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PG-13 | 2h 8m | Drama, Biography, Romance, Film History | 2026
When “Rocky” nabbed the Best Picture Oscar at the 49th Academy Awards in 1977, it was perhaps a more competitive year for that category than any other year before or since.
In addition to “Rocky,” any one of three other titles was declared favored to win at some point. Those were “All the President’s Men,” “Taxi Driver,” and “Network.” The fifth nominee (“Bound for Glory”) was a huge longshot.
In their own different ways, the other favorites were better than “Rocky,” but they were all depressing. “Rocky,” on the other hand, was unabashedly upbeat and designed for mass consumption, and I mean that in a good way.
Spiritual Salve
The Vietnam War had just concluded. It had barely been two years since Richard Nixon had resigned the presidency. The country was in a deep funk. “Rocky” was the emotional and spiritual salve everyone needed, even cynical critics and arthouse audiences.
While there are hundreds of movies about the film industry, there are only a scant few that concentrate solely on one past title. “The Disaster Artist” (2017) examines the bizarre circumstances surrounding the making of “The Room” (2003). Both “RKO 281” (1999) and “Mank” (2020) take a peek behind the scenes during the creation of “Citizen Kane” (1941).
The one memorable limited TV series with a similar theme is “The Offer” (2022), a 10-part show about the filming of “The Godfather” (1972). With the possible exception of “Mank,” the new “I Play Rocky” might just be the finest production of its type yet made.
One of the many positive aspects of the movie is the attention to the mid-1970s details. Struggling to survive, Sylvester Stallone lives in a New York City fleabag flophouse for $7.50 a night that he can’t afford. It’s located next to a church, which is next to a bordello.
Screenwriter Peter Gamble takes a big chance by including a scene where Stallone is hired to appear in an adult film and thankfully spares us the finer details. While seedy, this actually happened; it underscores how desperate Stallone was to make ends meet and get a (misguided) foot in the door of the movie industry.
Killer Soundtrack
Adding to the movie’s air of authenticity are the sparse, brief, and concisely placed soundtrack needle drops. Eschewing the obvious, director Peter Farrelly mines both well-known and barely known chestnuts of the era.
Included are songs by Hall & Oates, Todd Rundgren, Ace, the Spinners, ELO, the J. Geils Band, and the 1960s Buffalo Springfield song “Rock & Roll Woman.”
The movie’s biggest coup is the spot-on casting. Hiring actors who not only look like but also act like the nonfictional people they are portraying is an art form, so much so that it’s a new award category for the Oscars, first presented in 2026.
Showing up as the bad guys are Matt Dillon as Stallone’s bitter father, Frank, and Tracy Letts as United Artists studio chief Sandy Maddox; they truly hit the mark. Frank is real while Sandy is a composite, but each delivers the goods.
P.J. Byrne as Irwin Winkler and Toby Kebbell as Robert Chartoff, the producers of “Rocky,” are phenomenal and appropriately nebbish.
AnnaSophia Robb not only looks like the woman she portrays (Stallone’s first wife, Sasha Czack), but she also provides the movie’s heart and drive. Robb had indeed come a long way since her early days as a promising child actress (“Because of Winn-Dixie” and “Bridge to Terabithia”).
A Star Is Born
Leading one of the most impressive ensemble casts of the year, relative newcomer Anthony Ippolito is absolutely stunning as Sylvester Stallone. He ironically first gained notoriety playing Al Pacino in “The Offer.”
Ippolito turns in something far beyond mere imitation here. From the gait, to the odd speech pattern, to the hangdog facial expressions, Ippolito thoroughly embodies Stallone.
This is the point in the review where I have to point out a pretty big omission in the true-story timeline; so much so that I have to ding the movie a half star.
In real life, Stallone called on his “Lords of Flatbush” costar Henry Winkler (no relation to Irwin Winkler) to pass along the “Rocky” screenplay to ABC for consideration as a TV movie. ABC said yes and paid Stallone an advance but also stated that he couldn’t play the lead.
Because Winkler was starring as Fonzie in the immensely popular ABC sitcom “Happy Days,” the suits at ABC agreed to return the rights back to Stallone as long as he returned the advance, which he did.
In my opinion, the omission of the TV movie scenario was a big mistake, as it would have shown that ABC and eventually United Artists were interested in making the movie with the same “no Stallone” clause.
If you’re not familiar with this event, it won’t make a big difference in your overall opinion of the movie. For purists fully aware of the entire behind-the-scenes story, it’s glaring.
Even with this omission, “I Play Rocky” is a huge, crowd-pleasing winner and, dare I say it, a movie some people might find to be more satisfying than the original movie.
The movie is now playing in select theaters and opens nationwide on Nov. 20.
‘I Play Rocky’
Director: Peter Farrelly
Stars: Anthony Ippolito, AnnaSophia Robb, Matt Dillon, Tracy Letts
Running Time: 2 hours 8 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Release Date: Nov. 20, 2026
Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars
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