Rocky Returns

When I was sixteen years old and living in Hawaii, Rocky came out in the theatres on Oahu and stayed for a year. Along with Star Wars, my friends and I would go see Rocky and after a while we had the entire script memorized and we got to the point to where we do all the lines from the entire film while sitting in the dark theatre at Pearlridge in Aiea. Okay, so I was a teenager then.

That was then - this is now. And now, thirty years later, Rocky is back. I was stunned to hear that the early reviews are through the roof. I loved the Rocky character. It was the first film of its kind, pushing back against the cynicism of the seventies and the disparaging of the American Dream. In fact, it was a swift kick to liberalism - before those kicks were cool.

I have heard that Sylvester Stallone has gone through a personal Christian renewal. If this is the result of that renewal - to create a film that shows rebirth in crisis - well, Rocky has returned just when we needed him. Thanks, Sly. Say hi to Cuff and Link for me.