Just saw the film “Rocky Balboa”, a film by Sylvester Stallone that is the latest installment of the Rocky Series that begun about 30 years ago.

It came in a little bit late in the franchise (after more than 15 years since the last one), and Sylvester as a fighter that is fighting an undeafeated world champion that could well have been his son stretches the story a little bit too far….  Coming in the twilight of his career, it is hardly something that would have been credible enough to be enjoyed… but it did.

The story is about an aging fighter who wants to fight again purportedly to exorcise his past.   As usual with the other Rocky movies, it is a feel good movie with fight sequences well orchestrated.  But I believe the best part is actually the subplot of his son.

His son is blaming Rocky.  He is finding it hard to live in the shadow of a former heavyweight champion, and people compare him to his father too much that he is having problems.  The scene where the dad gives advice is a classic, and if you can take this advice to heart, it would be well worth the whole movie.  Here’s roughly the advice from Rocky.

When you finally grow up, you find that the world will start  hitting you from all directions. Life is not all rainbows and roses.  And if you can’t take it, you start looking for something, or someone (like a long shadow) to blame.  Cowards do that, and you ain’t a coward.

Let me tell you something…. No matter where you are, life is going to pummel you down to your toes.  It will beat you down, and if you don’t have the confidence to take it, you will be kept down.  Its not how hard you hit, but how hard you can take the hits, and still keep moving forward that is going to make you a winner…

Great fell good movie.  4.5 stars out of 5.