Why Rocky rocks

DVD release of the week is Rocky Balboa, the sixth and final instalment of the boxing saga. Yes, I know the idea of the 60-year-old Sylvester Stallone climbing into the ring again is innately absurd, but all of the Rocky movies, including the first which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1976, have been completely ridiculous. That has been their popcorn magic, a classic example of the American Dream told in comic book idiom. Any film that includes lines like “what we’ll be calling on is good ol’ fashion blunt force trauma” and “let’s start building some hurtin’ bombs!” has my vote. Rocky Balboa has the added attraction of declaring that the Saga generation are not above giving young upstarts a serious pasting when the fancy takes them. High calibre tosh for those seeking a well-deserved week off arthouse.