Creed

In very understandable fashion, Hollywood legend Sylvester Stallone is protective of his legacy, of his movies, of his iconic characters. No character from Stallone's career is more iconic than Rocky Balboa, the boxer from Philly and the Italian Stallion himself. He had been approached about playing Rocky again, turning the offer down until he saw the script for this movie, 2015's Creed. He made the right call if you were wondering. It is a gem.

An angry young man, about 12 years old, Adonis Johnson is taken in by Mary Anne Creed (Phylicia Rashad), the widow of the late fighter Apollo Creed. Since his own mother died some years before, Adonis has bounced around the system going from group home to group home with a couple stints in juvy. Now, he's got a chance to amount to something. He learns he's the illegitimate son of Apollo, his father dying before he was born. Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) grows up, tries to lead his own life, all the while boxing on the side and teaching himself as he goes with some natural talent kicking in along the way. In his late 20's with some wins to his name, Adonis decides he wants to pursue boxing full-time, leaving behind everything he knows in Los Angeles to move to Philadelphia where he hopes to train and make something of himself. First up in Philly? Trying to convince Rocky Balboa (Stallone) himself to train him. That may be easier said than done.

From what I've read, Creed director/writer Ryan Coogler (Aaron Covington co-writing the screenplay) had approached Stallone previously about revisiting/rebooting Rocky from a different angle. Finally, Stallone saw a script he didn't just like but LOVED. With some gentle nudging from his wife, Rocky himself chose to come back again as the Italian Stallion. Here's the finished product. Long story short? It works so freaking well. If you're going to reboot a beloved series and one of the most beloved characters ever, this is how you do it. It isn't good. It's great.

What works so well is the respect Coogler, Covington and Jordan have for the franchise without being too nostalgic. Yes, it's cool seeing Rocky back on the streets of Philadelphia, but 'Creed' is able to find that perfect middle ground in between. It isn't too new. It isn't too nostalgic. Rocky is a hugely important character, but it's not his movie. It's young Adonis and aging Rocky. Coogler films in Philadelphia (necessarily and appropriately), giving the story a gritty, authentic feel. While it is polished, it is not overly polished. The camera is there through the training, through the fights, through the dialogue, and it's right there with the characters. It seems simple, but it gives you that feeling you're right there with the action. When you're down in the trenches, you feel the twists and turns far more than when you're watching from a distance.

Michael B. Jordan is an actor I've been aware of for several years, but this is the first role I'm actually seeing him in. Consider me a huge fan. What a great, subtle but heated and intense part for the young actor who is definitely on the road to bigger and better things as an actor and a movie star. I think the biggest compliment I can give to this performance is that -- like the film itself -- it feels very real. The emotions don't feel forced or awkward or twisted. This is a young man in his late 20's and is trying to find himself, find some answers about who he is and who he wants to be. As well, Adonis has to live up to his family name, something he doesn't want to be tarnished because of something he does or doesn't do. In a very nice touch, we also see his developing relationship with Bianca (Tessa Thompson), a singer who lives in his building who's slowly losing her hearing. A ton of chemistry between the duo in a very believable relationship.

The heart of the movie though is the father-son, mentor-student relationship that develops between Adonis and Rocky. It is heartbreakingly perfect. Though they are at different points in their lives, they're also looking for the same thing; friendship, and more simply, a friend. I thought it was an appropriate choice not to stereotype Rocky or make him a cliche. This is the Rocky we know, just an older Rocky now in his late 60's. He's lost his wife and best friend but still runs his Italian restaurant in south Philly. When he meets the persistent Adonis, he resists at first at his request to train him but ultimately gives in. What results is spot-on. Sports cliches, training montages, it could all be overdone or too much, but Stallone's commitment to the part levels it. This feels like an authentic relationship from the moment we see the two together, and without giving away any spoilers, the way the Adonis/Rocky relationship grows is perfect for the tone of the story.

'Creed' doesn't focus on a long, long cast. It picks its characters and goes. Rashad is excellent in a smaller part as Adonis' adopted mother and Apollo's widow. Tony Bellew is excellent as "Pretty" Ricky Conlan, a British fighter, the pound-for-pound best boxer in the world, with Graham McTavish as his trainer. Also look for Wood Harris and Ritchie Coster in key supporting parts.

Ready for a surprise (relative)? 'Creed' doesn't feature a whole lot of time in the actual boxing ring. Sure, there's training sequences as Adonis develops his boxing ability, but there's really only two fights (and one's relatively short, if effective). What's that mean? When we are in the ring, there is some FREAKING ENERGY. I won't spoil it, but Coogler keeps that camera moving without much in the way of editing. Very few cuts, but the camera is there shoulder-to-shoulder with our fighters. It's an impressive job shooting a sport that would probably be a lot easier to shoot with said hyper-fast editing.  As for that final fight, Coogler makes a brilliant choice. We haven't heard the Rocky theme to this point, but at an absolute perfect moment....oh, well, it's good. I'm getting chills just thinking about the moment.

Pretty much nothing to complain about here. Too many good, memorable, spine-tingling moments to mention, and I don't want to spoil them if you haven't seen the movie. Michael B. Jordan is excellent and an incredibly believable boxer/athlete. Sylvester Stallone steals the movie, reprising his Rocky role in a performance that will no doubt earn him a Best Supporting Actor nod and hopefully win it. He deserves it. The performance is that good. The whole movie is. I can't recommend it enough, for fans and non-fans of the Rocky series. Loved it.

Creed (2014): ****/****

The Expendables 3

I've enjoyed both the previous Expendable movies, The Expendables and The Expendables 2, knowing full well they're not particularly good movies. It's the rare franchise where things get better with each progressing flick. Then came the third entry...pretty much panned by critics and not embraced by audiences as much. Well, most of the audience. I happened to love it for all its insane goofiness and over the top everything. Here's 2014's The Expendables 3.

Having rescued a former member of the team from a heavily guarded train, Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham) and the Expendables move onto their next mission, but there is far more awaiting them than they expected. Sent to knock off an international arms dealer, Barney is stunned to find out who the dealer actually is. His name is Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), a former member of the Expendables and a co-founder of the group with Barney who's long been believed dead after going rogue from the group. The team is all shot up and not in a good place to go after Stonebanks, but Barney wants nothing more than revenge on his former partner turned lunatic enemy. He sees the writing on the wall though and doesn't want to see his fellow mercenaries get killed in the process. Instead of going forward, Barney disbands the group and assembles a younger group of fiery mercenaries looking to prove themselves. Can they get the job done and not get killed in the process?

The first two Expendables movies are far from perfect, but the second one was definitely better than the first. Things were allowed to breathe a little bit and some fun characters were added to the mix. This third entry struggled at the box office, some attributing that to a PG-13 rating instead of an R-rating while others pointed to a bootleg getting a release weeks before the wide release. You know what? WHO CARES?!? These are movies meant for action-hungry fans who love over the top shootouts, a ridiculously cool cast, one-liner one after another, and villains you just love to hate. Nothing groundbreaking for director Patrick Hughes' film, but it is most assuredly not trying to break any new ground. Having written the screenplay for the first two, Stallone again handles that department and doesn't disappoint.

