Quick Movie Review: Rocky II (1979)

I didn't hide the fact that I was a bit disappointed with the first Rocky film. It won Best Picture, but I wasn't terribly impressed. I wanted goosebumps, but didn't really get any as the film climaxed. So needless to say, I was far from thrilled about facing SIX MORE installments of this thing. But I figured, datedness--which plagued the introductory chapter so much--will eventually stop being a factor as the movies become newer.

And rightly so, Rocky II is better than Rocky I. There's conflict. There's struggle. There's adversity. And everything that happens--every plot point--is well-deserved this time.

However, Rocky II isn't a perfect movie by any means. Much of the first act is disjointed, but sets up everything that follows well. Picking up right where we leave off in the first film, Rocky is fresh off his fight with Apollo Creed. And although Apollo technically won by decision, the champ is facing scrutiny from the public saying the fight was rigged or that he shouldn't have won.

Rocky, on the other hand, has moved on. Or at least it seems that way. He and Adrian get married and start their lives together. But Creed is taunting Rocky to get back into the ring again for a rematch.

Not that Rocky wasn't already an affable character, but here, we learn more about him, which makes him even more likable.

In this one, the themes are also much more interesting. Much of this film is about Rocky becoming famous and recognizable--automatically bringing more meaning to the first film--but then also shows how easily the public forgets about him and what he accomplished.

One of the great scenes is when he tries to read the lines for a commercial he's doing, but can't get any of them correct. Stallone just plays dumb so well.

Unlike the first, Rocky actually has his back up against the wall. He's being laughed at by his peers, and his relationship with Adrian actually has some issues. It's nowhere near as easy this time around for Rocky. And by now, we know the characters well enough to appreciate it all. After watching this one, I finally got goosebumps--along with a few tears.


Twizard Rating: 92

Quick Movie Review: Rocky (1976)

What most people don't realize is that Rocky isn't so much of a boxing movie as it is a love story. Well, that's what I got from it, anyway. The boxing is a big part of it, but we don't even get to the real meat of that story until about an hour in. And without even realizing it, we're getting a whole lot of character depth during the first half of the film.

Forget the creepy way that Rocky forces Adrian to give him that first kiss. The story as a whole is sweet. She's a true diamond in the rough. It's almost not even believable at first, but the two have so much chemistry that it works.

But like most of the movie, their relationship is without much conflict. Rocky doesn't overcome any crazy obstacles. He's a lazy boxer who hasn't made anything of his life, and when some freak opportunity presents itself, he finally works hard and gets what he wants. There isn't anything really standing in his way. Perhaps if they threw some conflict in there it may come off as contrived, but how it is now, it seems too easy. Maybe that's the point. I don't know.

Undefeated heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) needs a new opponent for the title fight after his current one drops out. But he wants this new competitor to be a no name amateur, so that the public will get into the underdog story.

And it's a good underdog story at that. You root for Rocky undeniably. But there could just be a little more in terms of a struggle. The biggest risk he takes is handed to him. And what does he have to lose, anyway?

Much of the film is dated with the fake punches and the already antiquated dialogue. There are points where the patter is so rhythmic that it sounds like it's from the '40s or '50s. It's a slow moving film, and some scenes just drag on for way too long. It helps add to the character development, but it does a number on our attention span.

Then there's predictability. The end result is telegraphed from a mile away. We can guess what's going to happen for most of the film. And we are usually proven right--another side effect of there not being any unexpected drama.

Nowadays, we have a quixotical view of Rocky, the all-American hero. Even the Academy was lost in its gaze with this film winning Best Picture back in 1977. But sadly, it's not as good as we want it to be. But that's not to say it's not good. It's still a cool underdog story, albeit not paying off as well as its predictability wants it to. However, corniness aside, this film set the pace for countless stories that came after it. And most of all, it has a lot of heart. You can't knock it for that. 

