Rocky: Heavyweight Collection (1976-2006)

Movie Info
Director: John G. Avildsen
Writer: Sylvester Stallone
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith, Thayer David
Genres: Sport, Drama

File Info
Duration: 1 h 59 min
File Size: 3.31 GB
Video Encoder: H.265 HEVC | x265 @ 1986 Kbps
Video Resolution: 1920 x 1040 (Pixels)
Audio 1: Main Track: 5.1 English DTS @ 1509 Kbps, 48.0 kHz, 24 bits
Audio 2: Commentary by Sylvester Stallone: 2.0 English AC-3 @ 192 Kbps
Audio 3: Commentary by director John G. Avildsen, producers Irwin Winkler, Robert Chartoff, actors Talia Shire, Carl Weathers, Burt Young and steadicam inventor Garret Brown: 2.0 English AC-3 @ 192 Kbps
Subtitle: English

Review (From Blu-ray.com)
As anyone who's seen the film knows, Rocky is not about boxing, just as Field of Dreams is not really about baseball. With few exceptions, sports films in general are less about the game being played, and more concerned with the game of life, and the universal themes of perseverance, hard work, and dedication. In this way, Rocky is just as archetypal as Star Wars, offering up a near-mythological tale of the underdog, an everyman of the streets who, to use an appropriate sports metaphor, wrestles with self-worth, missed opportunities, and the cruelty of fate.

Even if you've never seen Rocky, you could probably guess the plot. The Italian Stallion is a struggling boxer—emphasis on struggling—who, by a stroke of luck, gets a once-in-a- lifetime shot at the world heavyweight title. The against-all-odds story is as old as narrative itself, and the idea of the underdog athlete going up against a well trained, alpha-male opponent is a staple of cinematic sports that's been seen in everything from Rudy to The Bad News Bears. Where Rocky differentiates itself, however, is in its devotion to character over action. There are two boxing matches in the film, one at the beginning and one at the end. The two fights bookend Rocky, giving it context, but the rest of the film is an exploration of Rocky himself, a man with very real fears, insecurities, and sensitivities. Some of my favorite moments in the film are the most mundane, the affection that Rocky has toward animals, for instance, or the lazy, character-building laps around the ice rink that he takes with Adrian (Talia Shire), the pet shop clerk who is herself a caged bird in need of freeing. The two share an unlikely chemistry that works precisely because so much time is spent nurturing it. When Rocky confides to Adrian that all he wants to do is "go the distance" with Apollo Creed, the defender of the title, and simply prove that he isn't "just another bum from the neighborhood," we feel the weight of this exchange, knowing that Rocky has, rightly or wrongly, staked his self- worth and masculinity on his ability to last 15 rounds in the ring.

Rocky's story is, for all intents and purposes, that of Sylvester Stallone, a struggling actor/writer who had $106 in the bank when he sold the script for Rocky to the producers. And you get a sense, in watching his performance, that Stallone knew that Rocky was his once-in-a-lifetime shot. He's no Brando—"Yo, Adrian!" can never match the plaintive cry of "Stella!"—but a lot of the early comparisons that Stallone garnered because of Rocky were favorable and deserved. He carries the character with a dim-witted eloquence, loping through the streets like everybody's best friend. Even his voice, a laconic and lobotomized intonation, has become cultural shorthand for the slow but good-natured. Stallone has certainly had his share of stardom, but it is interesting to imagine an alternate timeline in which he pursued more dramatic roles after Rocky, instead of veering into action-hero territory. Still, it's hard to ignore the iconography that he single-handedly created in Rocky, and in its can-do, stand up and fight, can't keep a good man down spirit, it's hard to think of a more characteristically American film.


Movie Info
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Writer: Sylvester Stallone
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith, Tony Burton
Genres: Sport, Drama

File Info
Duration: 1 h 59 min
File Size: 2.71 GB
Video Encoder: H.265 HEVC | x265 @ 1680 Kbps
Video Resolution: 1920 x 1040 (Pixels)
Audio: Main Track: 5.1 English DTS @ 1509 Kbps, 48.0 kHz, 24 bits
Subtitle: English

Storyline
After club fighter Rocky Balboa goes the distance with heavyweight champ Apollo Creed, boxing fans clamor for a rematch. But Rocky, having sustained massive injuries in the bout, announces his retirement. He concentrates on his relationship with Adrian, marrying her and attempting to settle into the routine of family life. But as Rocky tries to make a new start for himself, he realizes that he can't escape his true calling. The ring beckons once more, and the "Italian Stallion" must prepare for the fight of his life.