Stallone will never be accused of writing anything Shakespearean or all-time classic, but who the f*** cares? The man knows how to write a good, old-fashioned shoot 'em up, dammit! He tried to accomplish a lot with the first two flicks, but here? Here?!? It's like he challenged himself to amp things up to even more ridiculous levels. Much of the cast returns with quite a few BIG names joining the mix. It's a longer movie than its predecessors (126 minutes) and features a ton of action from the word 'Go.' It isn't a great movie, but 'Expendables' is damn entertaining. I watched it with a smile on my face and thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end. All Stallone wants to do is to put something out there that audiences WANT to see, and I love him for it. About as good as a movie like this can get.

The ensemble and action out of this world star power is at an all-time action high, but the guts of the movie remains that men on a mission, mercenary tough guy mindset. It starts of course with Stallone's Barney and Statham's Lee, bitching and moaning at each other like an old married couple. Those scenes provide some good laughs while also offering some background about the history of the Expendables. Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews and Randy Couture are back too with Jet Li only appearing in the final 20 minutes in nothing more than an extended cameo. I still feel like people were surprised by how well the Expendables movies did in theaters. For years before the movies there were rumors of all the 1980s/1990s action stars who were interested in starring only to drop out. Since then, a long list of stars have made appearances leaving Lundgren, Crews, Couture and Li with little to nothing to do. Oh, that Arnold Schwarzenegger fella is around too, chomping on cigars and even yelling "Get to the chopper!" How can you lose with that happening?

So Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme weren't enough, huh? The casting gets taken to crazy levels here. Gibson is a great addition to the series, his Stonebanks a perfectly evil, sinister, growling villain, injecting a ton of energy. I need more! Replacing Bruce Willis, Harrison Ford is an easy cool as Drummer, the team's CIA holder of sorts. Wesley Snipes and Antonio Banderas join the Expendables too because...well, why the hell not?  Both look to be having a lot of fun in parts that let them ham it up some (or for Banderas, A LOT). As for the new, fresh Expendables, there's Kellan Lutz (former Marine, favors a motorcycle), Ronda Rousey (hand-to-hand specialist), Glen Powell (tech) and Victor Ortiz (weapons). The younger group isn't as interesting, but their inclusion to the story is more of a means to an end. Kelsey Grammer plays Bonaparte, Barney's mercenary recruiter, the recruiting scene something right out of The Magnificent Seven or countless other men on a mission movies.   

Look, there's no point in analyzing the action. It's good, but obviously not as bloody or as graphic as an R-rated version would have been. Blood or not, the body count that piles up is downright gratuitous. The finale alone is ridiculous with every action cliche ever invented seemingly on display. Stallone vs. Gibson, thousands of bullets flying, Lutz doing his best Steve McQueen/Great Escape impression, Ford flying overhead in a helicopter with Schwarzenegger as his machine gunner, and that's just the start. As an action fan, it's almost too much....eh, not really. It's awesome and just a blast to watch. From the action to the cast, the mercenaries busting each other and seeing who's the best, the old vs. new school, the great villain, it is a hell of a lot of fun. An easy-going mess of a movie that I loved throughout. Here's a closing thought to process.

Late in the movie, a helicopter is loaded with some of the most iconic action heroes ever. We're talking Rambo/Rocky, Han Solo/Indiana Jones, the Terminator, Blade, the Transporter, Ivan Drago, and Desperado all flying along. Oh, and Braveheart is below chasing after them. It's just too much to take in! Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!

The Expendables 3 (2014): *** 1/2 /****

Grudge Match

Raging Bull and Rocky, two of the greatest movies about boxing ever, and sports in general really. Both films have stood the test of time and both deserve the status they have earned as true classics. As for the stars, yeah, I guess Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone are pretty cool. So 30-plus years after those movies hit theaters, the two stars are united in an interesting quasi-follow-up, 2013's Grudge Match. What's the verdict?

In the mid 1980s, boxers Billy 'The Kid' McDonnen (De Niro) and Henry 'Razor' Sharp (Stallone) become huge fan favorites with their ever-growing rivalry. McDonnen wins the first fight, Sharp winning the rematch soon after. When a third fight is brought up, Sharp decides to retire instead, leaving the potential for a grudge match just hanging in the air. Sharp retires to work in a factory while McDonnen continues to fight, becoming a spokesman and product pitchman while opening up his own bar in Pittsburgh. Some 30 years later though, that decisive third match is a distinct possibility as Dante Slate Jr. (Kevin Hart), the son of the promoter who worked with both fighters in the 80s, offers them a handsome payday if they agree to fight once more. This isn't just a rivalry anymore though. These two guys hate each other to the point they can't even be in the same room together. Can they hold it together long enough to train for the fight?

My first response when I saw this trailer last fall was simply "No.....just no." I didn't think it looked good in the least. It looked cheesy, cliched and just trying too hard to reclaim past magic from both stars. You know what? I was right on all accounts. You know what else? I was right, and I don't care in the least. Going in with pretty low expectations basically across the board, I ended up liking this sports comedy from director Peter Segal a whole lot. It is cheesy and cliched, but it embraces those aspects rather than trying to avoid them (or worse, trying to avoid them but actually embracing them). 'Grudge' struggled in theaters last Christmas, recouping its 40-plus million budget and little else, as waves of negative reviews convinced people to stay away. Familiar -- maybe too familiar -- it is, but I liked this one as a harmless entertaining sports flick that offers some good laughs.

Come on now, it's Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone. With their respective roles in Raging Bull and Rocky, both actors deserve an all-time space in the Sports Movie Hall of Fame (Look it up, it exists. I swear). Now obviously the drama just isn't as big here. The lead parts aren't so dramatically heavy. People forget sometimes, but Stallone can freaking act when he wants to. De Niro has done more fun movies over recent years than heavy dramatic parts, those choices earning him some hate on any number of message boards. What's wrong with two legendary movie stars and actors having some fun? Of the two, De Niro represents himself well. It's a goofy, over the top story with goofy, over the top characters, and De Niro commits to the part. Stallone looks to be sleepwalking at times, but their scenes together have an enjoyable, funny chemistry. Their bitching and moaning at each other provides some great one-liners in the movie's best moments.

It can't all be old guys busting each other though, can it? Unfortunately not. We get some family drama thrown into the mix, some of it providing some good moments, but mostly, it's just too familiar and cliched. Much of the drama comes from Kim Basinger as Sally, Razor's girlfriend who slept with Billy years before right in the midst of their boxing rivalry. The result of that hook-up? Billy has an estranged son, B.J. (Jon Bernthal), who will now help train the old man while also introducing him to his grandson, the type of movie kid that speaks like no kid ever. Alan Arkin gets the fun, flashy supporting part as Razor's former manager and trainer, "Lightning" Conlon, now relegated to a nursing home. Hart too is pretty funny, his scenes with Arkin offering some memorable lines. Even LL Cool J makes an appearance as a gym owner and trainer. Good cast, decent parts.

Nothing too out of the ordinary here with an enjoyable, familiar formula. We get a couple sports training montages as our two 50-something out of shape fighters get back into shape, editing that in with the less interesting personal drama. The best moments come from Stallone and De Niro reigniting their rivalry with one whackier situation after another. The stop-motion video game capture scene goes especially well, Razor and Kid beating the crap out of each other. I also liked their skydiving gimmick gone horrifically wrong.

