Rocky is one of the best boxing movies and character stories in cinema history, so a film about how it got made starts with an established goodwill among fans and cinephiles in general. My I Play Rocky review comes down to how it successfully treats the subject matter, largely thanks to Anthony Ippolito’s standout performance.

I Play Rocky Review: Blurring The Line Between Rocky And This Biopic

Premiering at TIFF 2026, I Play Rocky dramatizes Sylvester Stallone’s real-life struggle to get Rocky made, while also doubling as a behind-the-scenes look at the first film. Featuring some incredible performances that work on every level. Fans of the Rocky franchise have a lot to look forward to, while the film still holds its own as a biopic that hits all the right notes to make this a crowd-pleasing entertainer.

How The Original Rocky Cemented Itself Into Pop Culture

When the original Rocky was released in 1976, the name Sylvester Stallone was nowhere near a household name, something that changed with the unprecedented success of the film, both commercially and critically. People have long credited Stallone’s grit and determination for getting Rocky made as the reason for its success, and I Play Rocky chronicles those hardships, working as a semi-biopic on Stallone overcoming those obstacles to become the Hollywood star he is today.

I Play Rocky is an unconventional movie given that it is part biopic of Stallone’s making of the movie, but also a fictionalized behind-the-scenes look at the same film. And on both counts, the film leans into the formula as it chronicles the making of one of Hollywood’s most iconic successes. Rocky went on to become the epitome of the underdog story, with the imagery and music of the film cemented in pop culture as the ultimate motivational story. Everything from the trumpets of the score to his running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art has been referenced for decades since its release. Rocky spawned five sequels with varying levels of success, as well as a spinoff in the Michael B. Jordan-starring Creed. I Play Rocky is best read as a homage to that first film.

I Play Rocky Review: Anthony Ippolito’s Stallone Is The Biggest Selling Point

Playing Stallone himself is newcomer Anthony Ippolito, who is the greatest thing about the film. The difference between a successful biopic and a cheap imitation is really the casting. Ippolito plays Stallone with no prosthetics and no visual effects, relying purely on physicality and an earnestness that mimics young Rocky himself. The young actor buries himself in the performance, recreating many of Rocky’s iconic scenes. As a long-time fan of the franchise, I watched the line between recreation and original blur many times.

While the performance is great, the story writes itself. Stallone (Ippolito) is a struggling actor, constantly undermined and demeaned, until his new love interest, Sasha (AnnaSophia Robb), inspires him to write a script with himself in the lead. When Stallone shops it to producers Irwin Winkler (P. J. Byrne) and Robert Chartoff (Toby Kebbell), his insistence on playing the lead despite no experience as a leading man is just the first hurdle. And thus Rocky was born. Peter Farrelly directs the film efficiently, hitting the beats Rocky fans already know while giving new audiences an easy way in: a nice guy who never got a fair shake. An underdog story, about an underdog story.

From The Perspective Of A Lifelong Rocky Fan

Stallone himself has always been an anomaly to me. A brawny guy who was soft-spoken and conveyed a vulnerability and intellect that was unexpected. Similarly, Rocky was never a typical boxing movie, as I Play Rocky is quick to point out. Most boxing films are adrenaline-packed action entertainers that are meant to hype and motivate.

Rocky has always been the antithesis to that. A character drama about a mild-mannered man with no opportunities and constantly undervalued by all around him. Ippolito imbues those characteristics so seamlessly that it’s difficult to see him as anything other than Rocky throughout the film. It’s a movie that almost doesn’t work if he can’t convince us that he’s a young Stallone, and he does so flawlessly.

I Play Rocky Review Verdict: Strong Supporting Cast, Crowd-Pleasing Heart

One of the surprises in I Play Rocky is Toby Kebbell as one of the producers behind Rocky. Kebbell, as always, is unrecognizable in a supporting role that takes some of the weight off Ippolito’s shoulders in the scenes they share together. The always reliable P. J. Byrne plays the legendary producer Irwin Winkler in a great performance. I always love when character actors such as Byrne get so much screen time in a crowd-pleasing movie. Matt Dillon is also pretty serviceable as Frank Stallone Sr., with the limited screen time he does get.

I Play Rocky plays out like the usual biopic with the right notes of humour, emotion, heart and insider knowledge in a beloved film. New audiences will find plenty to love in this story of Stallone and his journey to create Rocky. Fans of the Rocky franchise will get an immersive look into the stories of one of their favourite films from a unique perspective.

I Play Rocky premiered at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.

Are you excited for the dramatic behind-the-scenes retelling of the Rocky movie? Or are you concerned about how Ippolito will pull off being a younger Stallone? Tell me in the comments below, and follow me @theshahshahid on X for more new movie reviews.