Peter Farrelly’s new biopic I Play Rocky has landed at the Toronto Film Festival, and critics are calling it a worthy companion to the classic it chronicles. The film follows Sylvester Stallone’s journey from struggling actor to the man who wrote, starred in, and fought for the $1 million paycheck that made Rocky possible. It is a story that, according to the review, has everything you need to know right in the title.
Deadline‘s review celebrates the film for its precise depiction of how a movie actually gets made. A film about Hollywood moviemaking, it excels across nearly all fronts. The cast delivers strong turns, the re-creation of the filmmaking process is exacting, and the emotional heart hits with the same force as the original.
The Tale Of The Script
The story begins with Anthony Ippolito playing “Mike Stallone,” an aspiring actor scraping by on menial jobs while dreaming of making it in the industry. The script, penned by Peter Gamble, takes the audience through the linear timeline of how the impossible dream happened. It shows the lows, the humiliations, and the small victories that kept Stallone going.
A real audition for soft porn includes a hilarious scene. The story also features a dog named Butkus and his eventual wife Sasha, played perfectly by AnnaSophia Robb. It reaches a sad point when producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff tell him that Jan Michael Vincent got the part of his brother, so the role had to go to someone else.
The moment of change arrives when Stallone places his own script, Paradise Alley, beneath a stack marked “weekend reading.”. The assistant saw through the trick, yet still read the writing and spoke highly of it, which caught the notice of the producers. They told him he possessed genuine talent as a writer and asked him to come up with some ideas.
The Idea For Rocky Comes Pouring Out
While sitting at a bar, wondering how he would make ends meet, Stallone watches a Muhammad Ali fight. That’s it — the idea for Rocky pours out of him, written longhand in only three and a half days. He gives the script to Sasha to type it up, and Winkler and Chartoff take hold of it with enthusiasm. They manage to sell it to a skeptical studio head, Sandy Maddux, played by a terrific Tracy Letts.
“Boxing pictures? Nobody makes boxing pictures,” Maddux barks. The only hangup is that Stallone will not sell it unless he stars in it.
There appears to be no end to how high the price rises, yet Stallone refuses to back down. Eventually, the budget gets reduced to a mere $1 million, complete with provisions aimed at getting Stallone dismissed so that Ryan O’Neal or an actor of similar standing can step in once the production falls behind schedule.
The Recreation Of The Filming
Farrelly and his crew have painstakingly rebuilt the look of the original production through cinematography, production design, costumes, music, and editing. The result is a recreation that captures not only the spirit of this one film’s creation but the whole process behind almost every film ever made. Each riotous scene stands as proof of the effort, with tender loving care evident throughout.
The review draws a parallel between the film and Truffaut’s Day For Night, a work that serves as a love letter to cinema. That comparison is telling, because I Play Rocky functions as a love letter to the craft of filmmaking itself.
In Philadelphia, there is a scene set inside a meatpacking plant where the local union leader discovers that the production team is filming without permits. Every piece of equipment, every member of the cast, and every person on the crew must be instantly concealed before the union head shows up. It makes for a tense yet amusing moment.
The film’s recreation of the famous run up the Philadelphia steps is another notable scene, and it was one of the very first uses of the Steadicam. The original Steadicam is reportedly used for the recreation, which stands as both a technical accomplishment and a service to the story.
The Scene With Mickey
The real heartbreaker arrives during the shooting of the scene with Burgess Meredith as Mickey. In the old version, Mickey changes his mind and agrees to train Rocky after initially turning him down. In the remake, that pivotal scene wasn’t coming together, so director John Avildsen tells Stallone they need to start over. What was the solution?
On the spot, Stallone makes up an entire five-minute take from scratch. He delivers it with skill, while Ippolito’s performance moves the audience to tears. What makes this work is that the improvised material is now part of the script, yet it must still appear off the cuff. With Ippolito at its center, the whole cast fits the role perfectly.
The Final Moments
At the close of the film, the review uncovers a surprise. Hold your seat through the entire final stretch of credits, and you will find the one scene from this story that has not been repeated for the movie. It marks the first time Stallone appears on The Tonight Show, where Johnny Carson recounts the incredible tale of Stallone rejecting hundreds of thousands of dollars for his screenplay so he could insist on starring in the movie he wrote for himself.
“If someone were to actually make a movie about the making of Rocky nobody would believe it,” Carson prophetically said.
The film earns its place as a winner across the board, with someone having already delivered on it.
A Performance That Holds Up
The film’s central figure is Anthony Ippolito’s performance as Stallone. According to the review, his work is so uncanny that it feels like they simply employed de-aging technology so Stallone could appear a half century younger on screen. He fully inhabits Stallone, offering an authentic portrait that will blow you away.
Both films are built on the magic of making movies, the labor and the inspiration that go into a single frame, and the comparison to Truffaut’s Day For Night holds up well. I Play Rocky is a love letter to the craft of filmmaking.
The Legacy Of Rocky
A year after the 50th anniversary of Rocky, a movie that gave rise to five sequels and three more films in the Creed spinoff series with Michael B. Jordan, I Play Rocky circles back to the very start. It somehow manages to catch the same fresh energy that created it. The making of Rocky itself has become a Rocky-like triumph.
Farrelly has said he would not have made the film without Stallone’s blessing, which he got. With Peter Gamble’s beautifully structured and crafted screenplay, Farrelly has made one of the best movies ever made about Hollywood moviemaking. It is certainly one of the most entertaining.
The Verdict
The film succeeds on all fronts, delivering an emotional punch that matches the original Rocky. Every element of its recreation, from the cinematography to the Steadicam shot, is rendered with tenderness and devotion. Leading the cast, Ippolito gives a performance that anchors the whole production, which remains ideal throughout.
The movie has made the creation of Rocky itself feel like a Rocky-like victory. It’s a great praise to receive. The film has managed to catch the essence of the original while still feeling new and uplifting.
| Element | I Play Rocky |
|---|---|
| Director | Peter Farrelly |
| Lead Actor | Anthony Ippolito as Mike Stallone |
| Screenplay | Peter Gamble |
| Key Scene | Recreation of the scene with Mickey |
| Studio Head | Sandy Maddux, played by Tracy Letts |
| Budget | Knocked down to $1 million |
| Comparison | Truffaut’s Day For Night |
Anyone who adores Rocky or enjoys an underdog tale will find I Play Rocky essential viewing. The film treats its subject with reverence and celebrates the art of filmmaking. It serves as a tribute to the movies, and ranks among the finest films ever devoted to Hollywood moviemaking.
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