Is this especially smart humor? No, not by a long shot, but it is fun. The final fight is nothing too flashy, going for a safe ending. The end credits have some good cameos too from boxing personalities, fighters, on-air commentators and some ESPN sportscasters. An entertaining movie, one that's easy to sit back and watch for a couple hours. Nothing more, nothing less. If you're looking for something more, go watch Raging Bull and Rocky again. And how about that poster, not enhanced at all?

Grudge Match (2013): ***/****

Escape Plan

The 1980s and much of the 1990s were the Age of the Overblown, Dumb, Mindless Action Movies, stars like Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal, Dolph Lundgren and others dominating the genre. The action genre has changed a ton in the years since, but the stars are still there, including two of the biggest stars who reunite in 2013's Escape Plan.

A former lawyer turned specialist, Ray Breslin (Sylvester Stallone) is the best in the business. That business? He's inserted into federal penitentiaries and maximum security prisons as a prisoner at large, no one aware of his identity, and devises a way to escape. Breslin has no equals, doing the job for years and helping to improve overall security, earning himself quite the reputation over the years. His reputation has gotten him quite the job offer, a $5 million payday if he can escape from a new, state-of-the-art prison facility that has been deemed 'impossible to escape' from. The background seems a little shaky, but Ray takes the job only to find out he's been duped once he's inside the prison. The warden, Hobbes (Jim Caviezel), has no intention of even giving him a chance to escape, leaving Ray in an impossible situation. His possible out? Help from a fellow prisoner, Rottmayer (Arnold Schwarzenegger) who desperately wants out.

Action movies can't just be action movies anymore, can they? They have to do something different, out of left field, desperately trying to rewrite the genre. Is there anything wrong with a throwback to the 1980s/1990s when it was acceptable for an action movie to have really cool good guys, really despicable bad guys and a lot of mindless fight scenes with some stupid one-liners along the way. That's the formula director Mikael Hafstrom follows in this action flick that earned over $137 million in theaters. Is it particularly good? No, not especially, but if absolutely nothing else, it is refreshing to see a movie like this. Too bad it wasn't better, some really fun, solid moments lost in mostly mediocre moments in a too-long 115-minute long flick.

Come on now. The reasoning I'm guessing 99% of movie fans sought this movie out was the pairing of two of the all-time great action icons, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. We're talking Rambo and the Terminator, side by side and pissed at the world. It's the pairing that fans wanted to see for years in the 80s and 90s, finally getting a taste of it with the two Expendables movies. There is a certain cheeseball charm to this pairing of Stallone and Schwarzenegger, screenwriters Miles Chapman and Jason Keller's script giving them plenty of chances to bust each other, make fun of each other and basically argue about anything and everything. It isn't anything that's going to strain any brain activity, but it's fun. Any scene where the duo is together is automatically better just because they're there. They have an easygoing chemistry that reflects two old friends, Stallone the smart-ass straight man, Schwarzenegger the funner, livelier part. Whether it's 1984, 1994 or 2014, it's cool to see these two action icons working together in lead roles.

I wish I could say the same for the rest of the cast. The script's goal is to give Stallone and Schwarzenegger a premise to work with....and that's about it. There's no real development anywhere else. Good = good, bad = bad, and Vincent D'Onofrio = bad because well, it's Vincent D'Onofrio. I don't consider that a spoiler so deal with it. It's cool seeing Jesus himself, um, uh, Caviezel in a bad guy role, hamming it up with steely eyes and a pristine black suit, but we know nothing about him. How'd he end up as warden of a corrupt prison like this? Vinnie Jones plays his enforcer, Drake. Faran Tahir tries to avoid stereotypes as much as possible as Javed, a Muslim prisoner who hates Breslin but may have to work with him to escape. Along with D'Onofrio, Amy Ryan and 50 Cent are Breslin's partners and business associates, wondering if they've stumbled into something surprising. Oh, and Sam Neill is cool because he's Sam Neill.

There was potential here, but moments along the way help derail the story. The script is obsessed with giving Sly and Arnie as many stupid, forced one-liners as humanly possible. I figure they're going for laughs, but the jokes and lines fell short for me. The premise is cool, no doubt about it, an inescapable, perfectly built prison that no one can get out of, and let me tell you, there's a good twist about where exactly that prison is. There's an even bigger twist in the finale that does work in some ways, but again, it feels like such an effort was made to trick the audience and pull the rug out from under us that it loses most of its impact. It's not painfully bad, but it's not as good as I'm sure it was intended.

So what are we left with? Mostly a pairing of Stallone and Schwarzenegger. The action is kept on the backburner until the last 30 minutes, definitely the most enjoyable part of the movie. It's got all those cliches we've come to expect from an action movie, slow motion bullets, bad guys with insanely bad aim, heroes with amazingly good aim, and all those little touches that look ridiculous...in a fun way. A meh movie if there ever was unfortunately.

Escape Plan (2013): **/****

Homefront

I've said it before, and I'll probably say it again. Jason Statham is one of the best action stars around, but I can't help but think that he was born about 15, maybe 20 years too late. This is a guy meant for the 1980s and all its action excesses. He's one of the few legit action stars working today which can be a good and bad thing, depending on the movie. Typecast in a fair share of his movies, Statham gets a change of pace -- while still kicking some ass -- in this new release, 2013's Homefront.

A D.E.A. agent with a huge bust under his belt, Phil Broker (Statham) has retired of sorts, moving to a small town in Louisiana with his daughter, Maddy (Izabela Vidovic). His wife died in the past year, father and daughter trying to move on and handle the death together, supporting each other as much as they can. Their quiet, country/small town life is a refreshing change of pace for both, but Broker's past is going to come back to haunt him. A low-level meth dealer, Gator (James Franco), discovers Broker's true identity and background, realizing he stands to better himself in a big way if he can turn the DEA agent over to some willing enemies. Trying to adjust in the small, country town, Broker senses things going the wrong way, knowing his life, and more importantly, his daughter's life, is at risk. Can he get out in front of the new threat before it claims him?

You know what? Screw it. I'll say it. I liked this one. I liked it a lot. This Statham-fueled action story from director Gary Fleder was a lot of fun if not a particularly taxing or original flick. Above all else though, it was a lot of fun. 'Homefront' reminded me a lot of some pretty good 1970s crime thrillers meet kinda low-brow action flicks. I mean that in the nicest sense, I love those type of straightforward, entertaining B-movies. Statham is very good in the lead role, but you could easily see Charles Bronson, Burt Reynolds or Clint Eastwood playing the part. It's got touches of Southern Comfort, Deliverance, White Lightning, even some Smokey and the Bandit, and it's the better for it. Composer Mark Isham's score is solid too, a nice blend of some familiar action with a mood-setting, here comes trouble Cajun-themed softer portions. It won't rewrite the genre, and no doubt it's gonna take some hits from the critics, but I enjoyed it.

