Critical Drinker Doesn't Understand Rocky 

The first Rocky isn’t a boxing movie. It is a love story about a boxer.

The Drinker misunderstands that Rocky’s greatest strength was his vulnerability. He was insecure and was never shy to open up, which is an admirable trait. We love Rock because he represents what ANYBODY can be with luck and perseverance. He never believed in himself, until the people around him showed him how great he could have been. His grit came from his deep fears of failing the people he loved, not because he was a tough man. He didn’t even learn how to box properly because brawling is easier that taking the time to increase his skills, which is another reason so many blue collar people rallied behind him. He “got it out da mud,” so to speak…

I think you forgot a key scene in Rocky 5 when Rocky goes to the old gym and has the flashback where Mickey tells him he’s the reason for him to go on. He says little by little we lose everyone until we say what are we hanging around here for and that’s where we find Rocky at that point of giving up. It’s less giving up and more just being done and has nothing left to hang around for.

Years ago I watched his stuff, but his reviews eventually just became a movie is bad because its woke and a movie is good because its not woke.

I will die on this hill, literally no other franchise has a character who has remained as likeable as Rocky. I would genuinely watch a Rocky film that's based entirely around the running of his restaurant

"Rocky, please don't fight that alien on Mars." "I gotta do what I gotta do." "But there's no air on Mars." "Yeah?! That means there'll be none for him either."

I think there's something else that you and Drinker both missed - Adrian died of cancer in this story, and she tried fighting it with chemo. It was probably slow, drawn out and miserable, as death from cancer often is, and Rocky was there to experience every horrible moment of it. Rocky doesn't want to have Adonis watch him die like he watched Adrian die - that's why he lies and tells Adonis 'we're not family'. It's a misguided attempt to spare his new son figure from pain.

I think Drinker had it right when Rocky was a young man. People change with time. In Creed Rocky is still Rocky but he’s mellowed out with age. For me Rocky was done better than Luke in TLJ.

The fact that The Critical Drinker wrote novels makes me question my sanity. I’m not joking, he’s still writing his series to this day.

Rocky literally needs help from a character or a direct motivation in all of the Rocky movies, makes sense that he’d consider “giving up” at some point in creed

It's so strange no one mentions this But; Adrian and Bianca are the heart of the story.

You’re 💯% correct in your sentiments about Rocky and what the Critical Drinker missed! Adrian was Rocky’s world, it was through her he had the strength to become the man he was, Rocky 2, 3, and 4 showed constantly when Rocky trained. I love the speech Adrian gave Rocky in 3; when she said: “…after the smoke clears and everyone is through chanting your name, it’s just gonna be us!” That line meant so much since Rocky was so scared of losing everything, including Adrian if he lost to Clubber again. However those lines by Adrian gave Rocky the confidence to pull through. Yes Creed may have been a lazily rehash of the first “Rocky” but it gave him the push he needed to fight his cancer. Adonis was the perfect one to come fill the void in Rocky’s heart, the son of the man that went from rival to friend to brother!

As someone older who is lost loved ones in the past, I think you underestimate how men continue to grow and mature as they enter new stages of their lives. Yes, at some point we needed the love of a good woman to get our stuff together, but to think a man without his wife/sister/mom/daughter/partner can’t function … I am going to pass and agree with Drinker. In my case, I choose to live to honor those who stood by me, and yes there are days I want to quit or give up on life or the grind, but I find the strength to reinvent myself with no external motivation or person to be my source of motivation.

