The inspiring miracle upon which Christianity was founded upon  the triumphant resurrection of Jesus Christ  is a symbol of eternal hope and also the greatest comeback story ever told. Though there is, of course, no comparison with Christ, Rocky Balboa the movie and Sylvester Stallone the fading star both make one good comeback bid that splendidly fit the Easter theme of resurrection.
The fearless nobility of spirit deep within us, which can be indomitable, unconquerable, deathless, fortifying us to go the distance  these are the stuff that make legends. That, I believe, is what separates humans from animals that roam the earth aimlessly, with no higher purpose or moral compass.
The terrific, low-budget and Oscar-winning rags-to-riches film Rocky in 1976 catapulted Stallone to Hollywood fame. Watching the first Rocky on video, I became a great fan of this underdog hero. Even the music, Gonna Fly Now by Bill Conti, was unforgettable.
Unfortunately, the succeeding bigger-budget Rocky films seemed to struggle clumsily one after another like an athlete on steroids. The franchise fumbled and lost its way until the lousy Rocky 5 buried this well-loved icon of American pop culture for good (and good riddance, according to critics).
After having watched in horror as my childhood hero Rocky deteriorated in film and knowing that its fading star Stallone is already 60, I had to literally drag myself to watch Rocky Balboa. I forced myself to watch it, despite my not wanting to witness this once inspirational film icon lose whatever dignity he might still have in my consciousness. What a fool, what hubris! Why do some great people not know when to quit when they are already ahead?
The Italian Stallone has, surprisingly, redeemed himself and with amazing grit on this sixth film. Rocky Balboa thrilled, enthralled and even moved me to tears, which I quickly wiped away because guys in our society are not supposed to show emotion especially not due to an improbable story about a has-been old fighter slugging it out in Las Vegas against an unbeaten heavyweight champ in his 30s.
Thanks to a well-written script by Sylvester Stallone, ably directed by him and showcasing his superb acting, the seemingly washed-up actor and has-been Rocky tours us emotionally through the past in his old Philadelphia haunts with his beloved late wife Adrian, his dutiful visits to her grave and his unending nostalgia for a once glorious past. Maybe we should scold Rocky for not knowing how to count his blessings as the owner of a small Italian resto named after his wife, and for making a joke of himself by seeking to fight again in small clubs.
It takes a TV sports show’s computer-simulated fantasy boxing bout between a younger Rocky versus the present reigning but unpopular heavyweight champ to whet the appetite of everyone for this improbable event. When the champ’s handlers approach Rocky to propose a so-called exhibition match "for charity" in Las Vegas, the old boxer takes up the challenge to the chagrin of his only son, his friends and the skeptical media and public.
It is excruciating and at the same time awesome to see the aging but still fit and muscular Rocky in rigorous training.
In the actual fight, the younger, stronger, taller and cockier heavyweight champ Mason Dixon warns Rocky that it should be quick and painless to prevent the old guy’s bloody murder. However, the brawl becomes an unpredictable poetry of pummeling physical ferocity and stamina that leave even the skeptics like me cheering.
"It’s not how hard you can hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward," Rocky Balboa tells his dispirited yuppie son, Rocky Jr.
What makes the original Rocky and this new understated film so poignant and endearing is their timeless lessons in human struggle. It is a well-crafted modern fable about battling our demons of self-doubt, about the power of faith in this era of cynicism, about old-fashioned courage, and about never ever giving up.
It is Easter Sunday, Rocky Balboa rocks, the world is great, and life is worth fighting for!