Rocky Balboa

Sylvester Stallone directs and stars, but the decisive choice is how the bout is photographed. The walk up and first two rounds were shot on high definition video like a pay per view broadcast; the later rounds return to the film language of the earlier Rocky pictures. Real names fill the ringside: Jim Lampley, Larry Merchant and Max Kellerman commentating, Michael Buffer announcing, Joe Cortez refereeing, Mike Tyson and promoter Lou DiBella as themselves. Roy Jones Jr. was wanted for the opponent; when the calls went unreturned the part went to professional boxer Antonio Tarver. Unlike the earlier films the fight was not choreographed and the punches were real, so swelling and nosebleeds arrived ahead of the script and broke continuity. Shooting ran 38 days between December 2005 and January 2006 across Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Philadelphia, on a budget of 24 million dollars, and the film took 155.9 million worldwide. An alternate ending in which Rocky wins was a separate extra on the first DVD; the theatrical cut has him lose on a split decision. A good fit if you want a fight that opens through a broadcast camera then shifts into film language. Not for you if you expect the ring quickly; the weight sits in the restaurant, at a graveside and around the old neighbourhood.