You are wrong. Rocky did the old man a favour by agreeing to have him as coach. He doesn't owe the coach his win. Because...Rocky lost the fight with Apollo. The point of Rocky 1 is that if given an opportunity you take it, and if you win you get respect. If you lose you still get respect because you agreed to fight against the odds. The point of the whole franchise is "going the distance." It means you don't care anymore about what rung of the ladder you are on, you are already at the bottom so you need to accept that you are not going to win but you can still lose less. It means facing up to the hard reality that you won't be fighting a fair fight, but who cares if this is your only option? May as well make the most out of the shitty deal you have rather than not do anything. 'Going the distance' in the context of running a marathon is when you see a fat guy trying to make the most out of the shitty situation and completes the race knowing he is coming last but choosing to complete it anyway. (rather than stopping after everyone else has crossed the finish line a long time ago) That's basically Rocky in a nutshell. So Critical Drinker is correct. It's not about those around him (that is the drama that needs to be there as movies need characters to interact with the main one so you understand his life better: he is poor, he is struggling, and he isn't supposed to be able to escape his situation) so much as what decision he makes: "I choose to go the distance". There is a similar story arc in Naruto (popular manga about ninja clans) where the main character is mocked by the village but he isn't going to worry what his status is because he makes it clear he has ambitions and is aware his current situation is that he is low status compared to the others. Rocky is similar but the ambition is choosing to not quit when the opportunity comes. He makes the final choice, nobody else. (they can only advise him but it's Rocky who must make the choice) So the story is about HIM. Otherwise you would see side stories featuring only Adrian, only Paulie, only the coach, etc but that's not the point of the Rocky franchise. The point is atheletes need to find it within themselves to do things regardless of the return on investment and for their own personal growth reasons not for material gain. A poor guy obviously needs the money but it's not what makes a man 'tough'. It's the STRUGGLE to get out of your situation that makes you tough. You cannot be tough without struggle. And you cannot escape your current situation until you act on decision and make the most out of the opportunity. The first movie is not the same as the other movies. (rocky balboa was an attempt to reboot the story back to the first Rocky movie again by focusing on younger people: the younger generation is entitled and thinks the present day was a result of laying back and doing nothing. No all that you have you owe to people that came before you. So why not make the most of life rather than whining that yours sucks? It's a gift and this message is the root of why people like the first movie.) I believe Stallone himself understands the underdog a lot because there are people in sports that simply do not care about the stats and just want to fight no matter the damage to their career or personal health because they choose to fight anyone because every loss helps them grow in some way. Knowing what makes you fail actually teaches you something about yourself so you can improve. There is a need to accept what you are currently so you can adapt and move to a new level once you understand your weakness. It's the law of average: more fights = more experience, which leads to better skill as you sharpen it against people better than yourself. You don't get better at chess playing against people worse than you at the game. You get better playing against people smarter than you at the game and learn from your losses and come back a little bit less crap at the game the next time. If Rocky loses or wins, that is not important. What is important is going the distance. Putting 100% no matter what happens. The first movie is not about winning since the coach and all Rocky's support network failed to get Rocky his victory. But it was a close fight since Apollo did not expect the underdog to actually take the fight seriously. And that is because Rocky put in 100% no matter the result of the fight or how humiliating it is to go through. Just like the one fat guy who completes the marathon after so many others finished it before him. (the need to finish comes from a need to make the most out of the shit cards you are dealt in life)

I disagree with the part where you found Rocky’s speech to his son in Rocky Balboa to be “hypocritical”. Just before that speech, his son was complaining that the upcoming fight was going to make both of them look bad, especially since Robbie just started to make a name for himself. He had complained that everything he had was due to being Rocky Balboa’s Son, and the upcoming fight was going to make it worse. Robbie was complaining that his father’s “large shadow” was keeping him from developing into his own person; in effect, putting the blame for his own failures on Rocky’s shoulders. Rocky told his son what every child needs to know: you need to fight for what you want and not blame others for your failures (“you need to be willing to take the hits”; “that’s how winning is done”). So while Rocky did have the support group, and they gave him the push he needed for success, Robbie needed to simply be set straight as to why he’s not the success he thinks he should be: he wasn’t “willing to take the hits”. When Creed established that Robbie moved away, my guess was that he eventually took his dad’s speech to heart and was willing to go it alone “and take the hits”.

This is a good breakdown of the character but I disagree about the speech in Rocky Balboa. I don’t think Rocky is being hypocritical I think he’s just telling Robert to not be the kind of man he was and don’t let life’s hits keep him down like they did to him for so long. He wants Robert to be better than him.

Fun Facts: In the directors cut of Rocky Balboa it explains how Adrian really died. The Robot from Rocky 4 was having an affair with Adrian. During sexual intercourse, the robot accidentally discharged and electrucated her to death.

