War - What is it good for?

Film: The War
Certificate: 12
Duration: 120 mins
Year of Release: 1994
Genre: Drama
Director(s): Jon Avnet
Writer(s): Kathy McWorter
Cast: Elijah Wood, Kevin Costner, Mare Winningham, Lexi Randall, LaToya Chisholm




It's the summer of 1970, and Stu Simmons (Elijah Wood) along with his sister Lidia (Lexi Randall) and their friends, are spending their time building a tree house, in an attempt to escape the daily drudgery of their poor family life in the deep Mississippi. Their father, Stephen (Kevin Costner) is equally struggling to come to terms with being ridiculed as poor white trash, but also the trauma he witnessed while serving in Vietnam. As Stephen struggles to come to terms with everything, Stu and Lidia have their own war to deal with, as the local roughnecks, the Lipnicks, want to steal their tree house.

There have been lots of films made about the travesty of war, some great, some terrible but very few manage to balance the message they are trying to deliver with a decent storyline without spoiling the films overall feeling with being purely a political statement. 1994s "The War" manages to achieve than fine balance, admirably delivering a message about the destructive nature of war on family life whilst also charming the audience with a tale about two children and their own battles.

The story line to "The War" is a very multileveled experience with different elements seamlessly blending into one with a constant theme about war tying them cleverly together. The first of these storylines focuses on the Vietnam veteran Stephen Simmons and his struggles with life after the war, as not only is he struggling with the trauma of what he witnessed but also coming back to family life where money is short and jobs are hard to come by. This element to the film provides the basis for the whole film as everything ties into Stephen's story, but it is the sensitive way that this element is dealt with which for me makes this film so good. Instead of making the character of Stephen a bitter man who feels he is owed for his time in the forces, he is a very peaceful man, having become that way after witnessing war at its destructive worst. One of the finest moments of the film is when he is explaining what it is like to be on the frontline to his son Stu, a beautifully choreographed scene which combines dramatic war scenes with a touching piece of dialogue. The relationship between Stephen and Stu is another strong element which makes up the story, as you get a real strong bond between the two as Stu idolises his father despite his shortfalls since returning from war. There are some great moments in this film where Stephen and Stu really bond, usually where Stephen has to teach his son what is right and wrong. The third and probably most significant elements to the plot is the storyline around Stu, his sister and friends as they spend a summer building a tree house and battling with the children of the local roughnecks. In an attempt to bring the lesson of war down to a situation that those of us who have never been in the frontline can appreciate, we see the destructive nature of a child's battle get out of hand. For me the way the film manages to deliver its message through each of these interlinked scenarios without being completely in your face is first class and is with out doubt down to a brilliant story and some expert directing. If I was to find fault with the storyline, it is in the penultimate scene which sees the children stage an all out battle with each other using weapons which Stephen brought back from the war. In some ways it is a little over the top, especially if you sit and analyse the film, but in relation to the story and message I feel that is justified and works well.

When it comes to the acting in "The War" I have to admit it is brilliant, a fact I struggle with as it stars Elijah Wood and Kevin Costner, two actors who I honestly feel are over rated. At just the tender age of 13 Elijah Wood puts in a performance as Stu which for me surpasses nearly everything he has done since. You honestly forget that you are watching an actor but become immersed in this child's life and all of his battles. In some ways Woods performance reminds me of a young River Phoenix in "Stand By Me" and the way the film is made leads to some comparisons between the two films. Costner again puts in a performance unexpected of an actor who I often feel tries to steal the show when ever he can, but in the case of "The War" he puts in much quieter performance one which is in tune with his character. Like with Wood, you forget that you are watching a highly paid actor and become involved in this mans own turmoil's. Whilst there are numerous other top performances from the likes of Mare Winningham as Stu's mother Lois, and Lexi Randall as Lidia Joanne Simmons, the film belongs to the performances of Elijah Wood and Kevin Costner. Of course the performances are not everything, and all the characters from the Lipnicks through to Lidia's soul singing friends add a lot of charm and depth to this film.

