One Movie A Day Remix

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Day 28: May 28th, 2010

The Black Dahlia



All Style & No Substance

Two detectives are on the case of The Black Dahlia, which is taking a huge toll on their personal and professional lives.

The Black Dahlia is a mess of a film, but what a beautiful mess it is. De Palma for all accounts is at fault here for failing to make an interesting film on a topic that should have been essentially easy to do. Everyone likes a good detective story and trying to solve the Black Dahlia case is enough to get the audience invested in the history. This film didn't even make me want to look any of the actual accounts up, which tells you how unaccomplished the film is.

As I said earlier, it is beautiful to look at. Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond and Brian De Palma have the noir style down perfect in Dahlia and whenever I got bored, which was 90 percent of the film, I would try to get lost in the atmosphere this film creates. Everything is in the right place, yet only the look of the film manages to make me smile.

Josh Hartnett seems miscast in the lead role that required someone with more gravitas. He still has that boyish charm to him and the role required someone with a harder core shell. Someone along the lines of his partner, Aaron Eckhart. Hilary Swank plays Madeleine Linscott, she always seems to rub me the wrong way with her acting choices. This one is no different. How she has two Oscars is unknown to me. Scarlett Johansson is given nothing in this film to do and if she had something, I doubt she would have been able to pull it off.

This film has too many subplots involving the characters that the case itself seemed to play second fiddle. This shouldn't be the case when your film is called The Black Dahlia. It's hard to see that this film was directed by the guy who also gave us Scarface, The Untouchables and Snake Eyes...okay, maybe I'm alone on that one.

I would advise against watching this film as it fails to ignite any interest in the case or what the story should actually be about. Character relationships seem really odd and written by someone who has no real thoughts or intentions with them. The Black Dahlia should be having people look the murder up and discuss, much like Fincher's Zodiac. This film doesn't do any of that, it feels like it wants to be another film entirely. De Palma has always been hit and miss with me and this entry is showing me that he has lost a lot of what people thought was talent.

Not Recommended, especially for those wanting to know more about the case itself.

[rating]1.5[/rating]
 
I also haven't read the book and did like the film my friends who have read the book didn't like the movie at all
 
I was tempted by this when it was released, but decided against it. This is the second positive review I've read here in a week or so. I'll give it a look next time the opportunity presents itself.
 
Day 79: July 18th, 2010

Unrivaled



The best fighter in the world works two jobs. The only problem... he doesn't know he's the best

Wait, what? That's the tagline?

If no one here has heard of this film, I don't blame you. It's a direct to dvd flick that scrapes the bottom of the barrel. There is not one shred of originality in this crap and it's sad. Why is it sad? Why did I watch it? These questions can be answered with these three words. I'm In It.

Oh sweet Matt, you're in this movie? Yes I am, but don't go out rushing to rent or buy this film. First of all, it's not worth the price tag and second, I'm only an extra in the background of the main fight. You see me when you see a cut away to the crowd. If you didn't know me, you wouldn't notice. If I were to point myself out to you, you'd see me in glimpses here and there because of my white shirt and sunglasses on my head.

I would honestly rather tell you about my time there then try to review this film. So I will. It was shot in my hometown, we got free pizza and a t-shirt that we were suppose to return and no, we did not get paid. I would honestly point you to view the trailer before I ever say see the film. I'm in the trailer too. In fact, if that is too much, I'll post a screen cap of it. Save everyone the headache.



So I'm the guy in the light shirt on the far left side of the picture. My right arm in a slight, pumping of the fist motion. Brilliant right?

So the film, yeah, unrivaled. It's crap. The director's other film that I have seen Ham & Cheese, is barely watchable as well. That film only got noticed because of the comedians attached. This one has UFC fighters, who cannot act for the life of them. The lead male and the lead bad guy are the two stand outs who should stick to being beaten in the head rather than mugging for the camera.

Pointless nudity in the first 20 minutes, left right and centre. For what purpose? Who knows. He works at a strip club. The guy owes money to some dangerous guys, wow, original there. He can't pay and is threatened. Boom, time for opportunity to come up. The champ is giving an unknown fighter the chance to be discovered. Is it his time to rise up and silence all the nay-sayers? Can a nobody defeat a somebody? Have I seen this film before, but with boxing? Unrivaled is a poor mash-up of Rocky and The Wrestler.

