Rumors swirl that “Rocky Balboa” may not be all that bad. Here’s what Stephen Holden of the New York Times has to say,
“. . . When I first learned of this film, presumably the final episode in the “Rocky” franchise, the idea of the 60-year-old Rocky going at it one last time sounded risible. Reports of audiences snickering derisively at trailers for the movie seemed to confirm my expectations.
Surprisingly “Rocky Balboa,” is no embarrassment. Like its forerunners it goes the distance almost in spite of itself. It’s all heart and no credibility except as a raw-boned fable. From the very beginning Rocky Balboa was about as lifelike a character as Popeye pumped up with spinach. But that may be the point of a series that peddles the notion that if you dream it hard enough, you can live it. . . “
It’s got a 79% rating on rottentomatoes.com Cream of the Crop. What!