In 2026, everybody knows who Sylvester Stallone is. He’s a household name the world over.
But in 1975, Sly was “Mike,” a largely unknown actor trying to make it in Hollywood. Director Peter Farrelly (Green Book) takes us back to those earlier, pre-stardom days in I Play Rocky, a behind-the-scenes look at the unlikely creation of one of the greatest sports movies ever made.
We see Sly (Anthony Ippolito) struggling to support his pregnant wife, Sasha (AnnaSophia Robb, The Way Way Back), and getting nowhere with auditions, told repeatedly he’s both “too Italian” and “not Italian enough” to star in the wave of mob films unleashed by the enormous success of The Godfather and its sequel.
That’s when Sasha suggests Sly take fate into his own hands and write a script that would allow him to prove himself once and for all. The rest, as they say, is history.
Farrelly and screenwriter Peter Gamble are all in on the film’s legend: Inspired by a fight between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner, an underdog who unexpectedly went 15 rounds with the Champ before losing, Sly writes a screenplay about a down-on-his-luck boxer named Rocky Balboa. As dramatized here, he writes the first draft by hand, and it only takes him three and a half days. (Sasha typed it up for him.)
The script is well received by producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff (P.J. Byrne and Toby Kebbell), but Stallone refuses to let them and studio head Sandy Maddox (a composite character played by the always reliable Tracy Letts) cast a more marketable actor in the lead role. “I play Rocky,” he insists. (Remember, this was the mid-70s, before the rise of independent filmmaking. Back then, you couldn’t just pick up a camera or an iPhone and start shooting; if you wanted to make a movie that would reach an audience, you needed the resources of a studio behind you.) Well, spoiler alert: Rocky Balboa may not have won the fight at the end of the movie, but Stallone sure did win offscreen — and Farrelly takes us on that journey, from conception to the Oscars, where Rocky won multiple awards.
It’s a true case study about the power of betting on yourself and never taking no for an answer. And it’s a story so unbelievable that it almost has to be true.
Much of what works in the film is due to Ippolito’s terrific performance as Stallone. He’s got the voice, the mumble, the mannerisms, and even that distinctive, slightly awkward swagger down cold. Sure, there’s a bit of caricature at work — that’s probably unavoidable — but there’s also enough heart and vulnerability to make Stallone someone you genuinely root for.
Of course, it must be noted that Ippolito also played young Al Pacino in The Offer, the Paramount+ series about the making of the aforementioned The Godfather. So, you may think he’s establishing himself in an acting niche, playing Italian actors who hit it big in the 1970s. But don’t forget: Chadwick Boseman’s first two big roles were playing Jackie Robinson and James Brown (in 42 and Get on Up, respectively) before he broke his own mold and joined the MCU as Black Panther. So, don’t pigeon-hole Ippolito just yet. His impressive work here should put him on the radar for more substantial — and more original — roles in the future.
Good as Ippolito is, my favorite parts of I Play Rocky center on the film’s production. Watching Farrelly recreate iconic moments from Rocky is a treat, particularly the famous run through the streets of Philadelphia and up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. There’s also some fun stuff about the ingenuity and improvisation that went into making Rocky, including the discovery of cinematographer Garrett Brown and his revolutionary Steadicam technology. And Stephan James is wonderful as Carl Weathers, who played Apollo Creed.
But here’s the thing: an inspiring true story doesn’t automatically make for a great movie. Farrelly and Gamble seem so determined to remind us how extraordinary Stallone’s achievement was that they end up underlining practically everything. We know Rocky succeeds. We know Stallone wins his fight with Hollywood. There’s never much doubt, and the film doesn’t do enough to make the journey particularly suspenseful. Which is why its occasionally slow pacing can feel frustrating. And once production gets underway, I Play Rocky starts to feel less like a movie and more like an extended dramatization of Rocky trivia for film fans.
The film also does itself no favors by including a scene in which director John Avildsen (Jay Duplass) literally tells Sly the difference between a good movie and a great one: It’s all about that one moment — “the thing,” Avildsen calls it — when an actor digs deep and gives you something you’ve never seen before.
I Play Rocky is an enjoyable, generally lighthearted crowd-pleaser with a compelling central performance and a story worth telling. It’s a movie with several memorable moments. But ultimately, it’s a good movie, not a great one.
In other words: It may not be a knockout, but it lands enough punches to go the distance.
I’m giving I Play Rocky a B.
And by the way, be sure to stay through the end credits for a bonus treat that’s worth the wait.
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