The script is amateur, as is everything else that accompanies this film. The film looks like a music video, so it's not all cheap. There are some nice cinematography spots, but as a whole the film never leaps out at you. The best feature this film has going for it is the soundtrack, which is surprisingly good. Yet there is the problem, I don't go to movies to listen to music.

[rating]1[/rating]
 
Day 54: June 23rd, 2010

X-MEN: The Last Stand



The weakest in the series, this includes X-men Origins.

A so called cure is found in the blood of a young mutant, which divides the world into two sections. Those who want it and those who don't. Magneto and his brotherhood seek to find this boy and capture him, while the X-men must stand together and stop him, once and for all.

With this film being the third in the series, the filmmakers decided to go big...really big. Let's go heavy on the eye popping action and forget to bring a decent script and competent director with it. X-Men: The Last Stand is a hot mess and seems to have destroyed the series. Seeing as they are already re-booting it.

Singer left to go to Superman Returns, say what you will about that film, but the true losers here were the fans of x-men. The Last Stand is what I originally feared the first film would be, a thrown together film with too many mutants to handle. Brett Ratner was in my opinion, the wrong man for the job. It seemed like the studio needed the film to be pumped out quickly and they got this man to do the job. Easy money, fans will still pay to see it right? After all, we got Beast in it now. The fact that this film has too many characters is a big problem, they have no idea what to do with them. Look at the poster I chose to post here, it has Angel on the cover, yet he has two scenes in the film, at the beginning and at the end. If this isn't a desperate attempt to grab at whatever lucrative moments they have, I don't know what is. X2 was juggling enough characters to start, there was no need to add this many more, especially when they do nothing.

It seems they disregarded the source material and went with whatever story they cooked up. Characters are different (Leech) and we are given a so called climax that barely makes me want to root for either side. The film is called The Last Stand, yet we get Wolverine, Storm, Colossus, Beast and some kids. This is not The Last Stand fans want, nor is it good writing. Having Cyclops and Professor X out of the picture doesn't make things harder for us or make us think the x-men are in more danger. Instead it angers us at the pathetic attempt at trying to shake things up in the comic book world. Out of all the X-men story lines, the Dark Phoenix is probably the most recognizable. There is so much story, emotion and depth to the character and story line that it took around 4 episodes of the animated series to do it some sort of justice. This film makes it seem like an after thought. They already had a story line, The Dark Phoenix Saga was too big for one film, especially when you already had a plot for the film by itself.

The film might please the average movie goer, but it failed to hold up any kind of momentum the second sequel gave us. Sure Grammar is great as Beast and the special effects are great, but when the film is so confused by it's own direction and you end of feeling nothing for one of the greatest comic book story lines ever written, you know you have a problem. Magneto is no longer scary in this film and it desperately needed a new villain...and not Phoenix. The Last Stand is all style and no heart, but it's style is still very little.


[rating]2.5[/rating]
 
Day 80: July 19th, 2010

Who Framed Roger Rabbit



It's the story of a man, a woman, and a rabbit in a triangle of trouble.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit mixes the world of animation and live action effortlessly, what makes it even more respectable is how well it holds up compared to recent flicks like Looney Tunes: Back in Action.

Zemeckis pushes the envelope and continues to today, or at least tries to. His films seem to lack the heart and soul of his earlier works. With Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Zemeckis blends old school film noir detective stories with a looney stylized world in which the character live.

Bob Hoskins is the alcoholic detective who must solve the case of....who framed roger rabbit. He does a wonderful job in the role and acts opposite an imaginary character with ease. Roger Rabbit himself is a zany character that is in love with Jessica Rabbit, a busty bombshell of a character with flowing red hair. She is of course the femme fatale. What's a film without a villain? Christopher Lloyd as Judge Doom is creepy and effective. Without a doubt he will give chills to your bones. His distaste for toons is about as villainous as you can get.

Their are numerous winks and nods to old school cartoon characters. What other film can you see Daffy and Donald duck battle each other? The toon world is a great way to show creativity and the crew make sure they use their opportunity to do so. This film is great for both kids and adults and is to this day, a classic.

I highly recommend Who Framed Roger Rabbit to anyone looking for a good story, interesting characters and great entertainment. The film is not only funny, but a great mystery waiting to be unraveled. Check it out.

[rating]4[/rating]
 
A little behind on my reviews, but still keeping up with the movie watching. Hopefully I'll be fully caught up tomorrow night, just been busy as of late.
 