Watching this flick at an advanced screening with a pretty full house last week, there was an audible groan when the credits rolled by and it said 'Screenplay by Sylvester Stallone.' (based off a novel by author Chuck Logan). Was it a surprised 'Oh, I didn't know Stallone wrote this...." or was it 'Oh, Stallone wrote it....' sentiment? I think a little of both, but I like Stallone as a writer. It's nothing award-winning, but the man writes a good script from Rocky and its sequels to the more action-oriented Rambo and Expendables series. If it is written in broad strokes, so be it. Good guys = perfect good guys. Bad guys = stereotypically over the top, truly evil bad guys. Good is good and the bad are real bad. Basically, don't mess with a former D.E.A. agent's daughter or his daughter's cute cat. You...Will....Pay. Yes, the story depended a little too much on coincidence for my liking, a couple things happening because the story needs it to, not because those things actually make sense.

Blah blah blah at this point, I haven't talked yet about Jason Statham punching, kicking and generally beating the crap out of people. That's never really in question, even his bad movies entertaining to a point because Statham is just legit a really good action star. He more than handles his own here, dispatching nameless, brooding thugs as needed. For the most part, his Broker is trying to go straight, start a new life with his daughter in an isolated country town in backwoods Louisiana. Naturally because the movie has to have something going on, that new life ain't so smooth. The always capable Statham ends up fighting local thugs, Franco's Gator, and eventually, a drug-dealing, badass biker gang. The finale has Broker defending his house -- in the dead of night of course -- as the biker gang, headed by the always reliably creepy Frank Grillo (playing a biker hitman) tries to take him out before he can cause anymore trouble. Hand-to-hand, gunfights, improvised weaponry, it features a little bit of all of the above.

Beyond the typical shoot 'em up, punch 'em up, Stallone's script gives some familiar if pretty decent character development, Idovic doing a fine job as Broker's 10-year old daughter, Maddy. Their scenes together are pretty good, a single father and his daughter both coping with the recent death of his wife and her mother. Franco looks to be enjoying himself as the villainous Gator (no explanation provided), but thankfully doesn't ham it up too much -- cough Spring Breakers cough -- as the poop hits the fan. Winona Ryder grunges it up as a former biker groupie working with Gator, Kate Bosworth plays Gator's drug-addicted, trouble-seeking sister, and Rachelle Lefevre plays one of the teachers at Maddy's school who may/may not like Phil (SPOILERS ALERT she totally does). Also look for Clancy Brown as a possibly corrupt town mayor, Omar Benson Miller as Tito, Broker's construction friend in town, and Marcus Hester as Bosworth's much-abused husband.

No point in analyzing this one too much. At 100 minutes long, it isn't around long enough to overstay its welcome. Statham is as reliable as ever, Franco plays against type as an out-and-out villain, the supporting ast is good, and there's never too long in between some action, whether it be hand to hand or gunfights. Solid, entertaining flick.

Homefront (2013): ***/****

The Expendables 2

I watched 2010's The Expendables all the while knowing I wasn't watching a good movie. Did I enjoy it? Yes, but it had massive flaws and issues that I was barely....barely....able to look past. Well, either I'm a glutton for punishment or just forgetful because I had to give the sequel, 2012's The Expendables 2, a shot. Rather than repeat and rewrite the original review (and trust me, I could), I'll give this one a shot. It's basically the same movie, but I liked it more.

Having completed a mission to rescue a hostage in Nepal, mercenaries Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), his right-hand man Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), and their crew of specialists return to New Orleans to celebrate a successful mission and prep for their next one. Ross though is approached -- and basically blackmailed -- by Church (Bruce Willis), a mysterious CIA agent who Ross knows well from his past. The mission? Ross and his team must head to Albania and recover something from a downed plane. Now what that object is, Ross isn't told, only that he'll have someone along for the ride, Maggie (Nan Yu), to help accomplish the mission. It seems and sounds like a simple grab and bag job, but deep in enemy territory, anything could happen.

Here we are again. The make or break part of the review. The complaints/compliments I'm going to throw out there now come down to one simple thing; do you like-to-love action movies? If you even remotely like action movies, you should find something enjoyable about this....at least a little. From director Simon West, '2' improves on the formula laid out in the first one (for the most part). Assemble a ridiculous amount of action stars, give them lots of cool one-liners and lots of people to kill/maim/shoot/stab on a ridiculous mission. To its credit, '2' is more self-assured it knows what it's doing. The crazy amounts of action are still there on top of some more humor -- more on that humor later. It's the same more, but I enjoyed this one more than the first shoot 'em up flick.

What was never in question is the casting here. Still chugging along as a believable action star at 66 years old, Stallone is and always will be a badass. His Barney Ross is that requisite tough group leader, burned and warped for years by the death around him and the suicidal life he leads. Statham is once again, a great sidekick. The two bitch and moan at each other, reflecting a partnership that goes back for years. It seems in all his movies Stallone knows what his fans want to see, and he doesn't disappoint. Filling out Ross' team is returnees Jet Li (making basically a cameo), Randy Couture, and Terry Crews. Also returning from the first one and given more of a role is Dolph Lundgren with newcomer Liam Hemsworth joining the team as Billy the Kid, a disillusioned Army sniper. As more and more bigger names join the cast, Couture and Crews are given little to do and left in the background, but Lundgren and Hemsworth both represent themselves well.

Putting these movies together though, Stallone's goal has been to assemble any and all action stars. Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger return as Church and Trench, fellow personalities in the mercenary/espionage underworld, with both stars getting more screen-time and more to do. One of the huge names in action movies in the 1980s and 1990s, Jean-Claude Van Damme plays a villain named....Vilain (pretty original, huh?), an Eastern European hired killer with a gang of killers, the Sangs. Not enough? Chuck Norris....yes, CHUCK NORRIS....plays Booker, a loner mercenary content to work by himself but helping out the Expendables as needed. Scott Adkins plays Hector, Vilain's brutal right hand man while Yu holds her own in the testosterone-fueled action pic.

So what stops this ridiculously action-packed movie from being the classic that it wants? As was the case with the first movie, there's just something missing. I can't put my finger on it. In an attempt to craft a story full of action, badass characters and funny one-liners, everything else gets left by the wayside. E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. Scenes lack any sort of transitions, bouncing from one location to the next without even an establishing shot or two. Oh, the story stalls? Enter Norris, Willis or Schwarzenegger out of nowhere, no explanation provided. The music score is anything but subtle and far from memorable. It's fun from the start, but several reviews point this out. An action movie doesn't have to be HUGE, but some scale certainly helps. Both Expendables movies are missing that scale. At times, it even feels like a straight-to-DVD action flick, and that's never a good comparison for any theatrical release.

More than that though, '2' feels rushed, much like the first film did. It clocks in at 103 minutes, but if you take away a 10-minute credits sequence, it's just 93 minutes long. Deep on story it is not, but in just over an hour and a half, this film covers a lot of ground. Yes, I know an action movie like this isn't going to be Shakespeare, but slow down even just a little. And then there's that script. It just has too many references to previous movies the cast has been in. We get it, Arnold was the Terminator, Bruce was in Die Hard, and Norris was in Lone Wolf McQuade. For goodness sake, there's even a Chuck Norris Fact dropped during his introduction. Humor is one thing, some clever references another, but one after another becomes downright tedious and even annoying.

