However, the fact that Rocky has aged and is not his former spry self is hot hidden, nor celebrated, but treated in a very true and realistic way. The fact that everyone grows older and fades from the spotlight serves as the backbone of this film and as Rocky's greatest challenger.

At the start of the film, we learn that Rocky's beloved Adrian has passed away. He now owns and operates an Italian restaurant back in his true home of Philadelphia which is named in her honor. He entertains his customers by recounting old boxing stories and posing for pictures. However, we soon see that the brief conversations that he holds with his fans cannot fill the void of real conversations and true friendships in his life. He longs to be closer with his son and his brother-in-law, and the emptiness left by his wife's passing are almost too much to bear.

Meanwhile, others close to him have their own battles to face. His son (Milo Ventimiglia, now popular as Peter Petrelli in the Heroes television series) struggles with forming his own identity in the midst of his father's shadow. His brother-in-law, Paulie (Burt Young), attempts to drown his sadness from his sister's death and his own perceived inadequacies in life with alcohol.

When ESPN holds a computer-simulation fight between the current heavyweight champion, Mason "The Line" Dixon (Antonio Tarver), and the former, legendary Rocky, a debate quickly ensues as to who is the greatest of all time. Rocky, who is fighting to lift himself out of his depressive slump, considers getting back into the ring for a promotional charity event. Though he has many who try to keep him from fighting again, there is one who believes in him...his new love interest, Marie (Geraldine Hughes). Eventually, the stage is set for one last showdown.

What I really liked about this movie was its realism. Every subject dealt with in this movie is treated in a very authentic way. The struggles that each character goes through in this movie feel as though they could be faced by any one of us, or the guy next door. The love story that is featured is tentative and very respectful to the memory of Adrian. It also gives a very honest glimpse of what a second love is like for a widow or widower.

I also loved the fact that Rocky doesn't take himself too seriously. Like Rocky always would, he gives everything his all, but he doesn't need to win in order to be successful. In this, he tells us all that the fight, the stand, the effort is what we should strive for and by what we should measure our triumph. Perhaps the most touching metaphor used in the film is his selection of a dog. He goes to a pound with Marie's son, Steps (James Francis Kelly III), and selects an elderly dog who probably only has a couple of years left in life and is correspondingly one which no one else wants. They wind up naming the dog "Punchy." It seems to fit the central theme of the movie: that being able to take a punch and keep standing (or stand back up) is what it is all about. One of the most lighthearted (and also the most insightful) moments in the movie features Rocky and Punchy going for a run and Punchy barely able to keep up.

Finally, I loved the way in which the boxing match was filmed. It uses all of the graphics and narration used in boxing matches on TV today, giving it a sense of authenticity as well as a fresh twist to former Rocky movies.

In short, I think that Rocky Balboa is one of the greatest Rocky movies. I am not ready to name which one is the best (my daughter and I watched all five before going to see this sixth one) for each has its strong points and sources of inspiration. I know that seeing this movie at the time that I did helped to inspire me to stand up for myself at work which eventually resulted in a new position. My only real complaint with the film itself would be that Rocky's boxing opponent, Mason "The Line" Dixon, isn't all that interesting when compared to such former Rocky opponents such as Apollo Creed and Clubber Lang. But this is a unique, fresh, and pragmatic look at an American, albeit fictional, icon that should be seen by all.

Get inspired by Rocky on last time.