The main reason I was initially attracted to watch this film was due to Jon Avnet being at the helm as director. When I first watched this I had also just seen his previous outing as director, the brilliant "Fried Green Tomatoes" and this kept up the momentum. Avent not only manages to bring the storyline to life but he also captures the period and setting of the film perfectly. The whole film has a very autumnal feel to it and that combined with a soundtrack which heavily features soul music makes for a surprisingly relaxing viewing experience. My only criticism of him as a director would be the previously mentioned penultimate scene which although I feel is justified may have been worked to better effect.


Despite now being 13 years old, "The War" is still as charming as when I first watched it but it also hasn't lost any of its impact with its message. The whole film, from plot, acting, directing and soundtrack all work brilliantly together, but most importantly it manages to deliver a message whilst not detracting from what is a very engrossing drama. Maybe it's not a film I would recommend watching more than once, although I must admit I have probably watched it more than a handful of times since it's release, it is still a very good film which will not only touch the hearts of those who watch it but will also make them think about war and it's destructive nature on a more domestic front.

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The Unreal Hustle

Film: Matchstick Men
Certificate: 15
Duration: 111 mins
Year of Release: 2003
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Director(s): Ridley Scott
Writer(s): Eric Garcia (Book), Nicholas & Ted Griffin (Screenplay)
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Alison Lohman, Bruce Altman, Bruce McGill, Sheila Kelley


A phobia stricken con artist, Roy Walker (Nicolas Cage) and his young partner, Frank Mercer (Sam Rockwell) are on the verge of pulling of one of the most lucrative swindles of their careers. But when Roy's teenage daughter, from his failed marriage, suddenly appears on the scene, everything in his organized life is thrown into turmoil.

There was only ever going to be one reason why I wanted to see "Matchstick Men", that being Nicolas Cage, an actor who I have enjoyed in every film he has appeared in, and although not the best reason to watch a film has worked pretty successfully so far. That said, having watched the film a few times now on DVD it is not just the brilliant performance of Nicolas Cage, which makes this film so watch able but also the interesting plot and equally interesting characters, which for me makes this film an all round enjoyable viewing experience.

One of the things I like the most about the film is that it follows a great three part structure, which although seems to lack a little something in the middle section is compensated by a brilliant intro which hooks you right away and a final section which again draws you back in for a very enjoyable last half hour. Right from the opening seconds of the film, it builds up the character of Roy Walker, the films main focus, and within the first 5 minutes we learn that he suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder brought on from his phobias, mainly that of being agoraphobic Of course this is not a laughing matter but the film manages to bring over his problems in such away that it doesn't mock this illness but still makes it light hearted so that it doesn't make the film too serious, all the time building up this fascinating character. Again the film wastes no time in dealing the main facts and we are given a quick glimpse into the world of the con man as Roy and his partner swindle money out of an old couple with a telephone scam. If you are like me, this element of the film is really interesting and throughout the film we get to see different types of hustles which are an eye opening experience at how devious yet simple these cons can be. Where I feel the film struggles is in the middle section, where having introduced us to all the main characters as well as the ground work to the big scam it sort of loses its momentum for a bit, and to be honest the first time I watched this I started to get quite fidgety by its meandering about doing nothing. It is in this middle section where the film explores the different sub stories, you learn more about how Roy deals with his condition and to the extent it controls his life. Plus you also get to watch him try and make up for lost time with a daughter who he has never met. Both of these are beautifully explored but do seem to drag slightly losing the wonderful momentum from the opening part. But then it soon picks up pace again and delivers an exceptional final part which grabs you with every single breath of the film. One of the things that have disappointed me with modern cinema is that most of it is completely predictable and unoriginal, thankfully "Matchstick Men" bucks the trend and caught my attention with a series of twists which I can honestly say I never saw coming.

Whilst on it's own the actual plot to the film is brilliant, the way the whole thing comes across from the drama, dialogue, humour and action is absolutely captivating. Usually one of these elements would let the film down but not in the case of "Matchstick Men", especially the dialogue which is incredibly intelligent and meaningful. This may sound strange but not once did it feel like they had included any idle chitter-chatter just to expand the film or fill out moments of quiet. From the snappy dialogue of when a con is going on, through the arguments between Roy and his daughter, as well as the interactions between Roy and a cashier woman in the supermarket, everything had a real meaning and helped towards building up a very watch able film. Likewise with the humour, with a subject matter which features a man's issues with obsessive compulsive disorder, it would have been very easy to overplay this element and make it an uncomfortable viewing experience, but not once did it feel like they were mocking it. But the humour doesn't just focus on Roy's illness and again there are great moments of humour between father and daughter as they learn about each other. I suppose to class it as humour may be a bit misleading as it is more a touch of light heartedness which makes the viewer smile.