Now if you're still reading, you must sorta like action movies....kinda, maybe, I could be wrong. The action here is pretty cool, and thankfully, director West doesn't utilize the ultra-schizo technique used in the Bourne movies. For the most part, we see the action. All the cliches/stereotypes are there. We've got small armies of bad guys who can't hit the broad side of a barn, the heroes who can hit every single thing they aim at, and so on and so forth. It's a pretty good movie, just know that it's mindless entertainment at its best, nothing else.    

The Expendables 2 (2012): ***/****

Rocky III

At some point when a single successful movie becomes a successful movie franchise, there's a point where studios should just call it quits.  More sequels become unnecessary, and in a lot of ways painful to watch. Even The Godfather movies hit a major road block by the third movie.  The Rocky series is one of the weirder ones to look at in that way.  Rocky and Rocky II are classics, but after that the series went more in favor of entertainment as opposed to the drama of the first two.  None of that is to say the other four movies aren't good (okay, Rocky V sucks), but they're just not as good. Still quality but not on par with its predecessors, 1982's Rocky III.

What carries the franchise through its less-impressive efforts is basically the will-power of star, director and writer Sylvester Stallone.  In the early 1980s, he wasn't quite the cliched action star, the punch line yet that he became in later years.  I'm a fan so cliched action star isn't necessarily a bad thing, but through his ups and downs, Stallone knew what audiences liked and wanted.  High up on that list is underdog stories, the little guy getting a crack at the big time. Rocky Balboa has to be one of the most beloved characters ever in movies so even when the story is a quasi-rehash of what we've seen before, we're still rooting for him when the chips are down.

After beating Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) for the heavyweight title, Rocky Balboa (Stallone) defends the title for three years, beating any opponent put in front of him. His trainer, Mick (Burgess Meredith), breaks down and tells him he's been beating fighters just not on his level, making Rocky want to take on the top contender for the heavyweight crown, an up and coming, viciously brutal fighter, Clubber Lang (Mr. T). The fire, the passion just aren't there though so Rocky trains but ends up getting knocked out.  After someone close to him dies following the fight, Rocky is left to question, what next?  With some help from Apollo, Balboa goes for the rematch with Lang.  If he stands any chance of winning though, he's going to have to relearn everything he knows about fighting, reinventing himself as a boxer.

The first two Rocky movies are both on their own classics in my mind, and the end of the second one with Rocky narrowly defeating Apollo in a brutal fight was an ideal ending for the series.  Any more sequels were just unneeded.  It's like Michael Jordan coming back after hitting the game-winning shot in the 1998 NBA Finals.  Don't come back, close on the highest note possible.  Thankfully where Jordan's comeback with the Washington Wizards was a disaster, Rocky III is still an above average, very entertaining movie.  It follows an almost identical formula as all the Rocky movies do, and all the familiar faces are back with a few new, interesting ones thrown in to liven things up.  Not on par with I or II, but still quality.

The key to everything of course is who else? Mr. Stallone as America's favorite underdog turned champion Rocky Balboa.  There's still something endearing about this character who has finally hit it big and wants to enjoy himself.  With wife Adrian (a less shrill Talia Shire than usual) and son, Rocky has carved out quite a name and a life for himself.  Trying to keep the drama going, Stallone's script adds a darker feel to Balboa here.  SPOILERS STOP READING SPOILERS When Mick dies after the first Lang fight, Rocky questions everything he's done, everything he's made for himself.  Even when he starts training with Apollo, he doesn't give his full effort until a heated conversation/discussion with Adrian re-lights his fire.  It's a great scene that works well because one, Stallone is a better actor than he's given credit for, and two, he has great chemistry with Shire.

On to the old and new stuff, starting with Meredith as Mick, Burt Young as the always obnoxious Pauly, and Tony Burton as Apollo turned Rocky trainer Duke. Meredith is as perfect as ever as crotchety, tightly-wound trainer, Mick, pushing Rocky wherever and whenever he can.  For the big positives though, I'll start with Weathers as Apollo Creed. He was a great foe, a great enemy in the first two, but there was still something likable about Apollo.  Team him up with Rocky as opposed to against him, and you've got a great fighting duo. Plus, Apollo becomes more than just a cardboard cutout of a character as we get to see more of him.  Hulk Hogan also makes an appearance in a charity match, playing wrestler Thunderlips (Everything that is MAN!) who throws Rocky around like a rag doll -- briefly that is. And then there's the best addition to Rocky III, Eye of the Tiger by Survivor, a song meant to be played over a training montage if there ever was one.  As for Clubber, Mr. T is perfect, the ideal overexaggerated opponent for Rocky to fight.

If you've made it this far into the review, it's safe to say you're a Rocky fan.  There's just something basic about these movies that you either love or hate with no middle ground.  If hearing the Rocky theme (listen HERE), doesn't get your blood flowing, these aren't the movies for you. If you don't smile at the ridiculously cool -- and slightly homoerotic -- training montage (watch HERE), steer clear. As a sports fan, you love to see the underdog story. As a movie fan, you love the characters and the drama. The final fight is a whopper, an epic fight that should and will have you cheering.  That's the whole point of these movies.  As sports flicks, they're hard to beat.

Rocky III <---trailer (1982): ***/****    

The Expendables

For several years, the Hollywood rumor mill turned out rumors and reports one after another about an epic action movie meant to be a throwback to the mindless, popcorn entertainment of the 1980s. It was supposed to reunite basically every great action star in a movie that would blow the cast away from every other movie out of the water. No one was going to stop this behemoth, and it would be a modern classic to rival all action movies. So what happened? Names were attached and let go, things change, but by 2010, the movie was finished and released. What movie? The Expendables.

Director and star Sylvester Stallone has been a fan favorite among audiences since he made Rocky Balboa a household name, and criticize him for whatever you want, the man knows what audiences want to see. The Expendables is a prime example, an action-heavy story with cool settings, cooler characters, some impressive hand to hand combat, and in general a sense, an awareness of how cool the whole thing is. So while I liked this movie, I can't help but feel disappointed in some ways.  It is entertaining. It is a lot of fun. But even a couple days later, something was missing that I just can't put my finger on. Still, the action is solid, and the cast impressive no matter how many bigger names dropped out.

After pulling off a successful hostage rescue on the high seas, veteran mercenary and very talented Barney Ross (Stallone) is approached by a shady, mysterious operator, Church (Bruce Willis), with a new proposition for Barney and his team. The mission is dangerous and maybe even suicidal, but the pay-off will be huge. Barney and his team must sneak onto a small South American island and assassinate the brutal dictator who has taken over with his small army.  The odds are impossibly stacked against them as Barney's Expendables will have to take on a small army of soldiers and security. But as they scout out the mission, Barney finds out there's more going on than is being told to them. A former CIA agent (Eric Roberts) is pulling the strings on the island. What have they gotten themselves into? Do they accept the mission, risking almost certain death?