I've not read the book or seen the film, but I think the problem is that they're very different tellings of the same story. This means that those who read the book went to see a very different film to the one Jackson wanted to make after reading the book. Imagine someone reading Psycho and thinking; "I could make a great farce out of this story."
 
Day 67: July 6th, 2010

Groundhog Day



He's having the worst day of his life... over, and over...


There are tons of people who have that one movie that they can watch over and over again and never really get sick of it. I'm sure there are dozens here that have a few movies like that and I'm one of them. Groundhog Day fits into this category for me.

Bill Murray shines in the role of Phil, a man who hates everything and everyone around him (big stretch) but he falls into some kind of time loop while in Punxsutawney, PA covering the groundhog story. He is literally living this one day, which he hates, over and over again until he looks at his life from a different perspective.

The lack of reveal as to why this is happening is perfect, we don't need to know the whys or the hows, everything is just happening. Phil goes through the motions of slowly getting things as the same day happens again and again. It's hard to have something be so repetitive and yet still be fresh. Groundhog Day handles this problem with ease, making certain events either hilarious (him trying to pick up his new producer) or heartbreaking (he tries to save a homeless man from dying). Eventually Phil does snap out of his loner attitude and cheers everyone up that is around him.

It is never stated how long this time loop is for in the film, but a counting man will see there are 34 some odd depictions of a different day. If you were to listen to a certain director's commentary track you will learn it went on a lo longer than that.

The film is funny, fresh and original. Interesting to see that one of their best collaborations (Ramis & Murray) was their last, not including video games or yet to be released third incarnations of a ghostbusting series. They had a falling out over the tone of the film. One wanted a more philosophical approach, while the other wanted a comedic one. While I'm glad they settled on the comedic one, you can't help but see that there is a mixture of both.

Groundhog Dog is a great film, one of the best comedies ever and is great to watch, over...and over.....and over....

[rating]4[/rating]
 
Day 3: May 3rd, 2010

Extract



Is It Bad To Say I Wanted More Ben Affleck?

Mike Judge is back again with another comedy about an every day guy who owns an extract company. After a series of freak accidents one employee loses a testicle. Things go from bad to worse when Joel starts to have sexual feelings towards a new temp. He's not getting any at home so his friend tells him to get a gigalo to seduce his wife so he won't feel guilty about sleeping with the temp. Of course he's on drugs when he agrees to this, so the next day he realizes his mistake. Throw in someone stealing things from the employees, the selling of the company possibly going sour and an annoying neighbour and Joel is about to explode.

Pretty lengthy description of the film, I've left out some bits and pieces here and there, but I really couldn't care to tell you. We'll all move on. The film is another Mike Judge piece, so it will have it's fans. I'm not one of them. With Office Space, I found that I liked it more upon repeated viewings, I won't bother to watch this one again.

The cast tries their best with the material. Kristen Wig has nothing to do, Clifton Collins Jr. is forgotten throughout the film, David Koechner is dumbed down to one joke repeated throughout, J.K. Simmons looks like he wants to get the hell out of this movie, Mila Kunis has hardly any screen time to do anything worthwhile and Jason Bateman uses his old comedy routine he did in Arrested Development. He's a good guy trying to do things right, but gets caught in these weird and awkward situations.

Ben Affleck saves this film from total disaster, his supporting role as the best friend with the worst ideas is really great. I should have known, since he was the best thing in the trailers too. His look alone had me smiling.

I guess I'm just not that much a fan of Judge and his comedy. I was never into Beavis and Butthead and I hated King of the Hill. Extract is a comedy that will make you smirk a few times, but never laugh. It tries to be too adult and mature, which makes it lose it's sense of comedy. The story it was trying to tell is uninteresting, the characters are uninteresting and the comedy is uninteresting.

In the end Extract is a mess of a film, there were parts that were mildly entertaining, but it never went in the right direction. There could have been room for interesting plot twists, but instead it played it safe. Extract is completely forgettable and probably only worth your time if you're a big Mike Judge fan.

[rating]2[/rating]
 
Day 63: July 2nd, 2010

Rocky V



Well, the good luck train had to end somewhere.

Without a doubt, the most hated film in the entire series. There is good reason for it too.

Rocky retires and goes bankrupt from some misfortune with his accountant. Retired, he decides to train a young boxer, Tommy Gunn. They go on to win a bunch of matches, but Gunn betrays Rocky and then they fight.

