"Hate It or Love It the Underdog's on Top" by Tia Stevens

Dir. John G. Avildsen

Feat. Sylvester Stallone (Rocky), Burgess Meredith (Micky), Carl Weathers (Apollo Creed), Talia shire (Adrian), and Burt Young (Paulie)

MGM, 1976

The 1976 film, Rocky, is the perfect embodiment of the American Dream; where even an underdog can strive for glory regardless of the circumstances. Rocky is a meticulous [word choice?] romance, wrapped into a boxing drama, topped off with a story of self-discovery. The film showcases added exhilaration after rocketing Sylvester Stallone (Rocky) into momentary super-stardom, even after all the odds were set against him. Overall, Rocky depicts the American Dream coming true in real life through a rich work of fiction.

In the opening of the film, we meet Rocky Balboa (Stallone), a mediocre boxer based in Philadelphia. He can be seen fighting a man by the name of "Spider Rico" in an underground match, in which Rocky wins.  Having never dedicated himself to the sport, Rocky is not quite giving up on his dream, but gradually realizing that at 30 years old, he may be getting too old to succeed. He makes ends meet by accepting "muscleman" assignments from loan shark Tony Gazzo (Joe Spinnell), but even that doesn't seem to work for Rocky's "nice guy" persona. As the film progresses we can see that although Rocky has companionship with a few people, like Paulie (Burt Young), he is lonely. This leads to the eventual finesse (?) of Paulie's sister, the one and only, painfully shy, Adrian (Talia Shire).

In rejoice of America's bicentennial and as a result of the top-ranked contender suffering an injury just weeks before the scheduled bout, world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) and promoter George Jergens (Thayer David) decide to give an unknown "lucky" fighter a shot at the title  -  and as you may have already have assumed, Rocky Balboa, the "Italian Stallion" is chosen. With only a few short weeks to train [good], Rocky dedicates himself to get in shape and embarks on a debilitating (?) fitness regime with the help of his old manager Mickey (Burgess Meredith). As the fight approaches, romance blossoms between Rocky and Adrian, and strains develop in the friendship with Paulie. Nevertheless though, the show must go on.

Fifteen rounds and countless brutal blows later, Creed and Balboa's fight comes to a close. Both men had sustained some pretty serious injuries, including a broken nose for Rocky and internal bleeding on Apollo's end. Everyone was in a frenzy, including broadcasters, fans, and friends. The film ends with Apollo seeming to be the "victor", but if you ask me, I think Rocky won just as much as Creed did. Not only did he go the entire distance, but he discovered himself and realized that love is answer. So despite not winning the match, Rocky is still a champion in the eyes of the viewers, and that's all that matters.

In conclusion, even 40 years after its release, Rocky is an American classic. Personally, I enjoyed watching the movie and watching Rocky grow throughout the film. It was visually appealing. I feel as if everyone has to watch this movie at least once. It tells the story of life through dedication, and it's among the rarity of films that get their priorities straight and shares a positive message: the determination needed to love is much more important than the grit required to fight. Rocky is more than just an old film. It captivates the viewer and teaches a very necessary life lesson at the same time. Incredible.

Tia,

This is a competent first draft; however,  it is a little heavy on recall/retell  -  recounting plot details. I would like to see you revise this to include more analysis esp. in terms of film terms and techniques, and more opinion earlier on (you do a nice job expressing your opinions in your conclusion).  Looking forward to reading more from you.

Best, 
Monahan