“'Cause all I wanna do is go the distance. Nobody's ever gone the distance with Creed, and if I can go that distance, you see, and that bell rings and I'm still standin', I'm gonna know for the first time in my life, see, that I weren't just another bum from the neighborhood.”

The original Rocky is a very unconventional sports film in that it’s definitely a story more about opportunity and just going for it in life, rather than solely focusing on all the sports drama, the intense sports sequences, or, as the other Rocky sequels would go on to do, the fights. Rocky Balboa, played by Sylvester Stallone, who would go on to direct most of the sequels, is a guy who is simply trying to make the best out of his life by doing what he loves, which is boxing. He’s also really interested in this woman named Adrian, but her shyness makes it hard for her to connect with him. Eventually, a boxing champion by the name of Apollo Creed looks for a “no-name” fighter for his next opponent as a publicity stunt, and none other than Rocky is chosen.

The whole storyline about opportunity is pretty much why Rocky is such a special film to me, and one which I connect with so much. I believe we’ve all had our fair share of moments in life where we’ve strived to do more and tried to be better and improve on ourselves, but haven’t been given the opportunity, or simply have been or felt “stuck.” Rocky is such an inspirational film because we get to see this guy who is struggling in life but is always taking risks, even outside of his boxing career, and is also uplifting others in the process, when a lot of people in his situation would be bitter. Sylvester Stallone gives one of my favorite performances of all time here, portraying this guy who is extremely awkward, but also a very likable and compelling guy that you root for from the very beginning.

When it comes to Rocky and Adrian, I think that their eventual romance is easily one of my favorite relationships in film history simply because of how perfect they are for each other. Just as it’s said and also portrayed over the course of the film, Rocky isn’t the brightest but outgoing, while Adrian is very smart but also very shy, so they “fill each other's gaps.” Rocky’s outgoingness is exactly what Adrian needs in her life to push her to actually do something with it. Both characters are incredibly compelling because, depending on who you are, either one of them is relatable to you in a certain sense.

This film also has one of my favorite scores of all time, which definitely helps with the motivational and inspirational side of things. I thought that I would mention that “Gonna Fly Now,” “Going the Distance,” and “The Final Bell” are all on my gym playlist, not only because they are used in the best scenes of the movie, but because they pump me up with adrenaline every single time. Even the quieter and less energetic songs, though, are beautiful and portray feelings of sadness, loneliness, compassion, and joy so remarkably well.

The cinematography is also very much dirty-looking, but that’s the point. It’s efficient at capturing the look of the poverty-filled streets of Philadelphia, and adds more to the isolation of the stories and the main characters in that way. One thing I’ve noticed the more times I’ve watched this film is that the further it goes along, the cleaner it starts to look, and the same can be said for the rest of the series, too. I can’t state how much I love this creative choice, as it had to have been intentional, and reflected the internal development of Rocky himself.

As I’ve pretty much already said, Rocky is more of a story about opportunity rather than a pure sports film. However, it’s equally as fantastic when it is a sports movie as when it is a simpler and self-reflective story. The buildup to the fight is deliberately slow, but perfectly paced. No scene ends up feeling unnecessary, and is either compelling or furthers the development of the story and/or characters. Once we do eventually get closer to the climactic fight, it’s entirely earned and makes for some of the best emotional payoffs that I’ve personally ever seen in a movie, with the training montage and very final scene. The boxing match itself isn’t even over-the-top or super well-choreographed like it is in the later Rocky and especially Creed films, but it doesn’t really need to be. The match is much more character focused than it is just pure entertainment.

It’s also one of those films where I really don’t have anything mixed or negative to say about it. It does what it sets out to do quite perfectly in my opinion.