I have watched the I Play Rocky trailer more times than I would like to admit. Not because it has explosions, superheroes or some massive cinematic universe waiting to confuse me. It has something much better.
Sylvester Stallone’s real story.
I have seen Rocky, Rocky II and Rocky III, and they remain some of the best films from that era. They were never only about boxing. They were about getting knocked down, being ignored and somehow finding enough strength to stand up again. Now ‘I Play Rocky’ is telling the story behind Rocky – how a struggling and almost unknown Stallone wrote the screenplay, believed he should play the lead and refused to surrender the role even when Hollywood kept telling him no.
Honestly, that story might be even more Rocky than Rocky itself.
Stallone’s journey has always fascinated me. Complications during his birth required doctors to use forceps, accidentally damaging a facial nerve and leaving part of the left side of his face paralysed. It created his famous expression, deep voice and slightly slurred speech. Hollywood initially saw those things as problems. Eventually, they became the exact qualities that made him unforgettable. That tilted smile, the voice and the way he looked at people became completely his own.
And apparently, several women found that look rather attractive. Fair enough, ladies. I understand. LOL.
The ‘I Play Rocky’ captures those early struggles, but the casting is what completely sold the movie to me. Anthony Ippolito plays the young Sylvester Stallone, and good God, he genuinely looks like someone travelled back in time and brought young Sly with them.
But the resemblance is not even the most impressive part. It is the voice.
The dialogue delivery, the movement of his face and that unmistakable Stallone sound immediately made me pay attention. Ippolito reportedly spent a great deal of time studying the voice and understanding how Stallone’s facial paralysis shaped it. He does not simply look like Stallone wearing Rocky’s clothes. From what I saw in the trailer, he understands the hunger, stubbornness and quiet confidence behind him.
Rocky became the ultimate underdog because Stallone was already living like one.
This movie also feels personal to me for another reason. Sylvester Stallone has given me much more than entertainment. Some of my strongest movie memories involve sitting with my dad and uncles and watching his films together. Before streaming services and personal screens separated everyone, watching a movie meant the family sitting in one place and reacting together. My first English movie was Rambo and Jurassic Park.
Hey, I am not old, I was a kiddo when I watched it, and I can still remember how powerful Stallone looked on screen. He barely needed to speak. The walk, the stare and the muscles did most of the work.
Ahem, that does not mean I am old.
I am not. (Squeaky voice.)
Well, That is why I Play Rocky already carries so much nostalgia for me. I am not simply watching the making of a famous film. I am revisiting the actor who became part of my childhood and the memories I created with my family while watching him.
Sylvester Stallone is my favourite action hero, and he always will be.
I Play Rocky arrives in cinemas in November 2026, and I will try my best to watch it on the first day, first show available in the UK.
For everyone else, it may be the story behind Rocky. For me, it will be a return to my childhood, my family and the action hero who started it all.
Now somebody book my UK ticket before I start running up the steps in Philadelphia.
aKi Malik
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