it ain't over till.... an hour after it starts

Well, I saw it.

And the verdict is a thumbs up.

For the real Rocky fans who have seen each of the movies numerous times, its a closing chapter for the series. It brings back plenty of old characters and old story lines quite nicely and brings in some great new dialogue about the mental make-up of an athlete in the real world and being a man and a father. The only problem I had with the movie is that it was way too short. None of the new story lines got very well developed and the next thing you know you have a 5 min training sequence and a 10 min fight and the movie is over. It was almost like an extended preview of the real movie. Maybe there will be an extended version DVD with a directors cut or something, is all I can hope for. It left me anticipating watching some of the original movies to get more of my Rocky fix. Probably the underlying motive of the movie in the first place.

The sports guy didn't give it a very good rating, but I think its because he was reading too much into the background of sylvester stallone's real life. I don't understand when people bring the real lives of the actors into the movies and let them ruin them for you. Remember, its all a big show, its not real. Why can't people just pretend that they don't know that Tom Cruise, Sylvester Stallone, Angelina Jolie, Joh Travolta, Mel Gibson, etc aren't whackos. A lot of people also let it effect their enjoyment of their older movies as well. Its acting people, use your damn imaginations for a minute or two. They get paid a lot of money because they are good at it, so just put your real life in your pocket for two hours and enjoy story time, they'll still be crazy when the movie is over.

And......Rocky still does the best boxing action shots. There's not many boxing movies I can think of besides raging bull and cinderella man and million dollar baby; but Rocky has the best shots of the boxing action. I think its because its no frills. You feel like you are watching an actual fight, not some garbage "wow, I feel like I am in the ring" shots that move to fast to catch anything but a feeling like "what am I seeing?/I feel nauseus". Rocky makes you feel like you are watching Rocky, not the living in the actual character of Rocky. Remember directors: a movies job is to "show" a story, not some impossible attempt at virtual reality. There is no justice you can do an actual fight by trying to put a camera in the ring and see through the boxers eyes, just show the action for christmas sake.

Speaking of christmas, the only christmas song I can really feel in the mood for is the Linuses song for "Christmas Time is Here" from Peanuts. Simple pianos and soft singing. Puts me right in the mood without making me feel nauseus.

Isn't it funny, that Christmas decorating and celebrating start as early as humanly possible, but as soon as the clock strikes midnight on Christmas day its like the holiday never even happened? No more christmas music or store decorations. You would think that a holiday that people can't wait to start would be a holiday that people wouldn't want to end.

This Post Written While listening to: Led Zeppelin: Physical Graffiti