rocky movie reviews

She sits, tearful and crumpled, in a corner of her little bedroom. Her brother has torn apart the living room with a baseball bat. Rocky, the guy she has fallen in love with, comes into the room.

“Do you want a roommate?” she asks shyly, almost whispering.

“Absolutely,” says Rocky.

Which is exactly what he should say, and how he should say it, and why “Rocky” is such an immensely involving movie. Its story, about a punk club fighter from the back streets of Philly who gets a crack at the world championship, has been told a hundred times before. A description of it would sound like a cliche from beginning to end. But “Rocky” isn’t about a story, it’s about a hero. And it’s inhabited with supreme confidence by a star.

His name is Sylvester Stallone , and, yes, in 1976 he did remind me of the young Marlon Brando . How many actors have come and gone and been forgotten who were supposed to be the “new Brando,” while Brando endured? And yet in “Rocky” he provides shivers of recognition reaching back to “ A Streetcar Named Desire .” He’s tough, he’s tender, he talks in a growl, and hides behind cruelty and is a champion at heart. “I coulda been a contender,” Brando says in “ On the Waterfront .” This movie takes up from there.

It inhabits a curiously deserted Philadelphia: There aren’t any cars parked on the slum street where Rocky lives or the slightest sign that anyone else lives there. His world is a small one. By day, he works as an enforcer for a small-time juice man, offering to break a man’s thumbs over a matter of $70 (“I’ll bandage it!” cries the guy. “It’ll look broke”). In his spare time, he works out at Mickey’s gym. He coulda been good, but he smokes and drinks beer and screws around. And yet there’s a secret life behind his facade. He is awkwardly in love with a painfully shy girl ( Talia Shire ) who works in the corner pet shop. He has a couple of turtles at home, named Cuff and Link, and a goldfish named Moby Dick. After he wins forty bucks one night for taking a terrible battering in the ring, he comes home and tells the turtles: “If you guys could sing and dance, I wouldn’t have to go through this crap.” When the girl asks him why he boxes, he explains: “Because I can’t sing and dance.”

The movie ventures into fantasy when the world heavyweight champion ( Carl Weathers , as a character with a certain similarity to Muhammad Ali) decides to schedule a New Year’s Eve bout with a total unknown — to prove that America is still a land of opportunity. Rocky gets picked because of his nickname, the Italian Stallion; the champ likes the racial contrast. And even here the movie looks like a genre fight picture from the 1940s, right down to the plucky little gymnasium manager ( Burgess Meredith ) who puts Rocky through training, and right down to the lonely morning ritual of rising at four, drinking six raw eggs, and going out to do roadwork. What makes the movie extraordinary is that it doesn’t try to surprise us with an original plot, with twists and complications; it wants to involve us on an elemental, a sometimes savage, level. It’s about heroism and realizing your potential, about taking your best shot and sticking by your girl. It sounds not only clichéd but corny — and yet it’s not, not a bit, because it really does work on those levels. It involves us emotionally, it makes us commit ourselves: We find, maybe to our surprise after remaining detached during so many movies, that this time we care.

The credit for that has to be passed around. A lot of it goes to Stallone when he wrote this story and then peddled it around Hollywood for years before he could sell it. He must have known it would work because he could see himself in the role, could imagine the conviction he’s bringing to it, and I can’t think of another actor who could quite have pulled off this performance. There’s that exhilarating moment when Stallone, in training, runs up the steps of Philadelphia’s art museum, leaps into the air, shakes his fist at the city, and you know he’s sending a message to the whole movie industry.

The director is John Avildsen , who made “Joe” and then another movie about a loser who tried to find the resources to start again, “ Save the Tiger .” Avildsen correctly isolates Rocky in his urban environment, because this movie shouldn’t have a documentary feel, with people hanging out of every window: It’s a legend, it’s about little people, but it’s bigger than life, and you have to set them apart visually so you can isolate them morally.

