Owing everything to 'Rocky' takes toll

Who says you can't go home again?
By TERRY ARMOUR
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
It's been 30 years since the first "Rocky" movie hit theaters, establishing Sylvester Stallone as one of Hollywood's most bankable stars. And now, at 60, he returns to the ring with "Rocky Balboa."
To hear Stallone talk about the "Rocky" franchise -- the latest is the sixth installment -- is like hearing a proud father beaming about his children. But when it comes to the universally panned "Rocky V" (1990), in which the aging boxer finally decides to retire and train a young fighter, Stallone's tone changes.
He sounds more like a dad who has just found out his son took the family car for a joyride and totaled it.
"It is without a doubt one of the biggest disappointments in my life," the actor said during a recent visit to Chicago. "That one, to me, was a disaster because everything I had in my life was due to that character. The people who supported that character, I let them down."
In "Rocky Balboa," the boxer comes out of retirement for a charity bout, which brings him closer to his estranged son. During an interview , Stallone explained why he felt the need to do it all over again.
Q. Why even set yourself up for ridicule by doing another "Rocky" movie?
A. That reaction is to be expected and, to be honest, it was begging for that kind of criticism. I would have been that way too if I was on the outside looking at it superficially -- "Is he crazy?" I just really felt so bad about "Rocky V," and I heard it a hundred-thousand times, "We liked the other four, but that fifth one was terrible."
Q. So that's when you set out to write "Rocky Balboa"?
A. I got married; things changed -- I had a long time to think about the story and let it percolate. But then, time was moving on. Here I am, 57, 58. I'm asking the studios, and, rightfully so, they are saying to me, "Please, don't do this. We are saving you from yourself. Don't embarrass yourself."
Q. Which, as you said, is understandable.
A. Completely. But it's not about me as an athlete going for the title. This is about a journey, about dealing with grief and loss. How does a person who is 45 and older deal with the last part of their lives life? Life is constantly going to hit you in the solar plexus and drop you to your knees, and the only difference between a winner and a loser is being able to beat the count. You're going to get knocked down again if you beat the count, but you're never going to go through life unscathed. I just wanted to get that message across because that's what the Rocky movies were about -- not "Rocky V." Somewhere, that message got lost.
Q. I must admit I was pleasantly surprised with "Rocky Balboa." I went into the screening wondering how exactly you could pull this off with a 60-year-old Rocky in the ring.
A. (Laughs) And rightfully so. If someone told me, "Guess what, we're going to go see 'Godfather 6,' you would laugh. It's totally normal to have that kind of reaction.
Q. OK -- have you gotten this out of your system now? There's not going to be a "Rocky VII" or a "Rocky Balboa II," right?
A. (Laughs) "Rocky: The Early Years!" No. This is it. I couldn't end it any better than the way it is. I'm so satisfied, and I think the people that have been true to the franchise will be happy with it. There is some closure.