There is no Rocky 5. Moving right along...

So the entire Rocky story is about "my friends are my power"? *I always knew that Rocky was the best Anime*

Great analysis. I also saw the Drinkers video and i don't remember to disagree with him. As Stallone personally said a few times: Rocky is basically a love story. And the boxing environment is a metaphor for life. What works for Rocky is, that everybody can relate to this character. No seeking love in life, no special skills, struggling in life and the ring from round to round, hoping for the big life changing chance. Rocky is a rawmodel and shows us how to face difficult situations: Never give up, keep punching. The movie works also on many layers. With or without lovestory and that what makes for me very special. There are my few thoughts....

I'm currently going thru the Rocky movies. I didn't get what you said from the Mick scene. I felt like he was kicking Mick out cause he felt that Mick was trying to ride his coattails. The night before the fight, he tells Adrian that he knows that he's not gonna beat Creed. But everyone isn't expecting him to go the distance. So he needs to prove everyone wrong and last longer than anyone has. I think it's a testament to these movies that we can watch the same scene and see it differently.

Ignore the people trashing this video, i thought the points were well made and added up to a coherent and believable interpretation of the story.

Although i see the point of this video, I also kinda see Drinker's point as beeing "Rocky has learned all of this before, he has been at the brink of giving up and has learned the lesson of going the distance. Why do this again?"

I think a lot of people miss what is in my opinion the most crucial scene in the entire Rocky franchise; the "Alone in the Ring" scene. Night before his first fight with Apollo, he goes to the venue alone and is faced with his poster that depicts him wearing a wrong coloured shorts. After being hit with "it doesn't matter kid, I'm sure you'll give us a great show" by the promoter, he realises that he simply isn't going to win, that all odds are against him. But later when he comes home to Adrian, it's not her that convinces him to keep going, it is him who decides that all that matters is going the distance, proving to himself that he is not just another bum from the neighbourhood. That's where, in my opinion, his heart is truly shown and it was always within him. That's why I disagree with the notion that others always gave him his heart, instead of them being there to guide his heart in the right direction. In Creed, it's not that Rocky is faced with a challenge and is being supported by those that he loves. Instead, Rocky's character (which was previously established) is being changed to suit the narrative of the new story and it just feels sort of cheap. That's my two cents, but I respect everyone's right to an opinion, especially when it comes to art and movies. We all see it from our own perspective.

Great thesis. A glass can not refill itself it can only be refilled. Great line.

I liked the Drinkers take on things (as a drinker fan, I am biased), but you provided a bit more light to what he didn't. Thank you for that

the quest for clicks leads many astray

You missed the point of Rocky Balboa. The movie shows us that Rocky THINKS he’s going nowhere without Adrian. But once he realizes he still has his son, he wants to make sure he doesn’t go down the same path as he did. So he gives him a life lesson. He might be hypocritical but the thing is, everyone starts out flawed before they learn to become a better person. Great review though. I especially agree with your take on Rocky in Creed.

"We have to be in the midst of the action because were the warriors. And without some challenge or a war to fight,the warrior might as well be dead"-Apollo Creed to Rocky. I think critical drinker is right in the fact that "the fight" is in Rockys blood. But by Creed,Rocky has gotten to the point where living is a challenge. If he had something to live for,of course he would have fought cancer. But at this point,life isn't anything to fight for,so he might as well be dead. Critical drinker things he should fight cancer for the hell of it. Adonis just managed to tap into that warrior spirit and give Rocky a challenge and something to fight for. He also inspires Rocky to get over fears of mending his relationship with his son. Giving him a newfound reason to live by the end of Creed 2. Really hope Stallone comes back to these creed movies man. He got a good send off if he doesnt though.

To be fair, I don't understand Rocky either. Like, I need subtitles when he speaks. Also I love how this channel has 400 subs but almost 40K views in 9 days, lulz. The power of Critical Drinker. Edit: I haven't seen all the Rocky movies but I do think you make some good points. 👍

What people fail to realize is that rocky is a movie that features boxing but the whole prerogative is about what your really fighting for !? Without reason to fight your a husky of a man just like how we saw rocky in the beginning of his movie what a remarkable milestone in cinema history

The credits never role in real life. In real life, the story ends abruptly and the audience is often shocked into silence as they leave the theater.