And then there’s Talia Shire, as the girl (she was the hapless sister of the Corleone boys in “ The Godfather “). When she hesitates before kissing Rocky for the first time, it’s a moment so poignant it’s like no other. And Burt Young as her brother — defeated and resentful, loyal and bitter, caring about people enough to hurt them just to draw attention to his grief. There’s all that, and then there’s the fight that ends the film. By now, everyone knows who wins, but the scenes before the fight set us up for it so completely, so emotionally, that when it’s over we’ve had it. We’re drained.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

Leave a comment

Now playing.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Piece by Piece

Merchant Ivory

The Deliverance

City of Dreams

Out Come the Wolves

Seeking Mavis Beacon

Latest articles

Venice Film Festival 2024: The Biennale College

Telluride Film Festival 2024: Nickel Boys, The Piano Lesson, September 5

Fight or Flight: Jeremy Saulnier on Rebel Ridge

Female Filmmakers in Focus: Mika Gustafson and Alexander Öhrstrand

The best movie reviews, in your inbox.

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter

site categories

‘rocky’: thr’s 1976 review.

On Nov. 21, 1976, Sylvester Stallone was vaulted to "the hottest new star" of the year with the debut of 'Rocky.'

By Arthur Knight

Arthur Knight

• Share on Facebook
• Share to Flipboard
• Send an Email
• Show additional share options
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on Pinterest
• Share on Reddit
• Share on Tumblr
• Share on Whats App
• Print the Article
• Post a Comment

On Nov. 21, 1976, Sylvester Stallone  was vaulted to “the hottest new star” of the year with the debut of Rocky. The film, which claimed the best picture Oscar at the 49th  Academy Awards, became a pop-culture milestone and an enduring franchise for Stallone . The Hollywood Reporter’s original review is below: 

To describe Rocky as a movie about prize-fighting is about as helpful as saying that Marty , which it resembles in many ways, was a picture about butchering. Marty, you’ll remember, was a not-too-handsome but essentially decent sort of fellow who just happened to work in a butcher shop in the Bronx. Well, Rocky is a not-too-bright but essentially decent young man who just happens to be a third-rate heavyweight working out of a second-rate gym in South Philadelphia (and on the side, for eating money, breaks the thumbs of delinquent debtors on behalf of a local loanshark .) On paper, neither character may seem terribly appealing, but on the screen they steal your heart away, but completely.

Related Stories

'better off dead': thr's 1985 review, 'saratoga': thr's 1937 review.

I first saw Rocky maybe six months ago in a still drastically incomplete form. (Among many other things, the final reel was missing.) Even so, I have been saying ever since that this has to be the sleeper of the year. Well, last Friday, in its initial preview at the Academy, the sleeper finally awoke. Not only did that last reel include some of the most wildly exciting fight footage ever put on the screen, but it also provided an emotionally gratifying capstone to a picture that is truly an ode to the human spirit.

For the course of its two hours we learn that, given the incentive, a man can transform himself from a bum to a worthy contender — or perhaps more important, that America is still a place where a man can haul himself up by his own bootstraps provided he believes in himself and has the will to do so. True, the film presents Rocky with a particularly fluky opportunity — a crack at a championship match after the original challenger has dropped out. The champ happens to think that a bout with Rocky, who calls himself “The Italian Stallion,” would be good PR. No matter. It’s the rigorous training that Rocky puts himself through, the growing pride that he takes in himself — plus the doubts, plus his touching love for a shy and awkward slavey  — that become the heart of this picture, and which touch the hearts of us all.

A romantic leftover from Capra-land ? Possibly — although there are those of us who feel that there is ample room today for many more such romantic leftovers. But the irony is that, in many ways, Rocky parallels the story of Sylvester Stallone , the husky young actor who both wrote and stars in the film. Although he had appeared in only a handful of pictures (most notably, The Lords of Flatbush ), Stallone wrote the script for himself —  and put himself through a year of punishing exercise to build the physical stamina to play the role. His script made the rounds, and he began to get offers — good offers — but always for someone else to play Rocky. When he finally sold the script, to Chartoff and Winkler, it was for substantially less than he could have gotten elsewhere — but with Chartoff and Winkler, he was part of the package.

Nor should it be thought that Chartoff and Winkler were short-changing a hungry young actor. For a picture totally lacking in marquee names, the best they could come up with was a budget of around $1,000,000 — and it’s a large-scale picture, involving considerable location work in Philadelphia, as well as at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. To make it happen, Chartoff and Winkler not only gave up their normal producer’s fee, but actually mortgaged their homes in lieu of paying interest charges on a completion bond.

