"Rocky Balboa" - Stallone Needs a Winner but Will it Get Knocked Out?

On December 22nd, the sixth installment of the "Rocky" series, "Rocky Balboa," will be hitting theaters some thirty years, almost to the day, after the premiere of the Academy Award winning original. Fans of the series will likely be keeping their fingers crossed that creator/star Sylvester Stallone can inject life into the series which started losing some of its magic in the third film.

The new film finds Rocky as a 60-year-old widower who now owns a successful diner where patrons come in just to meet the ex-champ, who hasn't been in the ring in years. Rocky happily obliges his fans with tales of his boxing career. At home Rocky is miserable having lost his beloved Adrian to cancer while growing apart from his son, Rocky Jr.

Meanwhile, ESPN has been holding virtual reality fights between fighters from different eras and one that catches everyone's attention is a match between our hero and the current champion, Mason Dixon. The virtual fight ends in a victory for Rocky that causes some long ago buried feelings to stir up in Rocky. He decides to get his boxing license renewed so he can get close to the sport again and soon enough Dixon gets word through the media that Rocky may be back in the game. Dixon's career is lagging as he can't get a first rate fighter to oppose him so he throws out the idea of having a match with Rocky. Reluctant at first, Rocky decides to give it one last shot and with the help of brother-in-law Paulie (Burt Young), Rocky Jr. and Apollo Creed's original trainer (Tony Burton), Rocky prepares for the final showdown.

Rocky Balboa has the earmarks of returning the series to its original status of greatness. The main character is beloved due to his genial disposition and general innocence toward life. Having Adrian pass away already makes one want to endear him/herself further to him. The thought of Rocky rising to the top again, accompanied by the now familiar rousing main theme is enough to make one cheer.

Of course there are concerns as well. Stallone is now 60 years old and he looks it. Can he be convincing in the boxing ring again? Can he be convincing against an opponent who is, no doubt, at least thirty years younger? Will the loss of Adrian be too maudlin a subplot and one that is harped on? Early test screenings revealed that there were two or three too many scenes of Rocky at her gravesite. Many of today's young generation, for whom the filmmakers hope will flock to see it, may not even know who Rocky Balboa is, unless they are stringent movie fans, and may not care. Everyone must be wondering why? Why make another film in a series that stalled 17 years ago?

The answer to why is simple: Sylvester Stallone hasn't had a hit in years, so he is resuscitating a hugely successful series that made him rich and famous hoping to breathe new life into it. Starting out as a bit actor in such films as "Bananas" and "Farewell, My Lovely," Stallone got larger but insubstantial roles in "Lords of Flatbush" and "Death Race: 2000" before he made news in 1975 when he sold his script for "Rocky" at a cost of less than a third of what he was offered on the agreement that he get to star. Had he elected to let the producers cast Ryan O'Neal in the lead, Stallone stood to make over $1 million for the screenplay. Stallone stubbornly refused all offers if he couldn't star and the rest is history. "Rocky" made millions and was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, winning 3 (Best Picture; Director; Musical Score). Stallone himself was nominated for Best Actor and Best Screenplay and became a superstar. But Stallone found his trouble with his first few post-Rocky films.

F.I.S.T., (1978), told the story of the rise and fall of a union thug to union head. The role was a tough one for Stallone calling for him to age thirty years in the course of the picture. Stallone's limited acting range was evident here and the big budget drama flopped. For his next movie, Stallone went on a smaller scale with his next movie "Paradise Alley," (1978), about three brothers living in a New York tenement and the hopes of one to be a wrestler. Stallone made his directorial debut here and clearly wanted to recapture the magic of Rocky but failed to do so.

Knowing a good thing we he had it, Stallone returned in 1979 with "Rocky II" and created another wonderful movie that comes close to the magic of the original. Audiences agreed and the film was a smash hit. Stallone attempted to branch out away from the character that made him famous by starring in 1981's Victory as a concentration camp prisoner who stars on the team's soccer squad. It was as bad as it sounds. Next Stallone played a detective hunting a terrorist in the thriller "Nighthawks" that turned out to be a decent thriller that earned a profit.

1982 was probably the biggest year of Stallone's career. "Rocky III" was another box office smash despite the fact that the series was showing some signs of wear. While the movie had a credible villain (Mr. T) and another terrific boxing match, "Rocky III" had a "been there-done that" feel to it. Later that year Stallone introduced the world to John Rambo in "First Blood," who would become another iconic character in the history of movies. "First Blood" was another box office smash and Stallone's star power was at its height.

Unfortunately, Stallone appeared to fall in love with the director side of himself and chose to direct an ill-fated sequel to "Saturday Night Fever" called "Staying Alive." The film (in which Stallone appears only in a walk on) was a textbook example of why you don't make sequels to hit movies and bombed. It also triggered a decade long drought for star John Travolta. Stallone's next movie was another odd choice playing a cab driver taught to sing in the awful "Rhinestone" co-starring Dolly Parton. The film proved that Stallone was not a comedic actor, a lesson he would not learn.

1985 brought Rocky Balboa and John Rambo back to the big screen. "Rambo: First Blood Part II" was another box office smash proving you can't keep a good soldier down. "Rocky IV" took our hero to Russia to fight and, despite mostly negative reviews, was another smash. The film was easily the weakest in the series up to that point and even Stallone announced this would be the last time he would visit the character. The films finished second and third, respectively, in biggest grossing films of the year.

Wanting to branch out in other action films, Stallone moved on to "Cobra," as a tough cop tracking a killer, and "Over The Top," about a man trying to win the affections of his spoiled brat of a son while competing at an arm wrestling competition. "Cobra" was only a mild hit while "Over The Top" was a huge bomb. Fans were crying for another Rocky or Rambo film and Stallone didn't disappoint. In 1988 came "Rambo III" and while it was a box office hit, it fell way below expectations both financially and creatively. Two more box office flops, "Lock Up" and "Tango and Cash" precipitated Stallone to bring Rocky back to life for what was said to be the absolute, final time. "Rocky V" hit theaters in 1990 and, for the first time, Stallone had a flop from his storied franchise. Had the series run out of gas or had a newer generation turned its interests elsewhere? Chances are both had a lot to do with its failure.

The 1990's were Rocky and Rambo-less and Stallone's career suffered. Outside of "Cliffhanger" and "The Specialist," which were mild hits, and "Ant," in which Stallone did a voice over, Stallone had a string of huge box office flops (Oscar; Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot; Demolition Man; Judge Dredd; Assassins; Daylight). Stallone's attempt to take on a straight dramatic part in "Cop Land," featuring a cast of terrific actors including Robert DeNiro, Harvey Keitel and Ray Liotta, was met with some of the best reviews since "Rocky" but failed to attract an audience.

This decade has been no better for Stallone. Two more flops (Get Carter; Driven) led to his next three films (D-Tox; Avenging Angelo; Shade) being shelved and then sent straight to video. His last appearance was as a bad guy in the kid's film "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over," which led to some of the worst reviews for Stallone in his career.

As we come back to "Rocky Balboa" it is obvious that Stallone needs this film to hit with audiences. Never fear Stallone fans for if this film bombs there is good news on the horizon. In January Stallone begins shooting "Rambo IV."