From the first time I heard about this movie a few years back, I was psyched. A men-on-a-mission movie with a cast jam-packed with action stars of the past decades? Count me in. Joining Stallone's team are right-hand man and throwing knife master Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), martial arts expert Yin Yang (Jet Li), rough and ready brawler Toll Road (MMA fighter Randy Couture), and muscle-headed, shotgun-wielding Caesar (Terry Crews). As cool as this group is though, beyond Stallone and Statham, the other three are wasted. They're introduced, disappear, and then reappear at the end for the last suicidal mission. Helping the cause is that Stallone and Statham are perfectly cast alongside each other, throwing one-liners left and right, bitching and moaning like an old married couple. So it's good and bad with the chance for more there.

What's disappointing more than the lack of screen-time for the other three are the actors who weren't cast. Now were these names ever seriously attached to the project? Who knows, but in pre-production when all the rumors were being leaked, names like Chuck Norris, Willis, Steven Seagal, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Arnold Schwarzenegger were all mentioned.  One by one, they seemed to drop out, Willis and the Governator eventually taking small cameo parts. I don't even know how it all would have worked, but I would have loved to see the attempt. It's hard to judge a movie based on what could have been, but this movie was in the news so much, it's nearly impossible not to think of the potential here.

Making this movie, Stallone promised action, action, and more action.  You get it here, and he wasn't kidding. I didn't time this or anything, but I'd wager no more than five minutes goes by in between action sequences.  Gun fights, vicious hand to hand combat, aerial attacks (Statham in badass mode there), car chases, gigantic explosions, The Expendables has it all. My question, and I'll pause here...is it too much action? It's non-stop fun, no question about that. But it gets repetitive. How many times can you see Statham throw a knife into someone's throat/chest? The hand to hand scenes also have a case of Jason Bourne editing, sequences cut so quickly it's hard to keep up. A showdown between quick, agile Li vs. big, brawling Dolph Lundgren should have been epic, but you can barely see what's going on. For the most part, it's all good. But when it's bad, the action trends toward that horrific editing that ruins what you're actually seeing.

I get it. I understand the appeal of those mindless action movies. They're great. No thinking required, just enjoy.  But at 103 minutes (and take away 7 or 8 more for the end credits), the movie is just too short. It feels rushed like Stallone did not know what to do in between action scenes. With this good of a cast, explore the background more of these mercenaries, and hell, even the bad guys. Oh, stereotypical evil, scorned CIA agent gone rogue? Why, what else? How'd this team get together? Even better, some quick scenes explore the mindset of these hired killers. Are they fated to die horrifically in combat? Can anything save them? What drives them to do this, the adrenaline rush, or are they just good at it? I'm not talking a deep, involved look at the mind of a mercenary that sacrifices the action. I'm just looking for a good mix of both, still clocking in at around 2 hours. Is that too much to ask?

Even with all the names mentioned above, that's about half of all the names worth mentioning.  Mickey Rourke is underused but still is a scene-stealer as Tool, a former member of the team and now their contact who hooks them up with assignments. Roberts is Roberts as evil CIA agent, a part he plays to smarmy, slimy perfection. Former wrestler Steve Austin is Roberts' main henchman, looking tough and growling as necessary. Willis and Schwarzenegger are wasted completely, but it's a cool, one-scene appearance. Giselle Itie is the ridiculously gorgeous eye candy, the Expendables' link on the island.

So as I read back over this, I'm seeing how negative this review sounds.  There are flaws here, big flaws you could drive a truck through. But for all my complaints, I can't think of one good reason not to watch this movie. If you like action and some dark humor, you are going to like this movie. Stallone and Statham were the main reasons, but The Expendables is just too fun to pass up. Besides, you don't want to be behind when the rumored sequel comes out in a couple years.

The Expendables <---trailer (2010): ***/****

Rambo: First Blood

Unlike any war the United States had ever been in, the Vietnam War was something no one could have prepared for, both during and after the conflict.  American soldiers were welcomed home with cries of 'Baby killers' and much, much worse by an American public that probably had no idea what those soldiers went through.  And when they did get home, the soldiers began to struggle through post traumatic stress disorder on scales unlike any war had produced.  Movie studios embraced this concept, trying to show the plight of what so many soldiers were going through, including one of the best efforts, 1982's First Blood.

The more I see with Sylvester Stallone, the more I come away impressed of him as an actor, writer and director.  There is a perception with Sly that he's just a big galoot, that New Yorker who mumbles his words and doesn't know any better.  And maybe through his career, he wasn't a classic oriented filmmaker, but maybe most importantly he knows what audiences will plop down money for and go see his movies in theaters.  The guy is genuinely talented in front of the camera or behind it, but often enough that talent gets lost in a sea of bad, cheesy movies.  Co-writing the script and starring in First Blood, Stallone shows his ability on all fronts.

A small town sheriff in the Pacific Northwest, Sheriff Teasle (Brian Dennehy) picks up a drifter traveling through his town and orders him to move along, the population doesn't approve of his kind.  The drifter, a man named John Rambo (Stallone), is just looking for a bite to eat so when he's arrested for vagrancy and booked, he freaks out.  He runs for the hills with Teasle and a crew of deputies on his trail, but they had no idea what they were getting themselves into.  Rambo is a Vietnam vet, a Special Forces soldier, a Green Beret, and a Congressional Medal of Honor winner.  He toys with the deputies, wounding them all but killing none until Teasle is forced to call in the state police (led by Bill McKinney) and the National Guard, along with Rambo's former commander in Vietnam, Colonel Samuel Trautman (Richard Crenna). But as the manhunt continues, is Rambo even willing to surrender or is this one last blaze of glory?

Through all the parodies, spoofs and criticisms of Stallone as an actor, this is one of his finest performances, both as a physical action star and a dramatic actor.  For the first 80 minutes or so, Stallone has little in the way of lines at all.  It's his presence alone that keeps the movie interesting, letting his actions speak for themselves as he somewhat humanely takes out the sheriff's posse hunting him.  When he finally gets to deliver his lines, Sly hits a grand slam in the finale.  MILD SPOILERS Watch it HERE as Rambo just falls apart emotionally and physically, his memories from Vietnam finally becoming too much to handle. What he says is probably what most Vietnam vets felt like to one degree or another and shows that if you ever thought Stallone couldn't act, you'd be wrong.

Now we've got this heroic, very easy to like main character so you need someone equally evil to counter with.  Dennehy as small town Sheriff Teasle is the ideal bad guy to Rambo's good guy.  He's the type of power figure who gets off using all his power, all his might on this little world he controls.  Then when there's the slightest disturbance, he flips out.  He and his deputies treat Rambo like dirt for no obvious reason, but they do it because they can.  This is a character you love to hate almost from the first time you meet him.  Then there's the middle man, Crenna as Colonel Trautman, Rambo's commanding officer in Vietnam.  First, his entrance (watch HERE) is as bad-ass as they come in this character you probably shouldn't like but end up feeling that way regardless.  Trautman helped create the man that Rambo has turned into but knows it was a part of war.  Now, he has to balance out responsibility with what's right for the most people.  Two great supporting roles.

Okay, enough with the acting and all that good stuff.  Rightfully so, but this was one of the first great 1980s action movies.  From the moment Rambo escapes the sheriff's office it is almost non-stop action until the end.  This is aided by Stallone doing many of his own stunts, but the action is that fine line between implausible and realistic while still being ridiculously cool. The action is big and in your face, especially toward the end when everything in sight starts getting blown up.  There's chases, hand to hand fights, and shootouts galore so anyone seeking an action-packed flick will surely get what they paid for.