Such evidences of faith in a picture are all too rare; but if this gamble pays off the way I think it will, perhaps this will change as well. For in addition to a heart-warming script, Stallone has created on the screen a character of enormous appeal and charm — half-articulate but funny, gruff but good-hearted. His idea of a courtship is to drop by the pet shop where his girl works and tell her a terrible joke, one in the morning, one in the evening. There is a supremely touching moment when this uncouth fellow, a cigarette dangling from his lips, carefully explains to a 12-year-old tough why she shouldn’t talk dirty; and another when, in a choked fury, he asks the beat-up trainer who wants to manage him now that he has a crack at the championship, “Where were you when I needed you?”

All of this John Avildsen has realized with extraordinary insight, and an even more extraordinary feeling for the rhythm and pace of his film. The performances — not only Stallone’s , but Talia Shire’s as his girl, Burt Young’s as her swinish brother, Burgess Meredith’s as the irascible trainer, Thayer David’s as a smooth fight promoter — all of them seem to respond to the originality and the sense of truth that underlies their characters. And a final word must be said for James Crabe’s incredible camera work — not only his stunning views of Philadelphia’s historic monuments, but the squalor of the South Philadelphia slums, two breath-taking swoops up the broad steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum, a protracted run past swinging sides of beef in a meat-packing plant and, of course, the virtuoso photography of the climactic bout.

In many ways, Rocky is a picture that should make movie history. One thing is already certain, however — the movie has made Sylvester Stallone the hottest new star of 1976. As Frank Capra  might put it, “It can happen here.” — Arthur Knight, originally published on Nov. 5, 1976. 

THR Newsletters

Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day

More from The Hollywood Reporter

The black list expands into fiction and unpublished manuscripts, london film fest unveils full program, including doc and first feature competition lineups, series, venice diary day 6: oddballs on the red carpet, donald trump ordered by judge to stop using isaac hayes-penned song at rallies, gwyneth paltrow, gal gadot and more hollywood figures react to six israeli hostages killed in gaza, elton john reveals he has “been dealing with a severe eye infection”.

‘Rocky’ Review: Sylvester Stallone’s Boxing Classic Is More of a Gritty Melodrama

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Oddity Ending Explained: Did Ted Murder His Wife?

I’m sorry but the kid at the start of 'a quiet place' deserved it, without this classic with 100% on rotten tomatoes, a beloved coen brothers film wouldn’t exist.

There is a scene in John G. Avildsen ’s Rocky in which the titular character, played by Sylvester Stallone , watches himself on TV being relentlessly mocked by Apollo Creed ( Carl Weathers ) and his crew. By his side are his girlfriend, Adrian ( Talia Shire ), and his so-called friend Paulie ( Burt Young ). When asked if he wasn’t bothered by the treatment Creed and his staff dispensed him, Rocky claims to be totally okay with it. A couple of shots later, however, now alone with Adrian, he confesses that he was indeed hurt by the way he was treated. It’s quite an unassuming scene, with awkward pacing and stunted dialogue. It is also incredibly touching and heartbreaking in its honesty. More than anything, however, it is a scene that perfectly sums up Rocky , a movie with layers upon layers of hidden depth that stay as close to the surface as its protagonist’s soft spots, but that is nevertheless obscured by the expectations we have for it.

More About Feelings Than Punches

Ever since it first came out in 1976 and subsequently won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1977, Rocky developed a sort of reputation as one of the greatest sports films of all time. But upon watching it for the first time, viewers may find themselves disconcerted by how little sport there actually is in the movie. In the end, whether you like Rocky or not has less to do with your fondness for sports movies and more to do with your tolerance for grittiness and melodrama. Because, even though it might seem like an oxymoron, this is what Rocky is: a gritty melodrama.

