Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 33 Critics What's this?

User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 284 Ratings

  • Starring: Antonio Tarver, Milo Ventimiglia, Sylvester Stallone
  • Summary: The greatest underdog story of our time is back for one final round. In Rocky Balboa, the former heavyweight champion steps out of retirement and back into the ring, pitting himself against a new rival in a dramatically different era. (MGM)
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 33
  2. Negative: 0 out of 33
  1. Reviewed by: Mark Bell
    90
    The acting in the film is grade-A, with Stallone bringing the more mumbled Rocky from the first film spliced with some rousing inspirational monologues when the moment is right (not forced, not preachy… just perfect).
  2. 80
    What gives Rocky Balboa its unexpected pathos is the titanic humility of Stallone's performance, the earnestness with which he plays a man knocked down (but not out) by the ravages of time.
  3. The movie itself, defying all odds, comes close to a knockout.
  4. Reviewed by: Ian Freer
    60
    If you hear the Rocky theme and think '118 118', you might wonder what all the fuss is about. For the rest of us, this is a reminder of why we fell in love with the character in the first place.

See all 33 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Negative: 9 out of 134
  1. Who would have ever believed that Rocky VI would be good?! Oh how we laughed at Stallone's desperation! Then we saw the movie. Rocky Balboa is the best Rocky movie by FAR and is one of my favorite movies of all time. It makes me cry and feel unbelievably happy every time I see it. Absolutely perfect! Expand
  2. This Rocky went in the right direction and went back towards the style of the first two Rocky movies, just when the cheesy 80's style was starting to wear on us. Very touching and the fight scene is well-made. Expand
  3. TonyC.
    5
    I was somewhat disappointed because much of this movie felt really forced. The heavyweight champs in the other movies were very believable, this champ looks like middleweight. 60 year old Rocky had a bigger build than this Kevin Garnet look-alike. It's a shame that Stallone didn't use a real heavywight, because that would have made the final scene more realistic. Many of the other actors did not fit either, and some of the scenes were just too unrealistic [**SPOILER***] Rocky's son quiting his job after his Rocky's speech to watch his dad train . And do you expect us to believe that Rocky, after all these years, has no one else to bring to Vegas than "little" Marie and her son. I wouldn't expect Rocky to have to bribe people into becoming his friends. I really wanted to like this film, and the final scene made me forget some of the flaws, but as another reviewer said, it felt like it was written by a college kid. Expand
  4. ToddB.
    4
    Rocky's soliloquies were embarassingly simple and of the dime-store philosopher type. He still hasn't learned to keep his hands up, so he's still a human punching bag. Joe Cortez let the fight continue after the 50+ year old fighter was knocked down twice in one round? Never. Suspension of disbelief was impossible because we were given proposterous story elements. Bad performances and even worse dialogue pepper this disaster. Expand

See all 134 User Reviews

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