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Features: DVD, Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 1.85:1, Special Edition, Anniversary Edition
Loaded with special DVD features, Rocky is the film that inspired a nation -- and won Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director! Audiences everywhere cheered this American success story of an "everyman" triumphing over all odds. As boxer Rocky Balboa (in a screenplay penned by the Italian Stallion himself!), Sylvester Stallone comes out swinging with his heart, humor and unforgettable power. Rocky is a Philadelphia club fighter who seems to be going nowhere. But as fate would have it, World Heavyweight Champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) chooses him to be his next opponent. For Creed, the match is little more than an exhibition, but for Rocky it's a shot at the big time. While preparing for the bout under the watchful eye of his trainer (Burgess Meredith), Rocky romances Adrian (Talia Shire), a shy young woman who exposes the tenderness beneath his tough exterior. Their love blossoms as the fight approaches, giving Rocky even more strength and purpose to "go the distance" against his brutal adversary. Featuring a dynamic musical score, a thrilling fight sequence and four Oscar-nominated performances, this rousing crowd-pleaser will send spirits soaring. Fighting for love, glory and self-respect, Rocky scores an exultant knockout!
"Intense portrayal of the American dream." VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever
"Knockout!" Janet Maslin, Newsweek
Editor's Note
Director John G. Avildsen's ROCKY is the stand-up-and-cheer saga of Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), an underdog boxer who gets his million-to-one shot at love, self-respect, and the world heavyweight title. Rocky is a down-on-his-luck Philadelphia southpaw who works at a meat-packing factory while fighting at a local club. He's given the chance of a lifetime when the world heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), chooses him as an unlikely opponent in his championship bicentennial fight. What was originally planned as a publicity stunt becomes a chance for Rocky to prove himself as a prizefighter while training with his cantankerous manager, Mickey (Burgess Meredith), to rise to the challenge. Thrilling scenes of Rocky's arduous training, including his unforgettable run up the Philadelphia Art Museum steps, are interspersed with a sweet and touching love story between the fighter and his best friend's shy sister, Adrian (Talia Shire). With the love of Adrian on his side, Rocky struggles to overcome the odds, fighting with all his heart in the glorious and brutal finale. Shot with gritty realism on the mean streets of Philadelphia, ROCKY introduced a new American cinematic hero, spurred on by rollicking action sequences and a rousing soundtrack. A triumph for star and screenwriter Stallone, who himself came from nowhere to reach the top, ROCKY is crowd-pleasing entertainment at its finest.
Plot Summary
In ROCKY, a young boxer from Philadelphia rises from obscurity to get a shot at the world boxing championship.
| Features | Original Theatrical Trailer | | Tribute to James Crabe | | Audio Commentary with the Director, Producer and Cast | | Original Advertising Materials | | 33-Min. Commentary with Sylvester Stallone | | "Behind-the-Scenes" With Director Jon Avildsen Featurette, INcludes Never-Before-Seen Footage | | Tribute to Burgess Meredith |
| Entertainment Reviews
 | Rocky - DVD Review By: Chris Cabin - filmcritic.com DVD Reviews Published on: 5/1/2009 5:39 PM | |
With Rocky, cinematographer Jimmy Crabe worked with director John G. Avildsen to rethink the look of the city of Philadelphia. Consisting of a scant few shots of the familiar monuments and parks, Crabe, who was later diagnosed with and succumbed to AIDS in 1989, turned the city into miles of sleet-swept streets, soiled corner stores and nausea-green gymnasiums where wannabe athletes spend their time until they make their way to any of the dozen cheap basement bars scattered throughout the terrain. If the star of Rocky is Sylvester Stallone, his co-star is the atmosphere of cold and piteous hope that cultivates around the titular amateur boxer....read the full review |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Fox Home Entertainment |
| Release Date: 4/24/2001 |
| Running Time: 119 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1976 | | Catalog ID: 1001736 | | UPC: 00027616860361 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English, French Dubbed, Spanish Dubbed | | Available Subtitles: French, Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | 1.85:1 |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Oscar (1977) |  | John G. Avildsen, Winner, Best Director | | Scott Conrad, Richard Haley, Winner, Best Film Editing | | | Sylvester Stallone, Nominee, Best Actor |
| Memorable Quotes| "Your nose is broken."----Mickey (Burgess Meredith)|"How does it look?"----Rocky (Sylvester Stallone)|"Ah, it's an improvement."----Mickey | | "Why do you wanna fight?"----Adrian (Talia Shire)|"Because I can't sing or dance."----Rocky | | "I can't beat him. But that don't bother me. The only thing I want to do is to go the distance, that's all. Because if that bell rings and I'm still standing, then I'm gonna know for the first time in my life, see, that I wasn't just another bum from the neighborhood."----Rocky | | "Yo, Adrian!"----Rocky |
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| | Professional Reviews | Entertainment Weekly
"...Writer-star Sylvester Stallone's parable of redemption remains not only the sports-film paragon but one of the most successful low-budget movies ever..." 01/11/2002 p.36Total Film
"...A pure pugilistic fairytale..." 11/01/2003 p.129 Premiere
"[S]triking a blow for underdogs with more heart than smarts, and bringing apple-pie values and feel-good endings back into vogue." 12/01/2003 p.12 Uncut
4 stars out of 5 -- "A fine, scuffed, sweaty slab of romantic pulp sentimentalism." 03/01/2007 p.122 The Motion Picture Guide 10 of 10
Rocky was a stunning picture that combined sentiment with action... There's no question that we have to find Stallone appealing. He's sweet, simple and good-hearted. The odds are definitely stacked against him from the outset and his goal is not a selfish one. He doesn't much care about becoming the champion. All he wants is self-respect. It adds up to a movie that made nothing but money for the producers and catapulted a near-unknown to superstar status...
BoxOffice 8 of 10
...the acting is generally fine and Stallone and Burgess Meredith are superb.. John G. Avildsen's direction is sharp and plays the satiric ingredients, as well as the more poignant qualities, to maximum effect.
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