Rocky is a very straightforward story about an underdog that gets his shot at the moon, takes it, and becomes a hero. At the same time—and even if the film’s many sequels are often contradictory to this reading—it is the tale of a man trapped in a world that sees him only for what he can offer and his fleeting moment of victory - or, rather, near victory. It’s a story that, in the hands of a more cynical director and screenwriter, could've been another Taxi Driver , perhaps with a happy ending thrown in for good measure. Written by Stallone himself, however, the story of Rocky Balboa becomes a dirty fairytale with broken heroes. As one of the characters themselves puts it, Rocky’s rise to fame is a Cinderella story: a nobody fighter that doubles as a debt collector for the mob being plucked out of nowhere to fight the world heavyweight champion. But instead of black-and-white fairy godmothers and envious stepsisters, the people that make up the world in which Rocky lives are a lot more complicated.

RELATED: ‘Rocky III’ Added This Crucial Element Into the Famed Franchise

The Violent World of Rocky

The world in which Rocky takes place is a poverty-ridden Philadelphia in which people are inherently worthless and relationships are only established through violence, whether verbal or physical. None of Rocky’s alleged friends truly sees him as a person. They only value him for what he can provide them with - more often than not, money. For Paulie, he's his chance of getting a new job in which he doesn’t have to haul meat all day, even if that job is busting people’s legs for cash. For Mickey ( Burgess Meredith ), he’s the no-good, past his prime fighter that isn’t even worthy of a gym locker - up until, of course, the point at which he becomes bankable. For Gazzo ( Joe Spinell ), the local loan shark and kind mafia boss who makes sure Rocky has enough money for dates and fighting supplies, he’s the finger-breaking tool employed whenever someone fails to pay their debts.

This violent depersonalization is extended to other characters in the movie, particularly the women. At the beginning of her relationship with Rocky, Adrian remarks that her mother told her to develop her brain because she didn’t have much of a body, in response to Rocky saying that he works with his body because he doesn’t have much of a brain. Her brother, Paulie, treats her like a thing that he can give to Rocky in exchange for advantages and demeans her for supposedly not being a virgin. Even Rocky, a sweet man that cares for turtles and often refuses to do Gazzo’s bidding, engages in this violent behavior when he calls a 12-year-old girl a whore for using cuss words and hanging out with boys in front of a liquor store. He does so in an attempt to stop her from becoming another violent byproduct of this oppressive world, but he does so in one of the most violent ways imaginable. In the end, as kind as he is, he doesn’t know any better.

Breaking the Cycle of Abuse

The only character in Rocky that breaks this systemic cycle of abuse completely is Adrian, but perhaps only because she is too beaten down to put up a fight. Looking through modern lenses, her relationship with Rocky seems abusive, at least in the beginning. After all, he all but forces himself upon her, even if the movie goes to a great length to make it clear that he would never harm her in any way. But in the context of the film, their love story works: Rocky’s behavior may read as aggressive, but aggression is the language of the land, and those who speak it are able to recognize the kindness in Rocky’s ways.

Another thing that strangely works because of the inherent cruelty of the world of Rocky is Stallone’s stony performance. The same can be said for the stunted lines of dialogue in his screenplay. Instead of trying to soften these issues, Avildsen doubles down on them. The result is a movie in which all conversations feel excessively blunt and awkward, but in a way that adds to the story: in such a violent world, non-violent communication doesn’t come easy. Yes, dialogue in Rocky can often feel forced, but how could they be anything else when characters are literally trying to force their feelings out of their mouths in a world that doesn’t expect them to feel at all?

But even with this heaviness, Rocky is by no means a bleak or dreary movie. On the contrary, it is a feel-good film. Not because Rocky wins the fight at the end, mind you, because he doesn’t: Apollo Creed is the one that emerges victorious. But Rocky still gives him one hell of a fight, and, ultimately, that was his goal, to go down with honor, giving his very best. Paraphrasing a song from a later installment of the franchise , Rocky is all about the thrill of the fight. It’s a working-class movie that values the struggle and that urges you to not go gently into that good night. It urges you to fight against a world that wants to see you down, whether with your fists, your words, or just by raising turtles. You might not win in the end, but it’s the fight that matters.

