I Play Rocky

I Play Rocky tells the story of Rocky’s production, starring Anthony Ippolito as a young Sylvester Stallone desperately trying to make ends meet while pursuing his dream of becoming an actor. With support from his wife, Sasha (AnnaSophia Robb), Sylvester eventually gets a lucky break when his writing catches the eye of producers Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler (played by Toby Kebbell and PJ Byrne, respectively), but the film industry’s bigwigs are hesitant to support his opus, viewing boxing movies as toxic and a film without a famous leading man as dead on arrival. Much like the underdog hero of his screenplay, Sylvester must fight against overwhelming odds for what he believes in.

As the tale of Rocky’s production is inseparable from that of its leading man and writer, I Play Rocky is at its core a character study of Stallone. Such a heavy narrative focus demands a lot from its lead, and Ippolito rises to the occasion and then some, elevating the entire production with his performance. He perfectly captures Stallone’s distinctive voice and mannerisms, serving the emotional beats without falling into caricature.

Of course, it’s not just Ippolito on screen, and the film’s supporting cast all similarly bring their A-game. Robb plays off his energy excellently as Sasha, with the two bringing out vulnerabilities and nuance in each other’s performances. Kebbell and Byrne are a hilarious double act as the film’s harried producers, which becomes a triple act when Jay Duplass enters the piece as director John Avildsen. Tracy Letts is another scene-stealer as Sandy Maddox, a fictional composite of several film execs who brings heel heat as the jaded industry pro, playing off Ippolito’s idealistic upstart.

The script plays things a little safe, relying on the crowd-pleasing underdog story and the hard work of its actors to provide pathos, but it’s serviceable, and although the audience knows how the story plays out, it provides just enough tension to show how astronomically high the stakes were for the young Stallone. It also has strong comedic chops, bringing some solid laughs to compensate for it pulling its narrative punches somewhat.

Overall, I Play Rocky is a fun, easy watch; it’s not the most challenging movie, but it doesn’t need to be, and while it stands on the shoulders of giants, it does so with style and confidence.

Umar Ali

I Play Rocky is released nationwide on 6^th November 2026.

Watch the trailer for I Play Rocky here: