^{Credit: I Play Rocky (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)}

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I Play Rocky is impossibly charming. Emphasis on the charming, but extra emphasis on the impossible. Although Rocky is the ultimate underdog story, the story of how it got made (and almost didn’t get made) is just as fascinating. It’s not just a great true story tailor-made for cinema. It’s one that practically demands to be told. I Play Rocky goes beyond patting the filmmakers on the back for making a timeless classic, however. Peter Farrelly has made a wonderful movie in its own right. One that might not surpass the 1976 masterpiece, but a welcome addition to any Rocky marathon.

Anthony Ippolito is perhaps best known for portraying Al Pacino in the miniseries The Offer. Ippolito goes from Michael Corleone to an actor who got rejected from The Godfather. While Ippolito isn’t a complete unknown, his lack of leading man credits works to the film’s advantage. Not only does it allow him to more naturally slip into the role of Sylvester Stallone, looking and sounding uncanny in the part. To an extent, Ippolito mirrors Stallone where he was at the beginning of the film: an actor looking for his big break… or even a tiny break would do.

Although the film unsurprisingly presents Stallone in a flattering light, it doesn’t shy away from why so many people were hesitant to take a chance on him. Stallone isn’t the easiest actor to understand, making him ripe for parody. Ippolito manages to convey Stallone without resorting to an SNL impression, often appearing interchangeable with the real deal. Still, at first glance, Stallone might not strike you as a future Oscar-nominated actor. He seems even less like an Oscar-nominated screenwriter. Yet, Stallone is a better storyteller than he seems, delivering a script entitled Rocky to producers Irwin Winkler (P. J. Byrne) and Robert Chartoff (Toby Kebbell).

The duo is in awe of the story, but, of course, Stallone insists on playing the lead. Tracy Letts takes what could’ve been a one-note antagonist and turns in one of the film’s funniest performances as Sandy Maddox, a fictional executive who wants Rocky, but not Stallone. No matter how much Maddox raises the offer, Stallone remains adamant, despite having a pregnant wife (AnnaSophia Robb) and a landlord about to throw him out on the street. While we know what’s going to happen, that doesn’t make it any less uplifting once Sly makes a deal. Even then, it’s an uphill battle to make a film with a limited budget, a scrappy crew, and a star who can’t even box.

I can imagine cynics rolling their eyes at some of I Play Rocky’s more conventional biopic tropes. There’s a point in the film where Robb says, “I'd rather be an optimist and be wrong than a pessimist and be right.” I Play Rocky is a beacon of optimism, and there’s nothing wrong with that. While it doesn’t transcend the biopic formula, the film avoids simply playing the hits like Michael. The climactic fight between Rocky and Apollo Creed isn’t even a major set piece, save for a recreation during the credits.

As director John G. Avildsen (Jay Duplass) repeatedly says, they aren’t making a boxing movie. They’re making a movie about a guy who happens to be a boxer. Likewise, this film is about more than just the production of Rocky. It’s about gambling on someone’s creative vision, even if you don’t have the star power or budget to back it up. In an industry where originality is becoming harder to come by, it’s a message Hollywood could use right now. Yes, it’s ironic that Rocky is still a bankable franchise. I Play Rocky nonetheless hits its mark, delivering a knockout.

Awards Potential:

Best Picture (Oscars)

Anthony Ippolito: Best Actor (Oscars)

Best Original (or Adapted?) Screenplay (Oscars)

Best Editing (Oscars)

Nick Spake is the Author of Bright & Shiny: A History of Animation at Award Shows Volumes 1, 2, and 3. Available Now!