What for me is quite a surprise is that "Matchstick Men" never received a single Oscar nomination, especially as for me this is one of Nicolas Cage's finest performances. Usually Cage excels at playing the over the top, full in your face characters, but here he shows that he can tone his act down to fit what is a very complex role. What I really liked was that he became the character, from sounding like a man who knew how to run an effective scam, to the man struggling with his phobia and especially the emotional side of a man who is trying to be a father. Where a lesser actor would have struggled to cope with what is nearly 3 different characters, Cage seems to revel in it and despite ample opportunity to over cook the effect of his condition, from the nervous tick, the need to have a routine and the uncontrollable grunting noises, he controls it impeccably to make the character very engrossing. Alongside Cage is Sam Rockwell playing his partner and protégé Frank Mercer, a con artist who is always in search of the quick way to make big money. Again this is another highly well thought out character, which provides contrast to the character of Roy. Where Roy is happy to play it safe and is comfortable with the quick low value hustle, Frank wants the big deal which will set him up for life. Not only is the character well thought out but also the performance of Rockwell who I have to admit seems to make one good film for every 2 bad ones. Making up the ensemble is Alison Lohman as Roy's daughter Angela and is as pivotal to the enjoyment of the film as any of the other actors. Prior to writing this review I had planned to say what a great performance from a teenager, but then whilst checking details on IMDB I learnt that she was actually 23 when she made this film. So I am actually going to say what a stunning performance from a young adult in convincing me I was watching a teenager. Although Nicolas Cage is obviously the main draw for this film, the combination of Cage, Rockwell and Lohman works perfectly, playing of each other brilliantly to the extent that at times Lohman actually steals the show.

There are two final elements to this film which make it so good. Firstly taking the directional helm is Ridley Scott, a man who has given us "Gladiator", "Blade Runner" and "Alien" all good films in there own rights but all extremely very visual affairs. But in this case Scott appears to have controlled his need for big visual scenes and allowed the film to rely mainly on the story and the performances. That is not to say it is not visually impressive, and there are some brilliant snappy edits which help to hold your attention, but compared to many films the whole thing works in a beautiful balance which doesn't detract from the story. The other thing which really worked well for me was the soundtrack which relied heavily on the swing sounds with pieces which included Bobby Darin's "Beyond the Sea" and Sinatra singing "This Town". For me the whole image of these songs and singers fitted the image of con men but then I do enjoy this style of music.


Simply I watched this film purely for another top quality Nicolas Cage performance, but was treated to what is probably one of the most entertaining movies I have watched in a long-long time. The whole mix of drama, humour, action, combined with some brilliant performances and a plot line which is a refreshing change from the norm makes this not only an exceptionally enjoyable viewing experience but one which I will happily return to again and again. If you enjoy films in the same manner as "Ocean's Eleven" then you are more than likely going to enjoy this, although this is definitely not as glitzy as "Ocean's Eleven".

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Beyond Reasonable Belief

Film: Behind Enemy Lines
Certificate: 15
Duration: 101 mins
Year of Release: year
Genre: Action, War, Drama, Thriller
Director(s): John Moore
Writer(s): Jim Thomas, John Thomas
Cast: Owen Wilson, Gene Hackman, Gabriel Macht, Charles Malik Whitfield, David Keith, Olek Krupa, Joaquim de Almeida, Vladimir Mashkov, Eyal Podell, Geoffrey Pierson


Having signed up to be a hot shot Navy fighter pilot, Lieutenant Chris Burnett has become disillusioned with his career, as he spends more time policing the Bosnian landscape than seeing any real action. Determined to find a more satisfying career when his tour of duty on the U.S.S. Vinson ends, he is sent on one final reconnaissance mission, with his co-pilot Stackhouse, to photograph the Bosnian landscape. A mundane task until they spot some illegal military action in a supposedly demilitarized zone, which leads to them being blown out of the sky by the illegal force.