Every year they played the movie on the art museum steps. Its great , every year it got better. I was featured in Rocky 2 running up the same steps. Sly even stepped on my foot during one take, "uh sorry kid", it ruled

Determination isn't a constant, everyone has self-doubt, and it ebbs and flows that's the point of Rocky, totally agree with you!

Thank you for this. The Critical Drinker gets it wrong most of the time. He never considers nuances and grey areas in his takes which always come off as basic and one sided to me.

Also the fact that in the first movie he initially turned down the Creed fight because he didn't think he was good enough to even go in the ring with him. Most of CD stuff nowadays is just him complaining about everything being "woke"

You're both correct. Rocky is created with many layers, so that you both can identify with different traits in him. Thorough out the movie, he jumps from one type to the other, because of how uncertain everything is. The Mick scene is a perfect example of this - You see it as Rocky going over to him, and humbly accepting his help, because he needs it (this might be true), while I see it as him doing this so that the old man can have another chance to spark his passion, and whatever happens, happens. The beauty of complex writing. To me, Rocky is doing Mick a favour.

i agree with the drinker and i agree with you, your just coming from different angles. The drinker sums up rocky's character perfectly and you've highlighted the people around him that allowed that character to shine, but remember that it was rocky's optimism to see the best in people that allowed those characters (adrian, paulie and mickey) to become the best versions of themselves when the rest of the world had overlooked them.

Another person brave enough to talk negatively about Critical Drinker, I respect that. I’m sorry you got some backlash here, I’ve been there and it sucks. You’re right in everything you’re saying. You have a great analysis here and truly understand the character. Don’t listen to the Critical Drinker fanboys, this video is great

Rocky always picks himself back up. But in the first four movies he had a reason to get back up. Mick, Apollo, Paulie, and most importantly Adrien. By Creed, he lost everyone who was in his corner to the March of time, death. So he had no one left to pick himself up for. He lost the will to fight. He’s never able to fight when his head isn’t in the right space. Adonis, being the son of his rival/best friend, gives him someone in his corner again. Someone to connect with. A piece of his past that comes in when he needs it the most. He only ever wins when he has the people in his life to fill in those gaps. His character in Creed isn’t diminished because he’s lost his will. He’s in a completely different stage in his life. One in which everyone who grows old can empathize with. Without being able to fight anymore, no connection with his estranged, adult son, Paulie and Apollo are gone, Adrien, his heart, his everything, he’s an empty man who doesn’t want to fight anymore. Critical Drinker missed the entire point of his character. It seemed like he just brushed over the surface of the character and missed the important points.

I have known drinkers content for some time. I use to agree with his points most of the time. When I've seen the title of this video I was thinking that will be another poor deconstructivist rant against Drinker. I was positively surprised when you started to adress his points more than just shit on his character. The only Rocky movie I watched was the original. And it was very recently. My recollection of that movie renders that you actually have stronger arguments for your interpretation. I think Drinker haven't seen the old Rocky movies from some time and just don't remember the core events of this movies. That Stallone's Oscar speech also change lots of people memories of what original themes were. I think Critical Drinker would agree with you when he see this video. Keep up the good work mate!

I thought the exact same thing when he talked about Rocky it felt like he was grasping at straws with that one. I do agree with other things he says but not in this regard

I think both of your views are correct to a point and the reality probably meets somewhere in the middle.