So, with the previous films Rocky fought man, beast, and machine. Creed, Lang and Drago. Here we fights Tommy Gunn. Now, we know he is a good boxer, we have seen that, but why is it that he has no charisma or is nearly as memorable as the other fighters? It's because he is a real boxer. It's easier to train an actor to box than it is a boxer to act. While the other fighters are deemed iconic in the series, Tommy Gunn is looked upon as a wimp, a nobody and a loser.

Gone is the ring, say hello to the streets. Rocky V tries to change things up a bit, but change is not always good. Gone is the excitement, gone is the tension and suspense, gone are all the thrills. This film doesn't feel at all like the rest and neither does Rocky himself. In my eyes, this could have been any other film and the last fight scene is by far the worst in the entire series.

Stallone interestingly did not direct this one, instead it was the guy who won the Oscar for Best Director on the first Rocky film. Where is the problem? Is it the script? Is it the director? It's everything, this film is mess and a horrible send off to Rocky Balboa.

His relationship with his kid tries to be interesting, but we don't care. We have lost our love for Rocky. Our admiration, our respect, is all gone. I'm more like Mr. T now, I pity the fool.

[rating]1.5[/rating]
 
Perhaps. I still find some of the stupid theories interesting if only because of the strange logic behind them all.
 
So far I'm doing better than last time, actually getting reviews written and posted on the day.
 
Day 38: June 7th, 2010

The Rundown



A Fun Film Showcasing The Rock's Talents.

Loosely based on Midnight Run, Beck is sent to retrieve Travis from the Amazon. One last job before he can quite and open up his restaurant. Along the way things don't go according to plan and the two of them have to fight for their lives.

After his brief cameo in The Mummy Returns and the lead role in the forgettable The Scorpion King, it seemed that The Rundown would be his first true chance at taking over the action franchise from the likes of Arnold, who coincidentally has a cameo in this film. The Rundown does just that, shows The Rock in a lighthearted, action oriented funny film that showcases his talent as an actor. He's not another Hulk Hogan making movies because he can, but he actually has some talent. The guy is fun to watch on the screen and his film career since then has proved so.

The Rock get physical in this film, all the fights scenes are stylized to the point of exaggeration. This doesn't detract from the film, it sets up the viewer for the way the film will play out. The fight scene that uses this stylized violence the most is when The Rock takes on the rebels and Keno from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Can a simple kick really throw him in the air like that, just to be kicked again mid air? I don't think so. If you can get pass this style of action, then the Rundown will be entertaining.

Sean William Scott manages to break out of his Stifler role, something he tried to do earlier with Bulletproof Monk. Here he has a better co-star to play his comedy off of. Since then he seems to have been hit or miss with his films and continues to star in films with The Rock. Here, Scott isn't irritating, so that is a plus, with the exception of one scene in which he reuses his Evolution joke of making a bird call.

Rosario Dawson and Christohper Walken are the supporting players, both plays their roles with no real memorable parts. Rosario Dawson is almost completely forgettable in a role that is underwritten and Walken just seems to be doing his own thing, which he always does in films. We let him get away with it because his Christopher Freakin Walken.

Peter Berg did well with this one, he manages to balance both comedy and action very well and the sequences are entertaining to watch. It helps that he has two stars that played well off each other and could pull off the physical stunts required from the roles. The Rundown isn't something to jump up and down about or rush out to see either. It's a film that you can sit down and watch randomly one day and not be upset about it afterwards.

[rating]3[/rating]
 
Sorry for the late reviews, went camping this weekend. It was intense (get it?)
 
Day 81: July 20th, 2010

Inception



Your mind is the scene of the crime.

In trying not to give too many plot details away, I'll sum up the story of Inception with this. A team of people use a device to go into another person's dream. While there they can do things such as extract information, or even plant ideas. That's about as far as I will go; it's the basic plot of the film that most people already know. Much like District 9 and Avatar (at least for me) the less you know about the film, the better.

Christopher Nolan, with Inception, has created a masterpiece. It's hard for me to heap such praise on the guy who has a small film resume under his name, but he has, in my opinion, 3 films that will never be forgotten. Memento, The Dark Knight and now Inception are all films that I hold in high regard. It's funny, right after The Dark Knight, I heard Nolan was planning on making Inception, instead of a third Batman film, I was a little ticked off. I wanted another Batman film, not some side project. It's ironic that I enjoyed Inception more than The Dark Knight.

