The Film: Rocky A film occasionally overlooked due to many lesser sequels, Rocky is the story of an underachieving boxer given a title shot as a publicity stunt by current heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed. The story follows Rocky's modest approach to life, suddenly forced into the spotlight, and the battles that come with such a thing. All he wants, is to put on the show that he had failed to before now. The Character: Rocky Balboa Possibly the most likeable character on this list, Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) is funny and upbeat in spite of his poor life and dangerous job as a loan shark for a local gangster. He has spent a career being put into fights as a bridge fighter - a tough fight to move other boxer's towards contention. What sets him apart is his heart and his unwillingness to give in. As Apollo Creed found out, you can knock him down, but he keeps getting back up. One word of advice: if you hear that theme tune, run for the hills. It means that he's about to make a comeback.