‘I Play Rocky’ Review: Stallone’s Origin Story Gets Knocked Out by Generic Biopic Boredom
Before forming European villains to promote American propaganda, owning a futuristic robot during the 80s, and having James Brown singing Living in America, and way before Creed became one of the pillars of American Black cinema, there was Rocky. Dads, your school professors, and syndication programmers, will knock you out if you speak about Rocky in vain. The impact and legacy about the plucky boxer who could shaped the American sports drama subgenre is nothing to scoff at and nor is its larger-than-production history which deserves something much better than Peter Farrelly’s latest I Play Rocky. It’s another “movie about making a movie” similar to The Disaster Artist and Dolomite is My Name but with its gloves wrapped in a generic, self-important, over serialized dreck that coasts on your affection towards the original film rather than give it some real triumphant gravitas.
MPA Rating: Not Yet Rated
Runtime: 2 hours and 7 Minutes (127 Minutes)
Language: English
Production Companies: Amazon MGM Studios
Distributor: Amazon MGM Studios (U.S.), Elevation Pictures (Canada)
Director: Peter Farrelly
Screenwriter: Peter Gamble
Cast: Anthony Ippolito, AnnaSophia Robb, Stephan James, Kiki Seto, Tracy Letts, P.J. Byrne, Toby Kebbell
U.S Release Date: November 6, 2026 (Select Theaters), November 20, 2026 (Wide)
In the early 70s, a young Sylvester Stallone (Anthony Ippolito) is a struggling actor waiting for that big break. His deep gravelly voice is a turn off to casting directors, he is emotionally distant with his judgemental dad Frank (Matt Dillon), and struggles to pay rent, taking as many blue collar jobs as he could. The moment he meets aspiring actress Sasha Czack at a theater usher job (AnnaSophia Robb) everything clicks and the two become intertwined. She suggests that instead of making that break to come, to write his own screenplay. Eventually his magnum opus, Rocky, gets in the eyes of producers Irwin Winkler (P. J. Byrne) Robert Chartoff (Toby Kebbell) . But only he and he alone plays Rocky, no [Stallone Grunts #1], [Stallone Grunts #2], [Stallone Grunt #3] about it. And if stern studio exec Sandy Maddox (Tracy Letts) has anything to say about it, giving them the ultimatum that they get to shoot but one day behind schedule, Stallone is thrown out of the ring and replaced with a real experienced actor.
Ippolito’s physical performance sells the passion behind the young Stallone.
(L to R) Toby Kebbell as Robert Chartoff, AnnaSophia Robb as Sasha Czack, P.J. Byrne as Irwin Winkler, Anthony Ippolito as Sylvester Stallone, and Jay Duplass as John Avildsen in I PLAY ROCKY, from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo Credit: Claire Folger © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.
For this being the first time I’ve seen Anthony Ippolito in a feature (sorry, I’m not watching Purple Hearts) he certainly looks the part as Stallone and delivers a solid performance. Not anything close to a knockout but his portrayal imbues a charming spirit. I found myself more endeared to his mannerisms and body language that captures that relatable passion and 20-something naivety, that ever so slightly transcends the confines of playing a young Stallone.
He delivers some fine body language and expression off those big ol’ eyes. He embodies conviction and also some slight naivety, of the working class.
The supporting ensemble are all fine, innocent even. Annasophia Robb as his first wife Sasha Czack delivers solid Italian accent work and generates real light with Ipotllo, matching their persistent energy. PJ Byrne and Toby Kebbell as producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff are okay, but they don't do much beyond playing one-note producer stereotypes. Jay Duplass is always likeable as director John G. Avildsen, and he has one of the best scenes—convincing union buster Sal (Saul Stein) he's not filming while the non-union crew hides in the meat packaging scene. I adored Stephan James (we need to see him in more movies, please) as Carl Weathers—captures the late actor's sharp, quick‑witted, smooth‑talking dialect every time he's onscreen.
I Play Rocky has all the flavor of a glorified Wikipedia page.
(L to R) Anthony Ippolito as Sylvester Stallone and Stephen James as Carl Weathers in I PLAY ROCKY, from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo Credit: Claire Folger © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.
I am so confident that after Peter Farrelly got his Green Book Oscar gold, the man just proceeded to go on autopilot and do nothing with real genuine vision. Unlike his Ricky Stanicky and Balls Up, this drama is theatrically-bounded, yet bears a cheap DTV quality, as if it was made for the dads, or weird uncles and the Middle America audience with no film vernacular but love watching Tulsa King. Harsh it may be, the movie is as every damn low-effort directed biodrama you've seen, diminishing really fascinating detail for hokey sap points.
Part of the issue also lands in Peter Gamble script, which is another glorified Wiki page put to film with the essential fictionalized stretches but little personality outside the cavalcade of tropes it hits. For a movie that has no affiliation with the real Stallone whatsoever, it tries to make sure his image is completely squeaky clean, only touching upon-if not kind of vilifying-his brief stint in porn. Stallone as a character is penned like a parasocialized fanfiction. Everyone fits into the binary roles (supportive wife is supportive, reluctant producers are reluctant, asshole studio head is asshole) with such witless, embarrassingly stale, derivative dialogue that make even legendary playwright Tracy Letts look bad. TRACY LETTS!
I was getting restless with how lackadaisically it breezes across every detail of the production in shameless “did you know,” energy with worse writing right until the inevitable details of the success by the ending credits. Simply, Gamble's burger got no flavor and Farrelly's direction adds no sauce.
As admirable as Ippolito is, his Stallone’s gravelly, low octave voice is thick to a distracting degree. Stallone’s Rocky voice is not Stallone but the film has him do his Rocky voice as Stallone and as Rocky. You put on any early 70s interview of Stallone and even the commentary of Rocky (which I did, because woo physical media) and he’s far more articulate and easy to understand than his direction suggests. He wasn’t mumbling during his 20s as heavy as here. Ippolito’s voice takes a while to get used to, but his innate charisma compensates for it. I just hope he doesn’t have the Austin Butler Elvis effect where the voice is his default mode for a while.
At best, I Play Rocky makes you wanna watch Rocky off Prime Video. There’s a beautiful story about self-worth and resilience, but this movie-making movie can't punch above its generic weight. Compared to everyone who even made a Rocky movie, this Glass Joe of a fighter loses the match the moment it gets into the ring.