Also worth mentioning is the music from composer Jerry Goldsmith with a score reminiscent of his Von Ryan's Express score that balances the quieter, softer moments like THIS with the more action-oriented, like HERE. Goldsmith did a lot of great scores in his career, but this is one of his best.  The British Columbia locations are perfect, adding that sense of gloomy, dreary, always raining feeling of being closed in with nowhere to go.  As a CSI Miami fan, I have to point out this, look for a very young David Caruso as a deputy. The sequels are entertaining enough in their own ways, but as a movie this is the best one by far.  An action classic with the acting to back it up.

First Blood <---trailer (1982): *** 1/2 /**** 

Rocky II

As long as there have been movies, there have been sequels.  Of course, the familiar formula is usually that after the original, the sequel proceed to go down the drain rather quickly.  Sure, there's exceptions where the sequel might actually be better, like Godfather II and Empire Strikes Back, but a majority usually go the other way.  The first sequel to 1976's Rocky isn't on the same ground as the original, but all things considered, 1979's Rocky II is a worthwhile sequel and a strong follow-up in a series that would produce three more sequels.

What some people seem to forget is that in the original, Rocky doesn't win, he loses by the slimmest of margins.  But in the sense of being an underdog, he did what he wanted to accomplish, going the distance against the heavyweight champion of the world. It's such a good story that a sequel isn't necessary.  Rocky went the distance, got the girl, and proved everyone wrong.  Thankfully, the sequel doesn't mess anything up, instead continuing with an equally as strong story.

After going the distance against heavyweight champ Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), Philly boxer and tough guy Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) adapts to life as a semi-celebrity. With his payday from the fight, he ends up marrying girlfriend Adrian (Talia Shire), buys a new house for them to live in, goes on a huge shopping spree, and begins to start a family with Adrian expecting a baby soon. But at a certain point, Rocky hits a wall with nowhere to go.  He can't get a job with no real skills to offer, but he has to care for his wife and family.  All he can think of is getting back into the ring, especially when Apollo comes calling for a rematch to prove that the first fight between them was nothing more than a fluke.  With trainer Mickey (Burgess Meredith) in his corner, Rocky prepares again for the fight of his life on an even bigger stage with bigger expectations.   

Made three years after the original, II picks up immediately where the first one leaves off following the championship bout.  In general, the story follows the same basic formula as would the later sequels.  Home life, relationship with Adrian, personal problems, training montage, and fight. Rinse and repeat if necessary.  But just like Rocky, the characters are so engaging that it's an enjoyable ride even if you know where it's going from the start.  The whole cast is back as is the ever important Rocky theme, and like I mentioned in the other review, the story of an underdog everyone is betting against is hard to turn down.  One thing I'll complain about, the necessary montage sequence -- watch it HERE -- is a little too over the top with the crowd running sequence, even for a Rocky movie.

Seeing the second movie in the series just confirms Stallone's ability as an actor in my head.  Building on the character, we see that a little success doesn't change him or who he is.  He spends little of his winnings on himself, buying things for those closest to him.  At heart, Rocky is still the same lovable galoot he was before he become a celebrity.  His corny jokes, his aw shucks way of communicating, how much he loves Adrian, it all adds up perfectly to create this character.  In Part II, he's not worried about not being able to hang with the champ, he's worried about the life he has built for himself and how it will impact Adrian and the baby.  Stallone didn't get a nomination this time around, but the character is as solid as ever.

What appealed to me about this Rocky entry was the emergence of the supporting cast.  Meredith and Weathers were both key figures to the first movie, but they weren't always there with most of the story understandably devoted to Rocky and Adrian.  As Mickey, Meredith steals each and every scene he is in as fast-talking, gravelly-voiced trainer who will push Balboa to his limit and then some.  He has too many quotable lines to even mention, but my favorite has always been "I think we oughta knock his block off" or the always reliable "You're gonna eat lightning and crap thunder!"  Playing Apollo again, Weathers gets more screentime to develop a character that is seriously pissed off the Italian Stallion stuck with him for 15 rounds.  Also returning is Burt Young as Rocky's cantankerous friend, Paulie. 

One thing I thought was improved on was the actual fight, another brutal, knock down affair between Rocky and Apollo.  Instead of just long shots from behind of these two whaling on each other, we get some close-ups like we're there in the ring with the two fighters.  Just like the first one, you definitely get the feel and sense of what getting hit in the head repeatedly must feel like.  The ending of the first one would be hard to improve on, but this sure comes close on pure emotion and excitement. That's the whole movie summed up.  Not as good as the original, but it's awfully close.

Rocky II <----trailer (1979): *** 1/2 /****

Rocky

In a sports dominated world, there's the New York Yankees, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the Dallas Cowboys, the Los Angeles Lakers, those major teams that have a polarizing effect on fans all over the country; love them or hate them.  But something just about every sports fan can get behind is the idea of the underdog.  There's no way they can win, no way they can keep up with the champs, but even as they keep on advancing people fall in love with them.  In movie form, nowhere is that more evident than one of the best sports movies of all time, 1976's Rocky. 

A movie that came out of nowhere thanks to the work of star/producer/writer Sylvester Stallone, Rocky is that quintessential American underdog story, one that more than ever probably resonates with sports fans today 30 years after it was in theaters for the first time.  Watching it now in 2010 after five sequels, I had to remind myself that this movie was like a breath of fresh air in 1976 as it won the Best Picture and Best Directing Oscar along with nominations for stars Stallone and three co-stars.  It most definitely still has an impact today watching it, but not so much as a large scale, epic sports story, but as a character driven drama.

Living in Philadelphia, 30-year old Rocky Balboa (Stallone) works as an enforcer for a second-rate loan shark while training and boxing when he gets the chance to make some money on the side.  He drifts along in his life to a certain point, meeting up and drinking with his childhood friend Paulie (Burt Young), trying to convince Paulie's sister Adrian (Talia Shire) to go out with him.  On a bigger level, the world's undisputed heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) has a fight commitment drop out so he needs a replacement for a fight just five weeks away in Philly.  Looking for the ultimate underdog, the best story possible, Apollo asks unknown Rocky if he'd be interested.  But as a journeyman boxer, does Rocky even stand a chance against the best boxer in the world?

Even with the somewhat weaker sequels to follow, the original still packs a wallop.  It's easy to forget thanks to his roles since Rocky, but Stallone can be a great actor with the right part.  Balboa is basically that lovable galoot that everyone knows.  He's awkward in his interactions, a little dim-witted, but basically a good guy who looks out for the people he likes, and you love him for it.  He lives in a little apartment with his turtles Cuff and Link, his fish Moby Dick. Rocky trains when he feels like it and works for the loan shark collecting cash from deadbeats.  Then he's given this opportunity to rise up, to be great, and he takes it.  As his trainer Mick (Burgess Meredith) says, he always had the talent but never the resolve to put the time in to be great.