Having managed to safely eject from his failing craft, he witnesses his injured co-pilot brutally executed by one of the soldiers and inadvertently draws their attention whilst trying to hide. Stuck in the middle of the Bosnian wilderness, it soon becomes a game of cat and mouse as he is hunted down by the illegal Bosnian army; his only hope is that the Admiral on the U.S.S. Vinson will be able to send in a rescue team to retrieve him.

Before picking up "Behind Enemy Lines" I had heard absolutely nothing about it, but having read the synopsis on the back cover I was expecting a gritty war drama in the same style as "Black Hawk Down". But sadly I was completely let down, as although this is definitely a war drama it is anything but gritty. Instead you have a war drama which spends more time trying to impress with artistic camera techniques and over choreographed action sequences than being gritty and realistic.

The concepts behind the film are actually quite good with the main element focussing on the stranded pilot trying to escape the clutches of an ensuing illegal army. Although not exactly a new plot, it is one which has seemed so far to have escaped the Hollywood trend of using the same storyline in every film until it becomes totallly predictable and unoriginal.

The second element to the storyline focuses on the feelings of the pilot as he has become disillusioned with not seeing any real action. Sadly this element is not used to great effect and although provides reasoning behind some of the actions, in reality it is only used as the set up for the main element. This to me is a shame as I can only imagine that the feelings that the pilot has ring true to the feelings of many service men who, although may hate the atrosity of war, signed up under the illusion that they would see action. I would have loved to have seen this really used to greater effect as it would have provided a greater deal of depth to what is essentially quite a flat film.

One of the main problems with the storyline is that it cannot make up its mind as to what it wans to be. It starts of in quite a light, humourous manner and you couldn't be blamed if you thought it was going to be another "Top Gun" style movie. But it soon dispenses with the majority of the lightness and humour but fails to get really gritty, sort of floating in no mans land making it quite dull and not overly engaging.

The other huge problem is that the action is just completely unrealistic. We have the stranded Lieutenat running in wide open spaces being bombarded with gun fire and missiles from close range but never getting hit. Okay, so a little bit of escapism does not hurt anyone, but this borders on the ridiculous. It also does not help when in one scene we watch the Lieutenant jump from underneath a covering of snow to fire at one of the army trackers. Yes it may be dramatic to watch, but it feels more suited to the unbelievability of a "Rambo" movie than one that is trying to be a realistic, gritty drama.

Up until now I have refrained from mentioning any of the stars and that is for a very good reason. In the lead role of this would be realistic, gritty drama we have one of Hollywood's most popular funny men, Owen Wilson as Lieutenant Chris Burnett. Yes that's right, we have reknowned comedy actor taking on a serious role and I have to say it is one of the worst bits of casting I have ever seen. Wilson is just far to nice to effectively carry of the pilot, fighting for his life in a war torn country, he looks to nice, sounds to nice and just does not display any real emotion through the entire film. To be honest, he spends more time looking like a model in a TV commercial than as a serious actor, which is more to do with the direction than his acting ability.

Unfortunately the film predominantly focuses on Wilson's character as also making an appearance is Gene Hackman as his superior, Admiral Reigart. To be honest, although he does not get any decent screen time or any decent dialogue, he puts in a decent performance which saves the film from being absolutely terrible. This is by far not his best performance but he manages to convey real depth to his character as he has to fight beureaucracy before he can even attempt a rescue mission.

Sadly the remaining members of the cast putty in pretty mediocre performances with the worst coming from Joaquim de Amleida as Admiral Reigart's Nato superior. He seems to float in and out of his scenes without any real screen presence and is totally unconvincing as such a powerful man. Also putting in a rather bewildering performance is Vladimir Mashkov as the lead Bosnian tracker searching for Burnett. He is supposed to come over as a ruthless, expert assassin, but he could not hit a barn door at 10 paces, plus he looks more like a weasily drug dealer than an expert killer.