• Movie Features
• Sylvester Stallone

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

• About Rotten Tomatoes®
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening This Week
• Top Box Office
• Coming Soon to Theaters
• Certified Fresh Movies

Movies at Home

• Fandango at Home
• Prime Video
• Most Popular Streaming Movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• 74% Blink Twice Link to Blink Twice
• 95% Strange Darling Link to Strange Darling
• 86% Between the Temples Link to Between the Temples

New TV Tonight

• 100% Slow Horses: Season 4
• 96% English Teacher: Season 1
• -- The Perfect Couple: Season 1
• -- Tell Me Lies: Season 2
• -- Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist: Season 1
• -- Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos: Season 1
• -- Outlast: Season 2
• -- The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Season 1
• -- Whose Line Is It Anyway?: Season 14

Most Popular TV on RT

• 72% Kaos: Season 1
• 84% The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 2
• 92% Terminator Zero: Season 1
• 100% Dark Winds: Season 2
• 92% Bad Monkey: Season 1
• 95% Only Murders in the Building: Season 4
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV

Certified fresh pick

• 96% English Teacher: Season 1 Link to English Teacher: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

Venice Film Festival 2024: Movie Scorecard

30 Most Popular Movies Right Now: What to Watch In Theaters and Streaming

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

The 5 Most Anticipated TV or Streaming Shows of September

The 5 Most Anticipated Movies of September

• Trending on RT
• Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
• Top 10 Box Office
• Venice Film Festival
• Popular Series on Netflix

Rocky Reviews

The story is simple, and it’s told in a very traditional Hollywood fashion, but it’s entirely about people in which the audience can believe and recognise.

Full Review | Original Score: 10/10 | Feb 6, 2024

John G. Avildsen’s movie packs more feelings than punches.

Full Review | Feb 1, 2024

Rocky is a threadbare patchwork of old-movie bits, yet it's engaging, and the naive elements are emotionally effective.

Full Review | Jan 20, 2024

The ultimate tale of the underdog. Rocky beautifully encapsulates the essence of the blue-collar worker, drawing a striking parallel to Sylvester Stallone’s own journey before this monumental breakthrough.

Full Review | Jun 8, 2023

This film sparked a decades long saga and has iconic music and scenes that you need to see to understand some aspects of US culture (like the "Rocky Stairs"). Scrappy Rocky Balboa gets a chance to fight a world champ.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 8, 2023

Rocky is a timeless and endlessly inspiring tale of a man discovering his potential and the love of his life. Stallone gives birth to one of the most celebrated characters in history with a touching and endearing performance that mirrors his own life.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.75/5 | Feb 16, 2023

Rocky is not only the best sports film ever made but one of the best feel-good movies ever made.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 | Feb 14, 2022

Worst Best Picture ever!

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Jan 17, 2022

Movies like Rocky happen once in a blue moon.

Full Review | Nov 30, 2021

Rocky eschews the cliche knockoutm triumphantly winning on points.

Full Review | Aug 4, 2021

Sylvester Stallone struck a deep, lasting chord with this fountainhead of clichés...

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Apr 8, 2021

It isn't the first encouraging movie to feature an underdog that is entirely likeable and sorely outmatched, but it is one of the absolute finest.

Full Review | Original Score: 10/10 | Aug 31, 2020

The movie is about so much more than just the final fight ... It is about a man's life; it is about that man trying to find his share of happiness, however small that may be.

Full Review | Aug 6, 2020

Rocky, Stallone's alter ego, is sufficiently engaging to make one forget, momentarily at least, the script's milk-fed lack of originality.

Full Review | Feb 6, 2020

Talia Shire finally gets a chance to show what she can do and she does it very well indeed.

Full Review | Oct 26, 2019

The real deal, offering a raw, gritty feel that none of the slicker sequels even attempted to replicate.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jul 14, 2019

Rocky is a picture for everybody, the kind of movie that made us go to the movies, two, three, even four times a week in the dear, old days.

Full Review | Jul 10, 2019

The script is dazzling, with wonderful one liners and moments of real charm.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Feb 20, 2019

By the time Rocky runs up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in one of the single most indelible moments in all of cinema, we feel like we've been with him every step of the way.

Full Review | Feb 4, 2019

The power of Rocky lies in its audacity in breaking free of currently fashionable despair and paranoia in order to shout from the rooftops: "The American Dream works!"

Full Review | Feb 28, 2018

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

How to Help Kids Build Character Strengths with Quality Media

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Multicultural Books

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 23 Reviews
• Kids Say 92 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

By Nell Minow , based on child development research. How do we rate?