After a handful of low-budget movies that didn't do much for his career, Stallone fully steps into the spotlight here to play journeyman boxer Rocky Balboa.  By far, this is his best acting performance, and as I write that I'm trying to decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing.  He was nominated for his part, but lost to Peter Finch in Network.  Personally I would have given it to Stallone, De Niro for Taxi Driver, or William Holden in Network over Finch, but that's just me.  As good as the fight is in the finale, the sport is secondary for much of the movie.  This is a story about one man with self-doubt and concern living his life given a chance to do something great.  What does he do with it?  He worries because really, who wouldn't?

Stallone is obviously the key to the movie, but just as importantly the rest of the cast doesn't disappoint.  In the Godfather movies, Shire drives me nuts as whiny Connie Corleone, but her Adrian is a great character and a perfect counter to Stallone's Rocky.  She's shy and quiet, but opens up when actually given a chance.  Young's Paulie is that friend everyone has who you fight with constantly, but typically it's forgotten even before the fight is over.  Meredith is a scene-stealer as tough-talking trainer Mick, frustrated by Rocky's refusal to work in the past but willing to work with him if he'll commit.  All three were nominated for their performances, and unfortunately all of them came up empty.  In terms of pure acting power, 1976 was a crazy year, here's the Oscar winners and nominations. 

SPOILERS from here on in SPOILERS  I feel stupid warning about the ending because I think just about everyone knows how Rocky ends, but for those that don't, stop reading.  The night before the fight Rocky tells Adrian he knows he can't hope to win, but if he goes the distance, all 15 rounds, against the heavyweight champion he'll have accomplished something.  And what's he do? Goes all 15 rounds in a brutal fight that has both fighters battered and bloody by the end.  The whole fight is an incredible sequence and one of the best presentations of a sporting event ever.  Great end to a great movie.

The biggest test for a sports movie and its ability to stay relevant are the moments, the ones you talk about for months and even years to become.  Rocky has too many iconic moments to even count, but here goes.  There's Bill Conti's amazing Rocky theme over maybe the most iconic moment of all, the training montage. There's the actual montage, Rocky running up the stairs at the Museum of Art. There's the fight, 'Cut me, Mick!' and so much more.  One of the best sports movies ever, enough said.

Rocky <---trailer (1976): ****/**** 

Victory

In line with all the World Cup coverage on ESPN the last few weeks, I thought it only fitting that I throw in a soccer review in a timely fashion.  Here in the U.S., soccer seems fated to always be the 5th or 6th most popular sport around -- if even that high.  It just can't pick up enough momentum into becoming as popular in the U.S. as it is around the world.  Too bad because watching good soccer being played can be as exciting as any sport out there.  As for the movies, there's been a handful (mostly based out of England), and one that I catch every so often on ESPN Classic and finally decided to watch from beginning to end, 1981's Victory.

If a soccer movie doesn't appeal to you, how about a soccer movie set during World War II Paris?  That still doesn't do it for you? Add one of the most eclectic casts ever assembled for a sports movie that includes Americans, Brits, Germans and famous soccer players from all over the world.  Director John Huston turns in a movie that is definitely not your typical sports flick, but for all its weirdness the movie lives on if somewhat under the radar.  It is by no means a classic, but it is entertaining and certainly rather unique.  Soccer critics complain about slow-pacing, faking injuries, low scoring games, but none of that is a worry in movie form.  For all the weirdness in fictitious story and interesting casting, 'Victory' almost demands at least one watch.

Early in 1942 in a large prisoner of war camp, German officer Major Steiner (Max von Sydow) approaches British P.O.W. Captain John Colby (Michael Caine) with a proposition. Steiner asks Colby -- a professional soccer player before the war -- if the prisoners would be interested in a friendly match between the Germans. Colby accepts and goes about assembling a team that includes talent from all over Europe as former soccer stars languish in prison camps.  But not so fast, the little game thought up develops into something much bigger when the German High Command catches wind of the game. The stakes get bigger and bigger for everyone involved, while one American POW/player, Capt. Robert Hatch (Sylvester Stallone), tries to get in contact with the French resistance.  The plan? To help the Allied team escape at halftime of the game that is to be played in front of 50,000 fans in a packed stadium in the middle of Paris.

Prisoner of war movies have been handled in any number of different ways, but nothing quite like this before.  Along with all the known elements of the POW movie, there's the added storyline of this international, mid-war soccer game.  The story does suffer some bouncing back and forth between the resistance effort and the prisoners' attempts to escape with the training and preparation for the game, but you're having so much fun you barely notice some of the lagging moments in the middle of the movie.  At just two hours, it does feel like the movie bit off more than it could chew, but in the end, the final result is worth it.

The thing that caught my eye when looking at this movie was the cast.  Stallone, Caine, von Sydow, and Brazilian soccer superstar Pele all in the same movie?  That sounds just weird enough to work.  Fresh off the success of the first two Rocky movies, Stallone lost 40 lbs. to make himself look like an actual POW instead of a ripped, rather healthy prisoner of war.  I'll never say Stallone was a great actor, but the guy's got presence.  For his character, basically imagine tough-talking Rocky Balboa in a German POW camp not taking crap from anybody.  He even looks somewhat credible as the Allied team goalie in the big game.  Caine is solid as always as Capt. Colby, the team leader just trying to keep his squad together while putting up with all sorts of outside distractions.  He's easily the most likable of all the characters.  Playing the German major, von Sydow is given little to do, but still manages to give his character some depth.  He's a German officer first and foremost, but he's also a soccer fan at heart.

Of all the sports to turn into a visually pleasing movie, soccer has to be one of the most difficult.  Whole games can go on without a single goal, much less an actual attack.  Thankfully that's not the case here.  Soccer legend Pele choreographed all the soccer in the movie -- training sequences and game scenes alike -- and right off the bat gives these scenes some credibility.  The Germany vs. Allies game is about 35 minutes long and is the high point of the movie in terms of excitement and quality.  Pele saves the coolest goal for himself, the bicycle kick (maybe the coolest thing in sports, period).  The whole game is a treat to watch at the thuggish Germans and the bribed officials do everything in their power to hand the win to Germany and show they are the superior race to the world.  The movie ends on a positive note as the 50,000 screaming fans get behind the upstart Allies playing the German national team.  On a sidenote, I love the Allied jerseys (white with red and blue stripes down the left side).  Can the U.S. National team adapt these and get rid of the pageant jerseys they wear now?

Amidst all this soccer craziness is the fact that the Allies players are prisoners of war.  Caine's Colby balances orders from above basically telling him he's a traitor if he plays to the senior ranking prisoner telling him his duty is to escape and help the team do the same.  These provide the main drama and some surprisingly emotional moments.  Requesting the best players he can for his team, Colby asks for 6 players from Eastern European countries who have been captured.  Pulled out of horrific conditions in labor camps, they're basically walking skeletons.  Undeterred, he keeps them on and buy them at least a few weeks more of living.  Come game time, the team must balance escaping thanks to the French resistance with delivering a blow to German morale by even staying in the game.

It is the balance among all these elements that made me like this flick so much.  There's a nice balance of humor and drama, all in a setting that would seem the unlikeliest place for a World War II soccer game.  Whether you're a soccer fan, sports fan or even just a history buff looking for a different sort of movie, give 'Victory' a try.  Good soccer movies can be few and far between so embrace them when you find them.

Victory <----trailer (1981): ***/****