Rocky Balboa (2006)
81%RT Audience Score: 76%
Awards & Nominations: 4 nominations
Implausible but entertaining and poignant, Rocky Balboa finds the champ in fighting form for the first time in years
Rocky Balboa is the ultimate underdog story that just won’t quit. Critics have been split on whether or not this movie is worth watching, but let me tell you, it’s a knockout. Stallone may be past his prime, but he still manages to bring the charm and heart that made us all fall in love with Rocky in the first place. Sure, the premise is a little preposterous, but who cares? This movie is all about the spirit of the first two films, and it captures that perfectly. So go ahead, ring the bell and give this movie a shot. It ain’t over till it’s over!
Production Company(ies)
Svensk Filmindustri
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Philadelphia Museum of Art – 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for boxing violence and some language
Year of Release
2006
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Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:SDDS Dolby Digital DTS
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 42m
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Language(s):English, Spanish
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 20, 2006 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 20, 2007
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young, Antonio Tarver, Geraldine Hughes, Milo Ventimiglia, Tony Burton, directed by Sylvester Stallone, written by Sylvester Stallone, drama, PG, box office performance, $70.3M, reviewed by Bob Mondello, Brian Tallerico, Paul Byrnes, David Fear, Paul Arendt, Peter Bradshaw, Mike Massie, Micheal Compton, Debbie Lynn Elias, Matt Brunson, Zaki Hasan, Brian Grubb, Rocky, Philadelphia, boxing, underdog, retired, restaurant, loss, grief, comeback, challenge, heavyweight champion, Mason “the Line” Dixon, low-profile matches, dignity, heart, pathos, nostalgia, redemption, final fight, widower, legacy, relationship, exhibition, modern-day fight experiences, past, present, future, life
Worldwide gross: $155,929,020
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $229,941,832
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 619
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 25,075,445
US/Canada gross: $70,270,943
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $103,625,543
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 725
US/Canada opening weekend: $12,158,168
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $17,929,128
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 710
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $24,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $35,391,770
Production budget ranking: 1,052
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $19,058,468
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $175,491,594
ROI to date (est.): 322%
ROI ranking: 432
Burt Young – Paulie
Antonio Tarver – Mason `The Line’ Dixon
Geraldine Hughes – Marie
Milo Ventimiglia – Rocky Jr.
Tony Burton – Duke
Director(s)
Sylvester Stallone
Writer(s)
Sylvester Stallone
Producer(s)
William Chartoff, Kevin King Templeton, Charles Winkler, David Winkler
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
4 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (181) | Top Critics (50) | Fresh (139) | Rotten (42)
I know, I know, you’re thinking, oh please, not Rocky again. I was thinking that too.
October 18, 2008
Bob Mondello
NPR.org
TOP CRITIC
Like its odds-defying hero, Rocky Balboa is the biggest surprise of the holiday season.
March 24, 2007
Brian Tallerico
UGO
TOP CRITIC
Stallone wanted this movie to restore dignity to his greatest character. He succeeds, better then anyone might have expected.
February 23, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/5
Paul Byrnes
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
The ol’ lug can’t be blamed for wanting one last victory lap, but if you’ve got nothing to offer except benign nostalgia, just let the gloves stay on the glory-days shelf.
February 3, 2007 | Rating: 2/6
David Fear
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
The film meanders along this path for a long, slow while, a primitive soap opera dressed up as street poetry.
January 27, 2007 | Rating: 2/5
Paul Arendt
BBC.com
TOP CRITIC
The unfortunate effect is that of an invisible angel of death hooking Rocky’s mouth with a fishing line and implacably reeling him in.
January 20, 2007 | Rating: 1/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Stallone manages to reproduce the lovable character with a recognizable charm and personality.
November 21, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
Stallone and his character are well past their primes, but instead of making the film totally preposterous, the film embraces that fact and uses it to create a movie that really captures the spirit of the first two films.
November 21, 2019 | Rating: B
Micheal Compton
Bowling Green Daily News
You will laugh. You will cry. Your heart will soar. You wanna ring the bell? Go ahead … It ain’t over till it’s over. Go for it!
November 9, 2019
Debbie Lynn Elias
Behind The Lens
The movie spends too much time in idle and not enough in overdrive.
July 14, 2019 | Rating: 2.5/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
The premise of Rocky Balboa is pretty preposterous, yet somehow it manages to work because Stallone imbues the proceedings with such heart and pathos.
February 4, 2019
Zaki Hasan
Zaki’s Corner
The thing about Rocky Balboa is that it had no business being as good as it was.
December 6, 2018
Brian Grubb
Uproxx…
Plot
When he loses a highly publicized virtual boxing match to ex-champ Rocky Balboa, reigning heavyweight titleholder Mason Dixon retaliates by challenging the Itallian Stallion to a nationally televised, 10-round exhibition bout. To the surprise of his son and friends, Rocky agrees to come out of retirement and face an opponent who’s faster, stronger and thirty years his junior. With the odds stacked firmly against him, Rocky takes on Dixon in what will become the greatest fight in boxing history, a hard-hitting, action-packed battle of the ages.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about Rocky Balboa on Fresh Kernels.
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