Okay, this is 100% true, but it also shows a distinction between Creed and Rocky. Rocky was a directionless man who had to find the eye of the tiger with the help of those around him, Creed had that motivation to begin with, he was a born fighter, who more needed to learn there was a life outside of that,

See, you understand it. But Drinker has so many fans that will discredit anyone who has a slightly different opinion

I actually agree with both of you. You're right on the Rocky front more or less (CD makes some good points) but his point about Rocky wasn't just about Rocky at a whole, Rocky was but 1 of about a dozen examples CD brought up. CD point was that modern hollywood seems obsessed with breaking down, minimizing, or belittling nearly EVERY one of our movie stars of yesteryear. Han Solo is a runaway bad father, Indiana Jones is a deadbeat father, Rocky ended up a quitter, Luke Skywalker thought about murdering his own nephew over a bad dream, Optimus Prime out here murdering humans and beheading a surrendering Megatron, etc etc.... there's more examples than i care to list. 1 after the other Hollywood treats our classic films of yesteryear as cheap launch pads for rebooted franchises, and instead of embracing the past, they seem obsessed with kind of belittling it and tearing it down to build on the ashes, rather than build on top of the heights of the past for something bigger and better.

Beautifully put , I absolutely agree, y'know !!

The worst part of Drinker is that you can see the potential he has for dissecting and explaining films and what makes them great in almost all his videos, but he always falls straight into whining about how modern films are to diverse or something without fail.

Rocky IV is alright....I like it. And there is nothing wrong with being proud of your country.

So essentially Rocky isn't a "Sigma" who would provide their own meaning, fuel and drive to themselves. And that's ok, most people aren't 100% self-sustained.

Part 2 He wanted to fight Apollo for title. It's Everyone around him telling him no. Adrian and Mickey. His eye was busted up remember. But he thought maybe he could win the title this time. Mickey tells him to except the outcome of the first fight. Then Apollo question himself now to. Then Adrian still was against Rocky fighting and she got sick and nearly died. I think anyone in position that loved their wife would said F &&* the fight. Then of course she told him it was ok and he trained minimal amount of time. But his will not to get knocked out and Creeds stubbornness to prove it to himself that he was better helped Rocky win.

the sad thing is that years ago, drinker before his channel was even the critical drinker, reviewed the original rocky and it was a really good review that explained why the film worked, making it so odd that he still ended up not understanding the character.

If you think his take on Creed was bad, just watch his review for Blade Runner 2049. It's even worse, that was the moment I stopped watching his videos. His takes are garbage.

Yeah, because relapses are an urban legend and a man who has lost his wife, his passion and has distant himself from the only family he has would never fall into a state of depression. Rocky is such a softy for giving up on life under those circumstances, am i right? Seriously though, i wonder sometimes if the dude is actually beyond wasted when he writes those scripts.

What I don't understand is why people can't seem to accept characters changing as a reault of drastic trauma in their lives. People are complex. Life is messy. Nobody is an unchanging robot. But mess with what people know and they call it "bad writing" or a "betrayal of the character" instead of what it is: character development. Why does Rocky have to be perfect? Why can't he choose to be tired and done with it all? Hasn't he earned it? Why does he have to keep going for you? And I can't help but draw comparisons to Luke in Episode VIII. Luke lost everything, it was his fault, and the galaxy is back in darkness. WHY WOULDN'T HE BE IN A BAD PLACE?!?! A hero's journey means nothing if there's no depth to crawl out of. But no...the fanbase screamed that he HAD to be the ever-optimistic farm boy despite decades of strife and growth and experience. He can never change because that would make for a multifaceted, interesting character. And change is scary.

The only part I agree with is that how rocky and his son were disconnected even after they patched it up in Rocky 6

For anyone who's had a similar life to Rocky, they know deep down that it does not come from other people. you know that your worth has to come from within you. And that those people are lovely for supporting you and they do help. But at the end of the day it's got to come from you. You couldn't be more wrong. I wish I would have lived a less challenging life to be as naive as the person making this video.

I'd be surprised if Critial drinker understood anything about film

Thumbs up for a well measured critique, as you say it's ok to disagree, not that I disagree with your points, it's just a nice thought provoking point of view. Sincerely, A Critical Drinker viewer.

16:25 This is where I think you forget what you just said not 2 minutes ago. He had his heart back with his son in the last movie. He had reconnected with him and won him back into his life. Why would he have let that go?what would he then fall back into the shadows of loveliness? Why would we not see him with his son enjoying their lives together? If he needs these "Hearts" to go on, then why would he not fight for it and his son with everything he has? If his son moved across the country Why would he not follow? Remember in Rocky V, you said that he learned the lesson that nothing else matter, not the money, or where they lived as long as they had family. As long as they were together. That is what his "Heart" Adrian made him see and to not lose his son. Yet in the beginning of Creed we see Rocky estranged from his son for years now. Staying for no good reason. (If you say it's because Adrian is there. That's not good enough to let go of his son for so long.) So I ask you now, is that the Rocky you think of?