"Behind Enemy Lines" is directed by little known director John Moore, who prior to taking the reins of this $40 million movie had only ever directed TV commercials. This knowledge helps to explain why the film comes across as just one long TV commercial but does not excuse it. The film may be visually impressive with a vast array of camera techniques fom slow motion running straight into snappy freeze frame action and some stunning landscape sequences. But for the majority of the time, the film comes across as just an overlong commercial for the latest pair of Nike trainers, especially as Moore seems to favour shooing Owen's pouting good looks rather than the roughness of the situation.


Well you may have guessed by now that I am not overly impressed with the movie and basically feel that it is wrongly packaged as a gritty war drama where in fact it is more like a bit of action, escapism. It may have a couple of well choreographed action sequences, but for the most this it is a miscast, over stylized attempt at a modern war drama which plays more like a trainer advert than a real film. Although it may appeal to those who like a bit of escapism as well as watching a Hollywood hunk posing on screen, I would not recommend it if you are looking for a serious action, drama.

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Nearly Just Another Halloween Gore Bore

Film: Saw
Certificate: 18
Duration: 104 mins
Year of Release: 2004
Genre: Horror
Director(s): James Wan
Writer(s): James Wan, Leigh Whannell
Cast: Leigh Whannell, Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Ken Leung, Shawnee Smith, Tobin Bell




Having woken up in an abandoned toilet block, Adam and Dr. Lawrence Gordon find themselves shackled at either end with no memory of how they got there and a dead body sprawled across the floor between them. But it soon becomes apparent that they have become the playthings of psychotic serial killer "Jigsaw" and unless they solve his cunning clues and do as they are told they will both be dead within 8 hours.

For me, the majority of modern horror films substitute classy suspense and genuine fear with cheap thrills and more blood & guts than you would find in a slaughter house. But occasionally a new film comes along and tries to buck the trend by giving the audience the best of both worlds, a splattering of suspense but with plenty of gore which modern horror fans crave. "Saw" is one such film which manages to make you jump from the unexpected whilst cringe at the level of macabre.

What is pretty surprising is that "Saw" has a huge amount of storyline, more than I would have expected for such a modern horror film. We have plenty of back story which attempts to explain why the psychotic killer has not only targeted his latest two victims but to the level of depravity he will stoop to in order to achieve his goal. What is that goal? Well unsurprisingly it is to teach his victims a lesson based on there crimes. In some ways the story pays homage to another modern film "Seven" with both of them touching on the subject of morality although for me "Seven" was far more suspenseful than "Saw". As well as the back story we also get a parallel story which sees two detectives racing against the clock to try and arrest the serial killer before his depraved games claim anymore victims. But despite "Saw" having a fair amount of back story and the subsequent parallel storyline the main emphasis of the film is the situation featuring the two men imprisoned in the toilet block and there bid for freedom. Amazingly this works really well and the way the whole film unravels as they piece together the clues to not only understand why they have been chosen but what they must do to evade their demise keeps you watching, not to the extent that you are on the edge of your seats but holds your attention even in moments where not much seems to be happening. What is very much key to this films success is that it is completely unpredictable and even though you may think you have the whole thing sussed the chances are you are going to be completely wrong. Right up until the films dying breaths I was left wondering what to expect next, something which many modern films fail to deliver. But there is a negative, well two really, at times some of the set ups feel overly complex as well as confusing and this is made worse by the flicking between the two victims in the toilets, the back story and also the parallel one leaving you desperately trying to sort out what is going on. The other negative is with Jigsaw the psychotic serial killer, other than a quick hint to why he is called Jigsaw the film never really explains the association with the name. Maybe it didn't need it, but I felt it would have definitely helped explain things a lot more if they had explored this association to greater lengths.