Movie Info
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Writer: Sylvester Stallone
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith, Tony Burton
Genres: Sport, Drama

File Info
Duration: 1 h 39 min
File Size: 2.96 GB
Video Encoder: H.265 HEVC | x265 @ 2949 Kbps
Video Resolution: 1920 x 1040 (Pixels)
Audio: Original Main Track: 5.1 English Lossless DTS-HD MA (Unknown bitrate)
Subtitle: English

Storyline
As Rocky Balboa fights his way into the hearts of millions, life couldn't be better. He scores ten consecutive wins, lands lucrative endorsement contracts, and becomes famous throughout the world. But when Clubber Lang K.O's Rocky in a humiliating defeat, it becomes apparent that the"Italian Stallion" has lost his edge. Considering hanging up his gloves, Rocky receives encouragement from an unlikely ally: his old nemesis, Apollo Creed. With Creed's help, Rocky strives to regain the "eye of the tiger" before confronting Lang in a grueling rematch for the world heavyweight championship.



Movie Info
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Writer: Sylvester Stallone
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Brigitte Nielsen, Tony Burton
Genres: Sport, Drama

File Info
Duration: 1 h 31 min
File Size: 2.56 GB
Video Encoder: H.265 HEVC | x265 @ 2409 Kbps
Video Resolution: 1920 x 1040 (Pixels)
Audio: Main Track: 5.1 English DTS @ 1509 Kbps
Subtitle: English

Storyline
Rocky proudly holds the world heavyweight boxing championship, but a new challenger has stepped forward: Drago, a six-foot, six-inch, 240-pound fighter who has the backing of the Soviet Union. This time, Rocky’s training regimen takes him to icy Siberia, where he prepares for a globally-televised match in the heart of Moscow. But nothing can truly prepare him for what he’s about to face — a powerfully charged fight to the finish in which he must defend not only himself, but also the honor of his country!



Movie Info
Director: John G. Avildsen
Writer: Sylvester Stallone
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Sage Stallone, Burgess Meredith, Tommy Morrison
Genre: Sport, Drama

File Info
Duration: 1 h 44 min
File Size: 2.05 GB
Video Encoder: H.265 HEVC | x265 @ 1255 Kbps
Video Resolution: 1920 x 1040 (Pixels)
Audio: Main Track: 5.1 English DTS @ 1509 Kbps
Subtitle: English

Storyline
Upon returning home from his latest triumph, Rocky learns that all of his money has been lost by an unscrupulous financial advisor. To make matters worse, his fight related injuries force his retirement from the ring. So, Rocky, his wife Adrian and his son Rocky, Jr. move to their old low-rent neighborhood in South Philadelphia. There, the fighter must resolve the deep-rooted resentment held by his son, a bitterness that grows when Rocky trains Tommy Gunn, a young boxer who soon rises to national prominence. When Tommy turns against his mentor and publicity taunts him, Rocky knows he must fight once more.



Movie Info
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Writer: Sylvester Stallone
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young, Antonio Tarver, Geraldine Hughes, Milo Ventimiglia, Tony Burton
Genres: Action, Sport, Drama

File Info
Duration: 1 h 41 min
File Size: 3.37 GB
Video Encoder: H.265 HEVC | x265 @ 2945 Kbps
Video Resolution: 1920 x 1038 (Pixels)
Audio 1: Main Track: 5.1 English DTS @ 1509 Kbps
Audio 2: Commentary by Sylvester Stallone: 2.0 English AC-3 @ 192 Kbps
Subtitle: English

Review (From Blu-ray.com)
Rocky Balboa is, quite simply, one of the most iconic film characters in history. The original Rocky from 1976 was a passionate story of a simple and kind-hearted man who aspired to greatness. While Rocky was a deserving winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, Rocky has appeared in six films of varying quality. Rocky Balboa is the final film of the series and brings the thirty year Rocky saga to its final conclusion.

In Rocky Balboa, the Italian Stallion has retired from fighting, is in his fifties and is mourning the recent death of his beloved Adrian. Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) now owns an Italian restaurant in his old Philadelphia neighborhood where he entertains his customers with stories of his former glories in the boxing ring. Something, however, is haunting Rocky… his estrangement from his son, old friends from his past and a sense of unfinished business in life compel him to seek out one last triumph in the ring.

It was striking to me when Rocky Balboa hit theaters, just how many film reviews labeled the film as "cheesy." Have we really become that jaded? Rocky Balboa is a sweet-hearted film that is very much in the same vein as the original Rocky from 1976. This is an inspirational story that has a lot to say and says it very well. I was thoroughly entertained and, frankly, touched by the film. Director, screenwriter and star Sylvester Stallone, makes a profound statement with Rocky Balboa. He addresses the fears of aging, accomplishment and family with a wonderfully written script and a well crafted film that, in my opinion, gives a fitting and downright classy resolution to Rocky as a character. In preparation for viewing Rocky Balboa, I also revisited the original Rocky. I highly recommend re-watching the original before watching this film. It was a great refresher and reminded me of a lot of scenes and characters I would need to remember to truly appreciate Rocky Balboa.

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