--- title: "Rocky Balboa: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/rocky-balboa/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/rocky-balboa" critics_score: 61 critics_reviews: 14 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Rocky Balboa (2006): what the critics said Critics' score 61 from 14 reviews: 8 positive, 2 mixed, 4 negative. Most critics come away warmer than they expected. Eight of the fourteen reviews are positive, and the praise clusters in two places: Stallone’s performance, which several call his best work in years, and the decision to strip the series back to the small-scale, grimier feel of the original. The widowed, ageing Rocky, the conversations about the past and the melancholy tone are what win the film its goodwill, with the training montage and the final fight judged to deliver what the series promises. The reservations are about the premise and the pace. Several critics find a near-sixty-year-old returning to the ring hard to swallow, and the first half is called slow and sentimental, with some overwritten speeches. The spread is wide. The Guardian mocks the film’s bid for dignity, the Los Angeles Times calls it a recycling of greatest hits, and Slant finds the solemnity turgid where it wants extravagance. Time Out settles for glorified TV special. The later retrospective pieces are gentler, crediting the years between entries with adding weight. ## Empire — Ian Freer Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 2 January 2007. The film is both terrible and brilliant, remaining simple, sentimental and cocksure while recapturing the original's gritty feel and emotional moments through Stallone's affection for the character. It excels in nostalgia, training montages and the final fight's hyper-real pugilism despite some overwritten speeches and fuzzy motivation. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/rocky-balboa-review/) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 17 December 2006. The critic praises it as a stirring, grounded character drama and the most emotionally resonant in the series since the original, highlighting Stallone's best performance in years. They single out the relatable tale of aging and family relationships. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/rocky-balboa/4029971.article) ## The AV Club — Jesse Hassenger Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 17 December 2015. Rocky Balboa is part of the grittier, more melancholy phase of the series, picking up with a nearly 60-year-old Balboa who has lost his wife and gets an unexpected new shot at proving himself. It does this stuff better than Rocky V, gaining emotional heft from the years accumulated between entries. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-rocky-series-became-a-stallone-biography-with-a-gre-1798287392) ## Variety Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 15 December 2006. The review finds that time away has done the franchise good, leading to a surprisingly satisfying third-act bout after a slow start. The critic singles out the return to the grimier, small-scale sensibility of the original and the effective build toward the final fight for praise. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2006/film/reviews/rocky-balboa-1117932317/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — The Associated Press Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 15 December 2006. The low-key, stripped-down production defies expectations by capturing the heart and soul of the original Rocky. Stallone's grass-roots approach and use of real locations reconnects with the character's endearing qualities, though the film hits some rocky patches in the ring scenes. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/review-rocky-balboa-146694/) ## The New York Times — Stephen Holden Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2006. The critic finds the film surprisingly not an embarrassment and notes that it goes the distance in spite of itself as a raw-boned fable with all heart. The critic singles out the enduring appeal of the character and his philosophy of the ring as what gives the story its modest credibility. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/20/movies/20rock.html) ## The Times — James Christopher Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 24 January 2007. The critic praises the melancholy tone and Stallone's commitment to the character, noting that only the most stony-hearted would deny the veteran beefcake one last shot. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/europe-travel/italy/rocky-nlv67rj69zp) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 19 January 2007. The critic finds the premise of a 60-year-old Rocky returning to the ring wildly implausible and mocks the film's attempt at dignity, noting Stallone's aged appearance and the familiar training montage. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/jan/19/actionandadventure) ## Time Out — Trevor Johnston Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 15 January 2007. The review finds the film sluggish and sentimental but acknowledges Stallone's likeable presence and nostalgic appeal, ultimately calling it a glorified TV special and suggesting it's time to move on. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/rocky-balboa-2) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2006. The critic views the film as one for gluttons for punishment and Stallone fans, describing it as a museum of Stallonic technology recycling greatest hits. The critic singles out the lack of fresh ideas and the absurdity of the premise as major complaints. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-dec-20-et-rocky20-story.html) ## Slant Magazine — Nick Schager Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 16 December 2006. The modest, character-driven early section exhibits a maturity absent from the cartoonish earlier sequels, but the earnest, flashback-riddled tale is thoroughly unnecessary. The real disappointment is that potential for entertaining extravagance is buried within its turgid solemnity. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/rocky-balboa/) ## Eye for Film — Scott Macdonald Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 5 January 2007. The critic finds Rocky Balboa a sad, somber and thoughtful film, the best in the series for decades, with Stallone delivering some of his finest work as an inarticulate but passionate and lovable Rocky grappling with loss. It excels in emotional conversations about the past and delivers the expected training and fight sequences with heart, though it includes implausible plotting and gooey reminiscing. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/rocky-balboa-film-review-by-scott-macdonald) ## Consequence Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 23 November 2015. The first half is overly realistic and stalls on delivering the expected persevering fun of prior Rocky films. It ultimately becomes a traditional Rocky sequel with emotional payoff in the later sections. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2015/11/yo-adrian-i-did-it-i-watched-all-five-rocky-sequels/) ## The Skinny — Keir Hind Rating ★★★. 10 February 2007. The film follows the familiar Rocky formula with an older Balboa getting another shot at glory after running a restaurant and mourning his wife. It is smartly written with gentle laughs and entertaining if predictable, serving as an appropriate swan-song for the character. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/rocky-balboa) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/rocky-balboa.md