Boxing Best Picture sets underdog-hero standard; drinking.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Rocky is a classic underdog boxing tale that includes plenty of boxing violence, plus a secondary character smashes up a room with a baseball bat when angry. This same character drinks heavily. Rocky and his girlfriend move in together.

Why Age 11+?

Paulie is an alcoholic who carries a bottle of whiskey in his pocket. He often b

Infrequent language: "screw you," "a--hole," and "whore

Paulie becomes violent and trashes a room with a baseball bat. He is also verbal

Some kissing and minor sexual discussions.

Any Positive Content?

Rocky is an admirable underdog character. Though he drinks and smokes and has a

Inspiring messages about hard work and perseverance, working toward a goal despi

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Paulie is an alcoholic who carries a bottle of whiskey in his pocket. He often becomes hot-tempered or violent due to excessive drinking. Rocky smokes cigarettes and drinks, but quits both during training.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Infrequent language: "screw you," "a--hole," and "whore."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

Paulie becomes violent and trashes a room with a baseball bat. He is also verbally demeaning to his sister. The final scene includes a brutal boxing match.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Role Models

Rocky is an admirable underdog character. Though he drinks and smokes and has a difficult time verbalizing his thoughts, he cares about the people around him and gives them good advice. He is kind to those who have not always shown him respect and loves animals. His perseverance is inspirational.

Positive Messages

Inspiring messages about hard work and perseverance, working toward a goal despite difficulties, the importance of love and companionship. Other themes include self-control and gratitude.

Parents need to know that Rocky is a classic underdog boxing tale that includes plenty of boxing violence, plus a secondary character smashes up a room with a baseball bat when angry. This same character drinks heavily. Rocky and his girlfriend move in together. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (23)
• Kids say (92)

Based on 23 parent reviews

Sexual violence scene easily misinterpreted by young people

Lots of inappropiate things. domestic and sexual violence. not for 11 years old., what's the story.

ROCKY Balboa ( Sylvester Stallone ) is a sweet-natured, but not very bright boxer and small-time enforcer for a loan-shark. He has a crush on Adrian ( Talia Shire ), the painfully shy sister of his friend, Pauly ( Burt Young ). When heavyweight champ Apollo Creed's ( Carl Weathers ) upcoming fight is cancelled, he and his promoters decide to give an unknown a shot at the title, and pick Rocky. Rocky shows potential, but has never made a commitment to anything. Mickey (Burgess Meredith) wants to throw him out of the gym because he doesn't take boxing seriously enough. But Apollo's offer gives Rocky a chance to see himself differently. Rocky has a chance to think of himself as someone who can hold his own with the world champion, and once he has that image of himself, it is just a matter of taking the steps to get there. Rocky also finds courage to get closer to Adrian, and to help her value herself for her strengths. Each sees the other as loveable, as no one has before. This, as much as anything, is what allows both of them to bloom.

Is It Any Good?

This satisfying, classic boxing movie offers some decent messages. Rocky is realistic about his goal. He does not need to win. He just needs to acquit himself with dignity, to show that he is in the same league as the champion. In order to achieve that goal, he will risk giving everything he has, risk even the small pride of an unbroken nose. He develops enough self-respect to risk public disgrace. This is a big issue for teens -- adolescence has been characterized as the years in which everything centers around the prayer, "God, don't let me be embarrassed today." Rocky begins as someone afraid to give his best in case it is not good enough, and becomes someone who suspects that his best is enough to achieve his goals, and is willing to test himself to find out.

It's worth taking a look at Creed as well. Like the hare in the Aesop fable, he underestimates his opponent. He is so sure of himself, and so busy working on the business side of the fight that he comes to the fight unprepared.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the appeal of the underdog character like Rocky . What other historical or literary characters fit this profile?

What messages did you take away from the movie about violence ? What about love? Perseverance?

What cinematic techniques amp up the drama of this story?

How do the characters in Rocky demonstrate gratitude , self-control , and perseverance ? Why are these important character strengths ?

Movie Details

• In theaters : January 1, 1976
• On DVD or streaming : February 8, 2005
• Cast : Burt Young , Sylvester Stallone , Talia Shire
• Director : John G. Avildsen
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : MGM/UA
• Genre : Drama
• Topics : Sports and Martial Arts
• Character Strengths : Gratitude , Perseverance , Self-control
• Run time : 119 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG
• Last updated : August 17, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

Great Sports Movies

Best online sports websites, related topics.