Inception is a multi-layered film that has so much going on that it might seem intimidating. Yet, you never lose sense of where you are. Nolan is able to pull off this feat remarkably. People go into multiple dreams and different levels and the viewer never loses a sense of where. Nolan shows nothing but confidence and creativity in this film. It's not afraid to challenge you a little bit. I'm not saying it dives into deep philosophical issues here, but it is enough juice to get people thinking.

Inception had me giddy and smiling all the way through. It's very hard for a film to do that. There was one scene in particular, where I was not only in amazement in how utterly and ridiculously awesome it was, but how simple it was to achieve. The scene is the hallway fight sequence in which gravity no loner seems to be an issue. The simplest form is used, moving and twisting the set, and Nolan makes it look ten times better than anything else we've seen in recent years.

Nolan creates films that people really need to wrap their heads around. He is the next big thing. Hell, he is the big thing. He is the hottest director right now that has yet misstep. Nolan and his brother have created an original piece of art here, a crime caper if you will, that involves going into the subconscious. The creativity is off limits, as seen by the section of the city overlapping itself. I loved how they have taken things that you feel and think about while dreaming and incorporated it in to the film. In order to wake up you need a kick, that feeling that you're falling. I've felt it and I love that they have incorporated things like that.

There is a lot to talk about with Inception, even the ending, which in my mind was Nolan having a little bit of fun. Obviously that question would pop up sometime in the film, but Nolan knows not to go that route. I think it's there simply to get people talking while he laughs at his own little joke. In any event, I'll through my two cents in by simply saying I'm an optimist.

I hear that people aren't that big a fan of Ellen Page. I think she did fine holding her own against DiCaprio, who shines yet again much like his tortured role in Shutter Island. My one complaint about her is that she was a bit intrusive of characters and their dreams. The film feels a little bit like a Batman reunion. Michael Cain has a small role, but Cillian Murphy and Ken Watanabe both have integral parts to the story. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who I couldn't stand on 3rd Rock From The Sun, is quickly becoming a favourite of mine. Marion Cotillard has an interesting role and her performance, other than DiCaprio, has the most emotional depth to it. Every single addition to the cast is a perfect mold for this world.

I really loved this film, for it's running time, it never drags. It's always interesting and engaging the viewer. It doesn't slow down to explain things, and doesn't really need to. It might seem confusing at first, but like Ellen Page's character, the viewer is a quick learner. Inception is the best film of this year and another achievement that Nolan can be extremely proud of. I like that it's an original idea and it seems to be doing well, we need more films like Inception.

[rating]4.5[/rating]
 
Hopefully I get back on track with viewing films I haven't seen and the old list.
 
Day 43: June 12th, 2010

Hot Fuzz



Forget it, Nick. It's Sandford.

Nick Angel is the top cop in London, with arrests that are 400% higher than anyone else in his department. This doesn't look so good for everyone else, so the decision to ship him off to a small village is made. Angel arrives and finds it difficult to cope with the lack of real crime and the lack of policing in the village. That is until bodies begin to pile high and Nick suspects something sinister is up and about and he goes an action rampage trying to solve this mystery.

If the names Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright sound vaguely familiar to you, then you've probably seen the insanely funny Shaun of the Dead. After the release of that film, it became an instant cult classic that ran a thin line between comedy, romance and horror. Or what people now call it, a Rom Zom Com. Now these guys are at it again, this time in the buddy cop action genre. It's safe to say they've knocked it out of the park, yet again. It's refreshing seeing talent delve into more than one specific genre.

Hot Fuzz does for action films what Shaun of the Dead did for horror. It brings a unique comedic style and touch to a genre that has been done to death and somehow manages to pull off a great film. Just like Shaun, Fuzz has the same actors making the appearances, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. There are a few cameos in the film, Steve Coogan, Bill Nighy, Martin Freeman to name a few. Much to my surprise there were two more cameos, I don't want to give them away, but look closely at the Santa Clause who stabs Nick and his masked girlfriend.

From the beginning of the film you can tell that Wright is behind the camera. The quick action cuts of every little thing (from taking your jacket off to putting your keys in the door) is done in such a fast paced way and so often, that it has somehow become his 'trademark'. In Shaun this was used a couple of times, but here it's in almost every scene, yet it somehow compliments the film. When you're homaging and parodying action films, everything should be exaggerated, tightly shot and quickly edited. Even the small things like doing paperwork.

