A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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Positive Messages
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Young champ is co*cky, Rocky is stalwart and sometimes sad (he visits his dead wife's grave several times); son rejects then accepts his father's "big shadow." The film promotes faith in yourself, hard work, and determination.
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Violence & Scariness
some
Boxing matches are tough, with lively camerawork, fast cuts, hard hits, and blood flying; Rocky threatens Marie's boyfriend.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
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Marie wears a tight top when she's with her mean boyfriend; chaste flirtation between Rocky and Marie.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
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Language
some
Mild language includes "damn" and "hell," as well as a racial slur (asked if he has a reservation for a restaurant, a drunk Paulie responds, "Do I look like a freakin' Indian?").
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.
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Products & Purchases
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Thematic: boxing is characterized as overly commercial; ESPN personalities make appearances.
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
some
Paulie smokes many cigars; Rocky's restaurant serves liquor; a drunk Paulie disrupts the restaurant one night.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that while Rocky Balboa is aimed more at adults (particularly longtime Rocky fans) than kids, it's fine for most tweens. The only real concern is the violence; there are several boxing matches, and they get bloody -- especially the final bout between Rocky and Dixon. The fights include aggressive editing and camera movement, as well as both slow- and regular-motion images of hits, injuries, and spurting blood. Rocky grieves his beloved Adrian's death and deals with his son's resentment (they argue a couple of times). Paulie smokes cigars in nearly every scene, drinks frequently, and is visibly drunk in a couple of scenes. Mild language ("hell" and "damn"), with Paulie making a derogatory "Indian" joke during one of his inebriated scenes. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
What's the Story?
Inspired once again by the memory of his beloved Adrian, 60-year-old ROCKY BALBOA comes out of retirement to fight the current world champion, an arrogant kid called Mason "The Line" Dixon (Antonio Carver), who embodies a business that's notoriously corrupt and dulled by mediocre talents. In other words, the time is right for Rocky's comeback -- he's positioned as the "authentic" fighter, compared to Dixon's commercial product. Though he's initially discouraged by his grumpy brother-in-law, Paulie (Burt Young), and resentful son, Rocky Jr. (Milo Ventimiglia), Rocky accepts Dixon's challenge. Believing that he still has "something in the basem*nt," Rocky begins training for an exhibition match in Vegas. He's encouraged by local bartender and single mom Marie (Geraldine Hughes), who suffers emotional abuse from her boyfriend (whom Rocky quickly scares off). With family and new friends assembled, Rocky goes into familiar, montage-y training mode, jogging in the streets, drinking raw eggs, and performing extremely athletic push-ups (not to mention revealing a frankly stunning physique).
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the film's resurrection of the Rocky mythology: Why is the ongoing story of a "regular" guy's success so enduring? Did the franchise need a sixth film? How do Rocky's slang and behavior indicate his class? Does that make his success more appealing to a wide audience? How does Adrian serve as inspiration even after her death? How do Rocky's good humor, humility, and determination all contribute to his appeal? Is he still as powerful a character now as he was in the first movie?