Where is it said that Rocky wasn't close with Robert, in "Rocky Balboa?" I never thought they were completely estranged, or not communicating. It's that Robert allowed his bitterness to build and build, not that they were estranged. They had "issues." You are ON TARGET, that Rocky would let nature take it's course, and die to be with Adrian. I understood that as not giving up, but as accepting what life is dealing you... it's not that he's suicidal, but rather thinks God is calling him home.

In the future we will have a reaction from a youtuber making a reaction from another youtuber talking about a tik tok review of a movie.

I mostly agree with this video, except for the point that his speech to his son was hypocritical. While Rocky relied on the support of his loved ones to do so, ultimately HE still had to get up and fight. HE still had to take the hits and keep moving forward. Adrian wasn’t the one putting the gloves on at the end of the day. Throughout the movie, Rocky’s trying to connect with his son, and his son keeps brushing him off. Rocky shows up at work wanting to grab a meal with him, and Robert appears visibly embarrassed by his father. He’s not visiting Adrian’s grave when they set a time to do so. Robert is REJECTING the help that Rocky always relied on, and then goes as far as to blame his father for his own personal failures. Now, maybe Rocky needed Adrian to slap him in the face and wake him up every now and then, but he NEVER blamed Adrian when he lost a fight or when something didn’t go his way. After all, cowards do that, and the Balboas are better than that. So, Rocky calls his son out on his crap. And it’s earned. And it’s a great scene. And it’s completely in character.

I have to admit this is probably the only time I've disagreed with the Drinker. I understand his motto of getting up when life knocks you down, but when your wife and friends have all passed, it's no shame to refuse the somewhat painful process of undergoing chemo just to extend your life just a little bit longer. It's not like Rocky was suicidal. He still had his restaurant, still went through his daily routine, didn't exactly sit around wallowing and expecting people to pity him. I think Creed was very respectful of Rocky's legacy, and realistic when people are forced with certain end of life decisions. imo

I admire the Critical Drinker in many ways as a producer and writer but I find myself disagreeing with him A LOT. And Creed was no exception. There seems to be a pattern with the way he talks about the handling of Rocky's character and Luke Skywalker's character in the new Star Wars movies that he just wants them to be these unbreakable heroes from his childhood. And there's nothing necessarily wrong with thinking "Hey I liked the way Rocky Balboa ended, I want that to be my final memory of the character." I feel that way about Terminator 2 and many other films. But in this case, I agree with you, Rocky was a product of life, as he says in Rocky Balboa, he doubted himself, needed Adrian's support, and I 100% believe him when he says he doesn't want to fight his cancer diagnosis. I lost my father to ALS in 2018. Not only was his death the worst day of my life, watching the man I looked up to slowly deteriorate from that horrible disease just broke me. When he died, a part of me died as well. I easily went through the worst depression of my life in 2018 that (to be frank) damn near killed me, and the pandemic happening two years later didn't do me any favors. It was only through the support of loved ones and finding inspiration in the projects I was working that snapped me out of it, but every day is a constant struggle to even just get out of bed - "It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward" as Stallone says. Needless to say, if God forbid I'm ever diagnosed with a disease like my father had, I will probably react the same way Rocky did. Anybody who's watched someone deteriorate from Cancer knows how horrible the treatment is especially to then find out it didn't stop the disease. It's also interesting to note The Last Jedi was the final film my father ever saw in theaters when he was confined to a wheelchair and he loved it. Why? Because our entire family felt Luke's pain. "I came to this island to die" - DAMN did that hit me so hard, especially given Mark Hamill's brilliant performance. This whole BS Critical Drinker and every other Star Wars essayist says about "Oh Luke would never just give up" (often to suit whatever anti-Hollywood or "anti-woke" agenda they have) means that they personally have never experienced loss or shame or guilt. It 100% makes you want to give up on life and if you can find a renewed sense to carry on from loved ones or sheer willpower, consider yourself lucky. Adonis Creed and Rey are the light in the darkness. I'm not saying Creed or The Last Jedi are as great as their original source material and yes I am pretty tired of remakes or soft reboots, it kind of brings up the question "Do these movies need to exist in the first place?" But I agree with you that Drinker's tunnel vision when it comes to Rocky leaves little to analyze the nuances in this passing of the torch story.