As already mentioned the film tries to be a jack of all trades when it comes to suspense and gore, giving plenty of both although focusing more on the gore than anything else. For me, being shocked by the unexpected is far more of a scare than just seeing blood and guts strewn all over the screen, but "Saw" cleverly combines these elements to near perfection. Most of these scares come from the elaborate torture that Jigsaw inflicts on his victims both psychological and physical, but also in the ingenuity of his methods of torture. Instead of just watching the victims get there limbs hacked off with a chainsaw, these poor people are part of a game where they have to put themselves through both physical and mental torture to try and escape the traps they find themselves in. This really works as you are kept in suspense wondering whether they will escape but also how disgusting their final demise will be if they fail, and for the most their demise is shocking, well for me anyway. Not every moment of horror hits the spot and some does fall into the category of gore for gores sake but for the most "Saw" does a reasonable job in this department. Where the film does fail is in its lasting effect, for a while afterwards you do find yourself thinking about the torture sequences but they no longer have the scare factor and you are certainly not going to be frightened anymore of walking into a public toilet block than you were before watching "Saw".

Another aspect of this film that works strongly in its favour is the lack of recognizable Hollywood hunks in the key roles, detracting from the film with baggage from previous characters. That is not to say the key actors are unknowns, far from it, but with the exception of Danny Glover none of them have ever really had major roles in any of their other films. Taking one of the lead roles is Leigh Whannell as Adam, interestingly one of the writers behind "Saw", and opposite him as the other victim is Carl Elwes as Dr. Lawrence Gordon. Together in the confines of the toilet block these two work really well together, both delivering emotions of fear and despair but in the few moments of back history where they are working by themselves or with others they seem out of there depth and a little weak. Thankfully, the majority of their time on screen is in the toilet block and for two pretty much unrecognizable actors they do a good job of making their characters interesting. But there is a problem when it comes to there characters, although they are interesting and to some degree I felt a little sorry for them being incarcerated against there will, I really didn't care whether one or both of them met an untimely demise, in fact I think part of me was wishing for an apt bloody ending for them both. Appearing in the majority of the parallel story is Danny Glover as Detective David Tapp, a man obsessed with arresting Jigsaw. Whilst Glover does a good job I was always going to struggle with separating this performance and character to that of Detective Murtaugh which he played in the "Lethal Weapon" series of films. Does he achieve it, well in some ways yes as it is a much more serious character but I still couldn't help thinking where's Mel Gibson when you need him.

Finally when it comes to "Saw" newbie director and writer James Wan has done a brilliant job, not just because he shows talent despite his lack of commercial experience but he has delivered a film which has both suspense and gore within the confines of a very small budget of just over a million dollars. Now don't get me wrong as the direction is by no means as masterful as say Hitchcock but he manages to create a decent amount of tension throughout the film which keeps you interested right up until the climax. For me the one thing he could have done a lot better was to take out some of the over complexity when moving between the now and the past as this really did make the film at times rather confusing. But for the whole he has done a very good job of creating a film which appeals to both the blood thirsty hordes and those who need a little more in the suspense area.

When it boils down to it "Saw" is pretty typical of the current trend in gore infested horror films and in fact has now spawned 3 sequels which numbers 2 and 3 are definitely of a similar calibre. Whether you will really enjoy "Saw" all depends on what you need to be frightened, if it is lots of in your face blood and guts you will not be disappointed and if you need suspense then "Saw" has enough to keep you satisfied, but if you need anything else then you are more than likely going to come away disappointed. For me the deciding factor as to why I personally enjoy "Saw" is the ingenuity of the torture sequences both in what you see but also in the wait for the inevitable.

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Rocky, Rocky, Rocky

Film: Rocky Balboa
Certificate: 12
Duration: 98 mins
Year of Release: 2006
Genre: Action, Drama, Sports
Director(s): Sylvester Stallone
Writer(s): Sylvester Stallone
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young, Antonio Tarver, Geraldine Hughes, Milo Ventimiglia, Tony Burton, James Francis Kelly III, Pedro Lovell


