Sylvester Stallone's Rocky series has been widely acclaimed and become a cornerstone of Hollywood's iconic cultural history. However, the man who inspired this famous series remains much more of a mystery. "Chuck" is a Sports bio-pic that tells the story of Chuck Wepner, the former professional boxer who is most well-known for going toe to toe with heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali in a 1975 title fight. Wepner lost the fight against Ali, but the fighter lasted nearly fifteen rounds in the ring with the world's heavyweight champion. This famous fight was what inspired Sylvester Stallone to create the film "Rocky" in 1976.
Chuck is a good move for a number of reasons. The plot is fresh and the movie's narration that dictates the story of Chuck Wepner is both clever and humorous. The movie doesn't take itself too seriously. In fact, it goes out of its way to make fun of movies and Hollywood in general. This is the greatest aspect of the film which willfully recognizes that Hollywood is a world of its own. Rocky is a billion dollar franchise that is recognized around the globe. However, Chuck Wepner, the man who Rocky was based off of, received little if any reward from the film series. While the first Rocky ends after the fight between Rocky and Apollo Creed, Chuck's life goes on, even after the Rocky series takes the world by storm.
The majority of "Chuck" is about the rise and fall of a boxer who once had a chance to take the heavyweight championship of the world. In the spirit of raging bull, "Chuck" depicts the athlete at the heart of the film as a deeply flawed individual who is as unfaithful to his wife as he is to his own values. The end of Chuck's boxing career was also the end of his prospects. After a series of unfortunate choices, Chuck ends up being incarcerated. Upon his release he meets the women of his dreams and ends up marrying her.
At the final moment of the film, the real-life Chuck can be seen with the women he met after leaving prison at his advanced age. Despite everything the man has witnessed and been through, in 2016 he is still alive and kicking. A fighter till the end. At its core, "Chuck" is a comedy masquerading as a sports film. While there is plenty of comedy, there are some rare moments of sporting thrill. My favorite scene is when Chuck narrates to the audience on-screen during his fight with Ali, "he'd already closed both my eyes, broke my nose, and he was still dancing circles around me. I didn't care. I was just happy to be in the ring with him. I don't remember much after that, except trying to stay on my feet. I could feel him hitting me. No pain, just the thud of his fists. Bone on bone. Boom. Boom".
Chuck is a good move for a number of reasons. The plot is fresh and the movie's narration that dictates the story of Chuck Wepner is both clever and humorous. The movie doesn't take itself too seriously. In fact, it goes out of its way to make fun of movies and Hollywood in general. This is the greatest aspect of the film which willfully recognizes that Hollywood is a world of its own. Rocky is a billion dollar franchise that is recognized around the globe. However, Chuck Wepner, the man who Rocky was based off of, received little if any reward from the film series. While the first Rocky ends after the fight between Rocky and Apollo Creed, Chuck's life goes on, even after the Rocky series takes the world by storm.
The majority of "Chuck" is about the rise and fall of a boxer who once had a chance to take the heavyweight championship of the world. In the spirit of raging bull, "Chuck" depicts the athlete at the heart of the film as a deeply flawed individual who is as unfaithful to his wife as he is to his own values. The end of Chuck's boxing career was also the end of his prospects. After a series of unfortunate choices, Chuck ends up being incarcerated. Upon his release he meets the women of his dreams and ends up marrying her.
At the final moment of the film, the real-life Chuck can be seen with the women he met after leaving prison at his advanced age. Despite everything the man has witnessed and been through, in 2016 he is still alive and kicking. A fighter till the end. At its core, "Chuck" is a comedy masquerading as a sports film. While there is plenty of comedy, there are some rare moments of sporting thrill. My favorite scene is when Chuck narrates to the audience on-screen during his fight with Ali, "he'd already closed both my eyes, broke my nose, and he was still dancing circles around me. I didn't care. I was just happy to be in the ring with him. I don't remember much after that, except trying to stay on my feet. I could feel him hitting me. No pain, just the thud of his fists. Bone on bone. Boom. Boom".