Rocky

One line review: It’s a tale that’s been told a thousand different ways, and yet Sylvester Stallone manages to make it entertaining.

Movie Title: Rocky

Actors: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith, Thayer David, Joe Spinell, Jimmy Gambina, Bill Baldwin, Al Silvani

Director: John G. Avildsen

Year: 1976

Genre: Drama

Method of Viewing: Netflix Instant Watch

Location of Viewing: Work

Viewing with: No One

Rotten Tomatoes: 93% – This story of a down-on-his-luck boxer is thoroughly predictable, but Sylvester Stallone’s script and stunning performance in the title role brush aside complaints.

My rating: ****

My assessment (the first 101 words at least): This movie surprised me in it’s ability to make me fascinated with it’s characters. In the end, there’s probably only 15 minutes of actual boxing in this movie, and yet I wasn’t bored in between. The characters of Adrian and Rocky fascinated me, and I enjoyed watching them evolve and change as the movie went on. I still feel that this movie isn’t as epic as people seem to remember. It actually feels completely inappropriate to be to call it epic, because this movie tells the incredible story of a nobody who became a somebody through his own will and strength.

Predator

One line review: Setting the record for number of one-liners in one movie!

Movie Title: Predator

Actors: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Elpidia Carrillo, Bill Duke, Jesse Ventura, Sonny Landham, Richard Chaves, R. G. Armstrong, Shane Black, Kevin Peter Hall

Director: John McTiernan

Year: 1987

Genre: Action / Adventure

Method of Viewing: Netflix Online

Location of Viewing: Home

Viewing with: No One

Rotten Tomatoes: 76% – “Predator” is a slightly above-average actioner that tries to compensate for tissue-thin-plot with ever-more-grisly death sequences and impressive special effects.

My rating: ** – An Okay Movie

My assessment (the first 101 words at least): Predator seems to be a popular movie only for it’s one liners and silly action scenes. It’s difficult for me to even understand why it’s been held up as such a classic movie. Even if you ignore the cliches (because again, it’s possible this movie invented them) it’s still a very straight forward, plain and simple action movie with cookie cutter characters and some lousy special effects. Maybe it was a mistake to see Die Hard right before Predator, because there is no comparison. Die Hard balance action, comedy, and interesting characters, while Predator is just generic action with boring characters.