Rocky flat out works. Looking at it on paper it's hard to believe such a thing. The classic underdog story, the fight against overwhelming odds, the love story, all of it is based in familiarity & cliche. Rocky just shouldn't work nearly as well as it does. But it does, and more then you'd think it would. The execution of Rocky is nothing short of brilliant. John G. Avildsen's strong direction & Sylvester Stallone's charming, down to earth, dialogue propels Rocky to something beyond cliche. Stallone spent years trying to sell his screenplay because he probably believed he had something special, and that sort of determination & love can be seen in his title character. For all the laughs that can be had at Rocky Balboa's expense it's hard to say that he's a bad character. He's got the right amount of charm, weaknesses, believability & likability to make for one hell of a character. And he isn't the only strong character to be found. There's Mickey, looking to recapture the fame that escaped him in his youth as he lives his life vicariously through Rocky, Paulie, looking for a better life to live, and Adrian, looking for someone to fall in love with. It's all of this that makes Rocky such a great experience. It's far more human that I'd ever thought it would be, having the type of "against all odds" story that most anyone can relate to. It's fantastic. (10/10)