• Perseverance
• Self-control
• Sports and Martial Arts

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

By A.D. Murphy

A.D. Murphy

• Domestic B.0. sizzles in record July 31 years ago
• $203.5 mil week makes B.O. history 31 years ago
• ‘Park’ propels June to new high 31 years ago

If ever a recent offbeat film project had some high-horsepower sponsorship, it’s “ Rocky .” Sylvester Stallone stars in his own screenplay about a minor local boxer who gets a chance to fight a heavyweight championship bout. Some genuinely strong emotional impact emerges from the heavy environment of street grime and gymnasium sweat provided by director John G. Avildsen and producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff. The p.r. juggernaut is already at high speed, though the public might well be given a chance to discover the United Artists release for itself.

There are “Marty” overtones in abundance here, and that’s a strong commercial omen for the $1,000,000 gamble herein. The very best way to enjoy “Rocky” is not to examine it too carefully; better simply to relax and roll with the Walter Mitty, Cinderella, or what-have-you notion that the least of us still stands a chance of making it big.

Related Stories

The Postwar Streaming Market: A Special Report

Trial Date Set for Doctor and ‘Ketamine Queen’ Linked to Matthew Perry Case

Stallone’s title character is that of a near-loser, a punchy reject scorned by gym owner Burgess Meredith, patronized by local loan shark Joe Spinell (for whom Stallone is too-sympathetic a strong-arm collection agent), rebuffed by plain-Jane Talia Shire whose brother, Burt Young, keeps engineering a romantic match. Even Jodi Letizia, latent teenage tramp, has contempt for him.

Popular on Variety

Rocky would have remained in this rut, had not heavyweight champ Carl Weathers come up with the Bicentennial gimmick of fighting a sure-ringer, thereby certifying the American Dream for public consumption. Fight promoter Thayer David (remembered so well as the professional and moral arsonist in Avildsen’s “Save the Tiger”) puts the machinery in motion. To everyone’s surprise, Rocky trains arduously. In the climactic (and cinematically powerful) fight sequence, Rocky goes the whole route to an exciting fadeout draw which is reminiscent of the climax of Robert Aldrich’s “The Longest Yard” two years ago.

En route all this, Stallone brings out the best in Shire, exposes the worst in Young and generally gets his life together. The story-telling pace justifies nicely its 119-minute length. Performances, direction and production all contribute importantly. But…

While art by definition must trigger certain emotional responses, occasionally there’s too-obvious a feeling of really being manipulated and stroked. Fact that Rocky gets his big chance from cynical schemers–with a black public hero as the instigator–rests uneasily at moments. Then there are occasional flashes that the film may be patronizing the lower end of the blue-collar mentality, as much if not more than the characters who keep putting Rocky down on the screen. However, Avildsen is noted for creating such ambiguities.

To repeat, best not to dwell on the film. Better to let the smoggy fairy tale run its course and allow general audience patrons their own unique word of mouth propulsion. Pre-release certification of triumph along with a barrage of favorable expert opinion is not unlike playing with fire.

1976: Best Picture, Director, Editing.

Nominations: Best Actor (Sylvester Stallone), Actress (Talia Shire), Supp.Actor (Burgess Meredith, Burt Young), Story & Screenplay, Best Song (‘Gonna Fly Now’), Sound

• Production: United Artists. Director John G. Avildsen; Producer Irwin Winkler; Screenplay Sylvester Stallone.
• Crew: Camera (DeLuxe Color), James Crabe; editors Richard Halsey, Scott Conrad; music, Bill Conti; songs, Conti, Frank Stallone Jr.; production design, Bill Cassidy; art direction, James H. Spencer; set decoration, Raymond Molyneaux; sound, Ray Alba, Burt Schoenfeld, B. Eugene Ashbrook; costumes-wardobe, Joanne Hutchinson, Robert Cambel; asst. director, Fred Gallo. Reviewed at MGM Studios, Culver City. Oct. 28, '76. (MPAA Rating: PG.) Running Time, 119 MINS.
• With: Rocky - Sylvester Stallone Adrian - Talia Shire Paulie - Burt Young Apollo - Carl Weathers Mickey - Burgess Meredith Jergens - Thayer David Gazzo - Joe Spinell Himself - Joe Frazier Marie - Jodi Letizia