The fact that you think those people are the reason why Rocky showed up to the ring everyday, suggests that it's not the Critical Drinker who doesn't understand Rocky. Rocky didn't have support from those people to start on the path he took in life. Adrian was just a pet store worker who he had a simple crush on. She didn't offer the same emotional support that he needed until later. Polly was just a useless drunk who brought him down more than anything. Rocky III is an example of how irrelevant the other people in his life became when Mickey died because Mickey helped guide Rocky down the path that he wanted to go. He already had the will to be more than what he was; he simply lacked direction.

I always thought the Adrian character in Rocky movies had the most character growth.

I have a special place for Rocky IV. I shattered my elbow in Vegas and I played the Rocky IV soundtrack while doing the re-habilitation excursuses for my elbow. I shouted "Drago" at the end every day loud enough for my neighbors to hear.

I like some of The Drinkers stuff, but like, (maybe I’m just getting older) I don’t get why so many RU-vidrs obsess over making long rant videos about why a new movie or video game sucks. Channels like TCD, Michael Does Life, etc. Yeah there’s a lot of new shit I don’t like either but I experience it, decide I don’t like it, move on, & concentrate on movies, video games, & music that I DO like. I get passionately gushing over something you love & making a 3 hour retrospective covering why it’s so amazing but, I would never make an in depth analysis about why this new thing sucks. I just… don’t care that much? I’m 38 & a huge pessimist yet even to me it all just seems like such a waste of time & energy. I know what I like & I know what I don’t like. If you ask me what I think about this new shitty thing I’ll gladly tell you why I don’t like it but after that why give it a second thought? There has always been tons of shitty art just as there’s always been tons of great art. The trash isn’t going anywhere, go make something awesome with your friends. A short film, an indie comic book, a fanzine, start a band, learn programming & make a crappy video game that you think is cool. I’m rambling but you get my point.

I think this is the most accurate depiction of the Rocky character I have heard so far. You're right on point

Love the video, but I got to disagree with your takeaway of the scene between rocky and his son. Throughout the movie rocky seeks to build a relationship with his son, inviting him to dinner, meeting him at his office, etc. The problem Rocky's son had with his dad was not the lack of relationship, but the relationship itself. He distanced himself because he felt that his dad created too big of a shadow for him to live his own life, but all he was doing was draining himself emotionally. Rocky was only able to stand up because of those backing him, Rocky's son had that support from his dad, all he needed to do was stop blaming others and stand up and take life's punches. rocky wasn't being hypocritical, his son needed to be told to do the thing that came naturally to rocky, while rocky needed the thing his son already had.

Wonderful analysis. As Stallone said: rocky is nothing without Paulie... so why did sly say that? Just think. Rocky is so much more than a Boxing movie as the old Star Wars were more than just scifi movies.

In response to your point about Rocky expecting his son not to do the same stuff he did? Welcome to parenting. Parents do this sort of thing ALL THE TIME, because they don’t want to see their kids make the same mistakes they made, in some cases it’s born of making up for their own failures.

TCD basically just has a protozoic feel for what the political/progressive leanings for a film are and then reverse engineers his takes on the movie to fit the pre determined seal of bad or good. Unsurprisingly, this leads him to make some pretty dog shit assertions on who characters are or what the themes of certain movies are.

I don’t necessarily think Rocky was being hypocritical with that speech to his son. There was an estrangement, definitely, which wasn’t entirely on Rocky. The whole point of his speech is that Robert is letting other people define what his life is, and blaming his name for his issues. I saw that speech as Rocky recognizing that his son had lost his heart, had lost that family connection, and Rocky attempts to do for his son what Adrian did for him in those moments. He even ends his speech by telling Robert to go visit his mother. Their relationship was complicated in this movie and I don’t think your take was wrong, but I think you write off the strength of that scene. To me it was more than just Oscar bait, it highlighted the true fight in that movie which was that fight for his son.

