Ever wonder how a small-time boxer can become a champion?

Rocky is a film directed by John G. Avildsen, which stars Sylvester Stallone (as Rocky), Talia Shire (as Adrian), Burt Young (as Paulie). It follows a small-time, club boxer named Rocky Balboa, who works for little pay as a debt collector, in an attempt to break into the world of professional boxing. 

The managers of a professional boxer, named Apollo Creed, hope to set up an exhibition fight between their fighter and a struggling Philadelphia boxer, advertising the fight as a chance for a “nobody” to become “someone”. Rocky believes that this is his only chance to make it big, but someone forgets to warn him that Creed is expected to win the match without difficulty. 

Rocky is one of the most successful movie franchises ever, having brought in over $1.4 billion at the worldwide box office. The first film is available now on Max, Hulu, YouTube and Prime.

Rocky is easily one of the most inspirational Hollywood films ever released. Not many people know how the story of Rocky Balboa—the former fighter who challenges for the title—was created, despite the fact that most people have heard of it. 

Stallone himself was a small-time actor at the time, who had little recognition for his other movie, The Lords of Flatbush. He was broke and even had to consider selling his dog to someone who could actually afford to feed him. 

Just three and a half days after seeing a boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner in 1975, Stallone wrote the screenplay for Rocky. The producers offered Stallone $360,000 for the script, but only if he agreed to not act in the title role. However, Stallone didn’t give up, and with some convincing, the studio  eventually allowed him to play Rocky. 

Despite having a one-million-dollar budget, which even at that time was considered very low, Rocky made almost $200 million in revenue. It also received nine Oscar nominations, winning three of them, including Best Picture.

One of the reasons I love Rocky so much is that the film makes you want to be a better person. It helped me come to the realization that being passionate is a great trait, and it can lead to many of my dreams becoming a reality. Not only that, but Rocky is grateful for everyone by his side, he cherishes the little things, and he even has the ability to find joy in his suffering.. 

When Stallone was asked whether people would remember him more for playing Rocky or John Rambo, without hesitation he said, “Rocky!” Therefore, if you don’t watch Rocky, you’re missing out on what Stallone himself views as his masterpiece.

Rocky’s character is someone that many people can relate to. The world sees him as a loser. Throughout the film, we see that he struggles, just like everyone else, and he’s in a place in his life that almost everyone has been in before. Rocky works at a job that he hates, he is a boxer that isn’t taken seriously at all, and he is going after a girl who doesn’t seem interested. 

The true reason Rocky connects to everyone is that we all want to believe in fairy tales, especially when we are at our lowest. Therefore, in this movie, we are exposed to this poor nobody who has a single chance at redemption. This is the reason why this character is so adored.

Rocky opens with a musical montage that becomes an opening to the movie. Bill Conti’s iconic “Gonna Fly Now” serves as both the general theme music for the film and the theme music for Rocky’s running scene later on. This track has served as the theme song for every future Rocky film. 

We wouldn’t get the sense that Rocky is working hard to accomplish what looks impossible if this song was taken out. There wouldn’t be the same vibe to the film, there would be no build-up to the boxing battle, and there would be no sense that Rocky is prepared for the fight. 

Overall, this movie tells the story of an underdog becoming a somebody. Determination can give you tremendous opportunities, and Rocky delivers that inspiring message, while giving us an entertaining story that is very suspenseful. 

I 100% recommend that you check this movie out, and you should watch all of the other sequels, too. Rocky is a life-changing movie, and it completely changes your perspective on the people around you and the lives that they live.rocky