Having retired from the ring many years earlier and also having lost his wife, Adrian (Talia Shire), to cancer, Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) finds himself living off his past glories as he enthrals patrons of his restaurant with tales of his boxing triumphs. But when a TV stunt pits Rocky against the current Heavy Weight Boxing Champion, Mason Dixon (Antonio Tarver), in a computer generated fight, the result is a win for the retired slugger, which reignites a desire inside him to re-enter the ring once more. When Dixon challenges Rocky to a one off bout, he has to push himself to once more prove that he is still a champ.
Thirty years and a lot of history has come to pass since Sylvester Stallone brought the iconic character of perennial underdog Rocky Balboa to our screens. Since then he has twice become world champion, fought over 80 professional bouts, beaten up Mr. T, helped to bring peace between Russia and America before retiring only to end up in a street fight with a loud mouth upstart. So when after 17 years since hanging up his gloves, Stallone decided to bring Rocky back for one last hoorah I was both excited and a little concerned. For me the “Rocky” films have been such a huge part of my life that I reckon I may have watched them more times than any other film in my collection. So even though a new one was an unsuspected bonus, concerns such as would Stallone be able to handle the fight scenes again? Would the story be just another rewrite of the first Rocky? And would it be a fitting climax to this wonderful set of films? Were running through my head. The answer, to be honest, is yes and no, as whilst I really enjoyed “Rocky Balboa” it initially left me in two minds as to whether or not this sixth outing was indeed the correct decision.

The story itself is a tale of two halves, with the first half being basically a slow trip down memory lane, covering many of the important events in Rocky’s life. Whilst I completely enjoyed this trip down memory lane as Rocky revisited locations from mainly the first “Rocky” film, and we get to watch cleverly crafted flashbacks, I can not but help thinking that this reminiscing would alienate anyone who is not so knowledgeable on the “Rocky” films. Saying that it works amazingly well, not only setting the scene for what Rocky is up to at the moment but also helps to explain what Rocky has been up to in the interim years since retiring and the death of Adrian. Interestingly, the writing out of the character Adrian, Rocky’s wife, gives the film a slightly different feel, allowing Stallone to flex his acting muscles rather than just his biceps, an area which was sadly missing from the latter “Rocky” films. Scenes between Rocky and Paulie where they are dealing with there own feelings over the loss of Adrian really demonstrates that whilst Stallone is not a great actor he is capable of a lot more than many ever give him credit for.

One of the key elements to making this first half work is the introduction of ‘little Marie, a single mum who Rocky had escorted home as a young girl in the first “Rocky” film. Although not a direct replacement for the sadly departed Adrian, the character of Marie also adds an interesting dimension to the film as you are unsure as to whether their friendship is purely platonic, or whether it will progress into anything more. Whilst there is definitely a romantic inclination to this story element, it is left slightly ambiguous as to what happens so that you are never entirely sure, which for me was the right decision as Rocky was so in love with Adrian that replacing her to easily with Marie would have spoilt the film. Running in tandem with this story element is another between Rocky and his son Robert, who has sort of become estranged from his father as he tries to make a life for himself away from the shadow of his father’s success. Again this story element allows Stallone to flex his acting muscles in some touching scenes, but sadly they don’t spend enough time developing it to it’s full potential and it ends up in the predictable territory where you can guess the outcome a long time before we ever get there.

Towards the end of this first half, the film starts to build up some momentum as the nostalgia takes a back seat and the film focuses on the computer generated fight which reignites Rocky’s love of boxing. Whilst I liked the idea of using the computer generated fight to link the two halves of the story I must admit to being slightly disappointed in the way it was used or more to do with the speed in which Rocky goes from being a restaurateur back to being a fighter. One minute he is watching this computer generated fight and then the next he has regained his boxing licence, through a passionate plea to the boxing licensing committee, and then we quickly ascend into the traditional “Rocky” territory of the punishing training sequence and the big fight. Every part of this stage of the film has not so much been rushed but more skimmed over, expecting the audience to take a lot for granted. I can appreciate that they were trying to build up the momentum of the film and they definitely achieved this, but part of me feels that they could have easily expanded on this transitional stage without spoiling the momentum, giving the audience a more complete film.