MUCH better analysis than critical drinker, who tends to look at everything as an intrinsic rather than extrinsic process. We are social creatures, we need people to fight for, you explained this, and Critical Drinker - who sounds like a raging culture warrior, did not.

Critical drinker is not wrong. That being said, neither are you. 2 people looking at a piece of art will see different things. It is reasonable to suggest that rocky would have done all the things he did without his family and friends, BUT it is unknown if he could have risen to the heights he did without them. That's another story. One might suggest a far darker version.

Holy shit. I just watched a lefty RU-vid talk shit about drinker and all I could think was drinker prolly isn't being dishonest maybe he's wrong or maybe it's his perspective and maybe the truth is somewhere in the middle. I thought the other guy made some good points. Everyone is so toxic. It's so refreshing to see someone be so respectful.

Im glad people are waking up to these youtubers. The drinker doesnt understand a lot of movies. This is what happens when you dedicate all of your time to fighting woke media, you think wokeness in everything even where it doesnt exist.

How are you not gonna like the first two rocky movies?..I feel like that’s just edgelord shit ..I’m on board with you even though I like critical drinker

I mean, it's bad news bears for adults lol. It's simply depicting the reality that not everything works out even when you give it everything you've got.

This video is great, shame some people just don't understand that your not trying to make it seem like the Critical Drinker is always taking a political slant in his reviews.

Eh, I really think your fundamental premise misses the mark, because it basically just acknowledges that Rocky is a human being and humans are, by nature, social creatures who can gain strength and the will to continue from other people, it's not anything unique to Rocky. It really has nothing to do with his unique character traits, and it doesn't preclude Drinker's analysis of the character.

There’s a good chance he just wants to hate on the Creed movies because a black man is the star

The critical drinker seems biased towards his political leaning

I think the actor playing Rocky’s son could have played Nightwing or Batman now.

12:27 I was with you until this part. For someone who gets Rocky, it seems you missed the point of that part of the movie. "Even Stallone missed what made Rocky great in the first place"? Bruh.

This was an awesome essay. However, you made a minor mistake. In Rocky Balboa, he actually did build a romantic relationship with 'Little Nicki," although is was not overt or openly sexual. they left their behind the scene romance ambiguous but hinted at, based on their interactions near the end of the movie.

This is what happens when when you get affirmation from the outside.

Pretty much agree with most of what you're saying. I do think I like Rocky Balboa and Creed 1 a lot more than you implied you do, but I think you did a good job of taking information those films were providing and using it as fuel in your argument. I feel like its very easy to try and ignore stuff we're not as interested in to be disingenuous.

You know now that I think about it the critical drinker and all anti woke reviewers like him are starting to get more annoying then the woke people

You know you made it when people have to make meta critique videos on your reviews. Pour another pint for the Drinker!

This was a sensational essay!!

in a perfect world....there are no rocky sequels

Great video

I see a few commentators using this video and the argument it makes to hate on the Drinker. That wasn't the purpose of this video. I too enjoy the Drinker's videos, and this misconception isn't a bad thing. I enjoyed this video a lot. I think it corrects a few of the eeks I had when I watched the Drinker's video. Anyway, love the both of you. ❤

I appreciate how you handle your disagreement respectfully, without berating the drinker. Thank you for encouraging healthier discussion.

I love Rocky 1 and I do think a 1 off would been better. Btw my late dad that boxed ( 9-0) hated Rocky bc he said no human could take the pounding

Really liked the video. Legit not hate or click bait, for those tryna complain, he legit brought up an argument and argued it fairly and respectfully . Subbing my brotha 😎

Drinker is hilarious but he's never where I go for genuine film critiques, as he quite frequently misses the mark/contradicts himself. Sometimes he's spot on, but the rest of the time his "anti-wokeness" is so predictable and repetitive that I just can't take him seriously.