More from Variety

Enid Blyton Adaptation ‘Magic Faraway Tree’ Lands U.K. Distribution Deal

How Much Should AI Giants Pay Hollywood? What Insiders Say Has Stalled Any Licensing Deals

Andrew Garfield, Florence Pugh to Close San Sebastian Film Festival With John Crowley’s ‘We Live in Time’

Angelina Jolie, Daniel Craig, Elton John, Andrew Garfield, Saoirse Ronan Titles Among BFI London Film Festival Full Lineup

Reality TV Survived the ’07 Writers Strike. Why Is It Hurting in 2024?

‘Absolutely Fabulous’ Star Jennifer Saunders, ‘Life of Pi’ Actor Hiran Abeysekera, ‘Gangs of London’s Pippa Bennett-Warner Join ‘Magic Faraway Tree’ Cast

More from our brands, ginni thomas lauded group opposing scotus ethics reform.

Luxury Riverboats Are Adapting Superyacht Looks and Charter Strategies

WNBA Expansion Team Valkyries Sign Chase as First Jersey Sponsor

The Best Loofahs and Body Scrubbers, According to Dermatologists

HBO’s Green Lantern Series Offers Josh Brolin the Hal Jordan Role (Report)

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Metacritic reviews

• 100 The Hollywood Reporter The Hollywood Reporter On paper, neither character may seem terribly appealing, but on the screen they steal your heart away, but completely...Not only did that last reel include some of the most wildly exciting fight footage ever put on the screen, but it also provided an emotionally gratifying capstone to a picture that is truly an ode to the human spirit.
• 100 Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert By now, everyone knows who wins, but the scenes before the fight set us up for it so completely, so emotionally, that when it's over we've had it. We're drained.
• 88 ReelViews James Berardinelli ReelViews James Berardinelli The basic storyline has been done to death over the years; this is still one of the most effective and successful applications of the formula.
• 80 New York Daily News New York Daily News Stallone is totally engaging Rocky playing him with a mixture of boyish intensity, lusty sensuality and cheerful innocence. And Shire is equally appealing, slowly blossoming into a vibrant young woman, and Burt Young seethes with anger as her embittered brother.
• 80 Empire Adam Smith Empire Adam Smith This is really Sly's movie as he slugs his way through a heartfelt performance and delivers some cracking punches, both literally and emotionally.
• 75 Chicago Tribune Gene Siskel Chicago Tribune Gene Siskel A great movie? Hardly. Stallone as the next Brando? You've got to be kidding. A nice little fantasy picture? Maybe. That's the hype and reality of Rocky, the flatout schmaltzy saga of a Philadelphia club boxer who, on New Year's Day of our Bicentennial Year, gets a chance to fight for the heavyweight championship of the world. . . .
• 60 Chicago Reader Dave Kehr Chicago Reader Dave Kehr I wanted to like it more than I did, but it'll do.
• 60 Variety Variety While art by definition must trigger certain emotional responses, occasionally there’s too-obvious a feeling of really being manipulated and stroked. Fact that Rocky gets his big chance from cynical schemers–with a black public hero as the instigator–rests uneasily at moments. Then there are occasional flashes that the film may be patronizing the lower end of the blue-collar mentality, as much if not more than the characters who keep putting Rocky down on the screen. However, Avildsen is noted for creating such ambiguities.
• 50 Time Richard Schickel Time Richard Schickel The story is achingly familiar, and though Stallone has a certain power, he is certainly not the subtlest actor to crawl out from under Marlon's overcoat. But the picture goes most wrong in the conceit it employs to lift Rocky out of the clubs and into the big arena for his title challenge.
• 40 The New York Times Vincent Canby The New York Times Vincent Canby The problem, I think, comes back to Mr. Stallone. Throughout the movie we are asked to believe that his Rocky is compassionate, interesting, even heroic, though the character we see is simply an unconvincing actor imitating a lug.
• See all 14 reviews on Metacritic.com
• See all external reviews for Rocky

More from this title

More to explore, recently viewed.