Sylvester Stallone, who has not had a hit film since 1993’s Cliffhanger, appears incredibly desperate to revive a sagging film career by resurrecting Rocky. His Rocky Balboa is the sixth outing for the aged and ring-worn Balboa -- and hopefully the final one.

In the latest Rocky adventure, we meet Mason “The Line” Dixon (Antonio Tarver), a man undefeated as a professional boxer. Dixon slugged his way to the top of the fight game, becoming the world heavyweight champion with a record of 33 wins and 30 knockouts. Unfortunately, boxing fans are tired of watching Dixon fight opponents who get knocked out seconds after the opening bell. The champ needs tough opposition to test his ability, so he questions if there is anyone left to fight who can match his speed and power. 

Meanwhile, a show entitled “Man Vs. Machine” airs on television with a computerized boxing match pitting Dixon and Rocky Balboa (Stallone) against each other. The hypothetical match factors in fight records, statistics, and experience. Balboa is declared the winner by knockout. Dixon’s agent saw the show and thinks Balboa would make an excellent opponent for Tarver and that a match could boost his popularity. Considering Balboa a challenging opponent but one that poses no threat because of his age and health, the Dixon camp makes him an offer to fight Dixon in an exhibition match.

Balboa has been unable to move forward with his life after his wife Adrian died of cancer. His only solace is interacting with customers at his restaurant and telling them about the night he faced heavyweight champion Apollo Creed 30 years ago. Balboa’s son Robert (Milo Ventimiglia), who is estranged from his father because he finds it difficult to be the son of a legend, becomes eager to distance himself more after Balboa agrees to fight Dixon. Robert thinks this fight will cause him even more grief.

Surprisingly, writer/director Stallone reintroduces Marie in Rocky Balboa. Remember the teenager who cursed at Rocky after he walked her home advising her not to associate with gangs? Now grown, Marie (Geraldine Hughes) works in a bar where she approaches Balboa to see if he remembers her. The two begin a friendship, and Balboa tries to mentor Marie’s son (James Francis Kelly III).

In order to make the Balboa-Dixon fight seem more realistic, Stallone approached Antonio Tarver, a former light heavyweight champion, to portray Dixon. In addition, four cameras were positioned in each corner of the ring to recreate the angles a live boxing match would be filmed in. The fight sequence was shot before the main event at the Hopkins-Taylor match in Las Vegas. Stallone used legendary referee Joe Cortez, fight announcer Michael Buffer and HBO commentators to call the fictional fight as 14,000 fight fans stood in for extras.

Hughes delivers the standout performance here. She’s natural, calm and believable. However, Tarver portrays a caricature of himself. With Rocky Balboa, Stallone appears to have dusted off his original screenplay for Rocky, inserted a few new characters and plunged our indomitable hero into identical situations we already saw in his first outing.

(Released by Columbia Pictures and rated “R for” boxing violence and some language.)