Twizard Rating: 74

Quick Movie Review: Cobra (1986)

Lieutenant Cobretti will spitball well-scripted one liners, and he'll even beat a sawed-off shotgun in a West Side Story rumble with just a 4 foot chain. He's not afraid to shoot up dozens of bad guys without hesitation, but don't ever expect him to take the clear shot when he's one-on-one with their leader.

Sylvester Stallone plays Marion "Cobra" Cobretti, an elite mercenary for the Los Angeles Police Department. He then becomes invested in a string of murders around the area and tries to figure out who's responsible.

It's not fair to say that this is an unentertaining movie. It's enjoyable and I laughed a few times, but many scenarios are too convenient for the progression of the story. Cobra's colleagues have no reason not to believe his hunches. He's obviously done his homework and has talked to one of the culprits.

And we know who the "inside man" is right away. There's no mystery. We see that Cobra is right the whole time. We're basically just anticipating the inevitable conclusion.

At the very least it gives you characters to like and root for. Some of the action is ridiculous, but some of it is decently creative. And it keeps the story moving quickly. However, it would probably serve better as an episode on a crime drama series.

Stallone and his secondary lead, Brigitte Neilsen, have great chemistry (they were married) and do a good job carrying this film. But it's no First Blood.

Twizard Rating: 60

Quick Movie Review: The Expendables 3

The Expendables series would be like if Sylvester Stallone invited you to a party that he has every so often at his house. You want to go because you know it's gonna be like a who's who of action stars there. However, you have to drive 2 hours and 6 minutes to get there, and when you arrive there's no music and no drinks--just everyone standing around watching these action stars talk to each other. In the moment it's great and you can't believe that you're there experiencing all of that. You listen to their stories, and laugh as they poke fun at each other. But after it's all over, you realize that you didn't talk to a single one of them. You didn't even take any pictures. You're not sure if you'll remember anything that happened other than the fact that you were there and they were there. Nonetheless, it was still pretty cool when you think back on it.

If you're a fan of 80s and 90s action films, you will enjoy yourself here. But when it comes down to it, it's just not a great movie. We come to see all of these huge names in one film, and leave wanting them all to be used a little better. The script is bad and the acting is mediocre, but it is entertaining nonetheless. It's occasionally slow in the first hour or so--not including the enjoyable Wesley Snipes-focused 1st act. But we love how it keeps us laughing and continues to laugh at itself. 

While the acting is expectedly average, Mel Gibson steals the show. And the thing that this film does the most right is giving him a good amount of screen time. His character and Stallone's character used to run together until there was some sort of betrayal or something (it wasn't terribly clear). However, the script fails to let us feel that tension or to sense any deep-rooted emotions in order to give the drama between the two any significance. But let's face it, the only reason why you sit through these films is to see all of these guys in one place--not for the stories. It's the only thing that's keeping it from getting a February release. 

Better than the first, but not as good as the second, The Expendables 3 is a great idea on paper. It could even be a great idea on the screen, but much of the plot is confused and meandering. What made the last one better was its dark tone and a sense of urgency in the premise. Throw in a nice twist towards the end and it satisfies the audience's needs. In this one, nothing caught us by surprise and it seemed like there was more focus on cramming everyone into the film. If done right, it would have felt much more relaxed and natural. 

Overall, the pacing is frustratingly uneven and Wesley is underutilized, but The Expendables 3 never takes itself too seriously and that's why we keep coming back.

Twizard Rating: 67

Quick Movie Review: The Lords of Flatbush (1974)

Apparently this is a classic, but I guess you had to be there. The cast is likable and it's supposed to show a glimpse of an era passed, although nothing very substantial happens and you really want more from it. The dialogue is pretty good, but much of it is a dead-end and seemingly lost introspect. It's not as raw as it should be and it's not as warm as you want it to be. It just kinda falls in the middle somewhere. It's very low budget, so you can excuse the quality. I just really wish there was more Henry Winkler in this. 

A better alternative can be found anywhere between American Graffiti and Diner. 

Twizard Rating: 64