Movie Review: ROCKY BALBOA

As I settled into my theatre seat to watch "Rocky Balboa", the sixth and final installment in an initially cherished and later maligned franchise, my hopes were high and I was ready to cheer. Hyped by positive pre-release buzz, it seemed that Sylvester Stallone had finally recovered the magic that made him a star exactly thirty years ago. The original film, directed by John Avildsen (The Karate Kid), was sweet, tender, humble and authentic in tone – all qualities that each subsequent sequel la...