For film buffs, it's neat to pick out the references to other films. There are dozens scattered throughout Fuzz. If it's not blatant and in your face like Point Break or Straw Dogs, it's subtle and only spoken. "Forget it Nick, It's Sandford". Obvious reference to Chinatown.

The townsfolk all play their parts well, with James Bond himself, Dalton, standing out as the devilish supermarket boss. Seeing these townsfolk being so ordinary and timid make for the climax of this film even more enjoyable. The climax itself is the entire third act of the film, which is where most of the laughs are, which is unfortunate. The film is a slow starter, but once it reaches that climax, it's no holds barred.

It's right to say that Wright and co. brought their horror specialties to Fuzz, as so many scenes seem like they could have been brought right out of a horror film. All of the deaths are bloody and really do belong in horror films. I did not expect it to be so graphic in this style of film.

In the end, Hot Fuzz indeed delivers the laughs and the action, which is all saved for the third act. It doesn't reach the greatness of Shaun, but it manages to separate itself from it and for that I can recommend it. I say that because I love horror and Shaun of the Dead came out of nowhere. So we didn't really know what to expect, with Hot Fuzz there was an already built in fan base. Hot Fuzz is the better made film, more polished and on a grander scale. Ah, what the hell, both films are great.

[rating]4[/rating]
 
Day 64: July 3rd, 2010

Rocky Balboa



Manages to right some wrongs with the series and gives a proper goodbye.

Rocky Balboa owns a restaurant called Adrians, named after his wife who has passed away. Touching, the love interest in his life, whom I never really did care for is now out of the picture. He's old now and lives his life telling old boxing stories to his customers. His son has the unfortunate task of living in his shadow, as everywhere Rocky goes people want his autograph. A computer puts a match between Rocky and Mason, the current undefeated heavyweight champion. This match gets people talking and encourages Rocky to come out of retirement for one last time.

Rocky Balboa is a perfect ending to the series and for the Rocky character. The film takes us back to that era when people were chanting that name and running up those stairs. The film feels like your sitting down with a bunch of friends and recounting the fun times you've had and places you've went. We know and love the character and it's sad to see him where he is today, with all his glory in the past. Much like when we look at our own past, our own glory days.

Balboa feels more gritty and real then the previous films. The fight isn't as heightened as III or IV. A little too real if you ask me. The climatic fight scene is short and no where near as suspenseful as one would hope for. I get it though, rocky is pass his prime and the film feels more real, this is evident in the fight. Rocky doesn't take a beating and he doesn't give a beating either. The Rocky films were set in an obtuse reality. Watch the Rocky vs Drago fight to see what I'm talking about. So to see the series end like this, seems like a radical change, but a truthful one at the same time.

Balboa packs the most emotion since the original Rocky film. The film isn't really about boxing, or overcoming great odds, or avenging the death of a friend. It's more about Rocky's life after his success. The fifth film failed at this, miserably. People will like this movie because it has the exact same feeling as the original. Films 2 through 5 had Rocky at the height of his fame. He was in his prime, had the title shot and defended the belt. Now, much like the original where he was a nobody, Rocky is too old and is considered a joke in the eye of the media.

Fans of the series will not be disappointed, I wasn't. Much like the title character, its audience has also grown older. We are right there with Rocky remembering the good old days with Adrian. Stallone is indeed getting older and it is more evident here than ever before. Here he shows some of that talent we saw in the original. Where did it go? It took 5 more films to come back.

The films so called villain, Mason Dixon, is no where near any other opponent Rocky has faced. With the likes of Apollo Creed, Thunderlips, Clubber Lang, Ivan Drago. Gixon and Tommy Gunn are almost interchangeable. The character has no qualities about him that make him stand out at all. Again, this can only be counted for the "reality" that this film is set in. If you want to see a Rocky film with a Million Dollar Baby undertone, Rocky Balboa is the film you want to see. If you walk in expecting unrealistic fights, vibrant colours and over the top villains, Rocky Balboa will disappoint.

The series was getting tiring and was considered dead. Balboa is the perfect revival and send off to it. Balboa features the classic training scenes and theme song and will give you goose bumps like the old days. Rocky and Stallone have finally let that beast out from within. Stallone can now feel content that the series has a proper ending and if you're the kind of person with an emotional heart, you may even shed a tear. I recommend Balboa for those who want one last match with the 'Italian Stallion'.

[rating]3.5[/rating]
 
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