scene itself lacks pace like it's been through too many fight scenes, and the sound effects of the punches, which used to vibrate your seat, lack, well, punch. Rocky Balboa is ultimately a mediocre outing for fans of the franchise, but his never-say-die attitude still manages to endear.