The second half of the film returns to the traditional and somewhat predictable “Rocky” storyline, with the choreographed training sequence and the big fight, but thankfully they have managed to add a new dimension to these elements making it a lot more interesting than initially expected. One of the main differences comes from Rocky being a lot older and in not such a great shape, forcing the usual over the top training sequence to be significantly toned down and far more realistic. What also works particularly well is the difference in styles between Rocky and Dixon, where as Rocky is purely a puncher, Dixon is a trained athlete which is really demonstrated in the big fight. The actual character of Mason Dixon is also a pleasant change from the norm, as where as in the past Rocky has been pitted against obvious villains in Clubber Lang, Ivan Drago and Tommy Gunn, the character of Dixon is pretty much a decent bloke who has suffered from being poorly managed. One noticeable change to this side of the storyline is the realism of the big fight. In the past the fights have looked overly choreographed and a combination of fake sound effects and obviously missed punches have spoilt them ever so slightly. In “Rocky Balboa” they have taken a very brave step in using purely the sounds of actual punches and believe this or not the majority of the punches you see actually landed. This really did make the whole sequence much more effective and explains why for some of the scenes Stallone’s face was extremely puffy and looked like he had over dosed on Bottox injections.

One of my hugest fears when it came to “Rocky Balboa” was whether Stallone, who was 60 years old when he made this, would still be able to effectively play the part of the iconic boxer. My fears were definitely unfounded as Stallone looked in amazing shape and whilst obviously a lot slower than in the past managed to make it fit perfectly with the character of Rocky. As previously mentioned, Stallone gets to flex a lot more acting muscle in “Rocky Balboa” and whilst he maybe no Laurence Olivier this is one of his best dramatic performances since the original “Rocky”. If I had one criticism is the fact that at times Stallone’s face is rather expressionless which is more to do with the facial swelling from all the pre-film training rather than a criticism of his actual acting. Also returning for the sixth time is the brilliant Burt Young as Rocky’s brother-in-law Paulie, who in all reality is as pivotal to the “Rocky” films as Stallone himself. Other than getting older a slightly more cantankerous, the character of Paulie has changed very little and is still as funny as ever with his constant cynicism and constant put downs. What is particularly nice in “Rocky Balboa” is the relationship between Rocky and Paulie as they both share the loss of Adrian but in different ways, providing support for each other.

With the loss of Adrian, played by the talented Talia Shire, it was no surprise that a new female character would be introduced and in my opinion, the re-introduction of ‘Little’ Marie from the first film but also the casting of Geraldine Hughes was an absolute masterstroke. Trying to directly replace Adrian with like for like would have been a bad idea, so the character of Marie is quite individual, a single mum who having been dealt a relatively rough hand in life has got on with it. That is not to say there are some obvious similarities and a scene during the big fight sequence was a nice homage to one which featured Adrian from one of the earlier “Rocky” films. What is particularly charming about Geraldine’s performance is the transformation of her character as her bond with Rocky grows, early on she seems quite insecure and a little down trod but by the end of the film the spirit of Rocky has helped turn her life around. What is also a really nice thing about the casting in “Rocky Balboa” is the use of non-actors, Joe Public, for many of the parts. From the casting of Antonio Tarver a professional boxer as Mason Dixon, through to the characters on the streets and in the bars, these people who have never acted before give a much more honest feel to the film which for me was a fall back to the rawness of the original “Rocky”.

One of the charming things about “Rocky Balboa” is that it brings back values such as drama and realism which seemed to have been missing from the majority of the sequels. Writer/ Director Stallone and producers Winkler and Chartoff have done an exceptional job of giving the film and the characters a real motivation which helps drive the film forwards and away from being overly predictable, especially during the final fight. What is also very commendable is in the way they have mixed old with modern from the old footage to the trendy shooting techniques everything about the way the film has been made feels pretty much spot on. This includes the sound track which mixes the classic Bill Conti sound track with a variety of modern pieces giving a nostalgic but current audio presentation.

So did “Rocky Balboa” live up to my expectations? To be honest it did a much better job that I initially expected. For me the first “Rocky” film will always be the best but this does manage to come a close second and for me is a perfect final chapter worthy of the iconic character. Yes, the film is by no means perfect, most notably the nostalgic first half potentially causing alienation for those who are not overly familiar with the “Rocky” history, but for me, as a huge fan of the “Rocky” films, I thoroughly enjoyed this nostalgic trip, as well as probably the most realistic fight scene to have been included in a “Rocky” film. So then it should come as no surprise that I thoroughly recommend “Rocky Balboa” to all, although I would highly recommend that anyone who cannot remember the original “Rocky” film to revisit it before watching this so that you can appreciate the beautifully crafted first half.

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