Movies Rocky Balboa or Darth Vader - Which is the greater character?

[Takes_Two_To_Tango]

Both are the elite of the elite of movie characters.

Who's your pick?

 

[SoberAwakening]

Make no mistake about it, it's the voice that makes Darth Vader so iconic. We've heard the original actor read the lines and I promise you, Darth Vader wouldn't have been as menacing or such a force without James Earl Jones elevating the character to a different level.

 

[Provocateur]

In a fight Darth would easily just choke him to death. I’m picking the man in black.

 

[Herwald]

Darth Vader is fucking excrement. The movie didn't quite emphasize how fucked up the scene of Alderaan getting blown up really was, the radio play nailed it (@2h56m22s, if time stamp don't take you there):



Fuck that piece of shit and his "redemption" arc.

Meanwhile Rocky's just a good dude who wanted to prove to himself he can go the distance. And cope being family with Paulie for that sweet Jewish cunny.

 

[The Good The Bad The HBK]

Vader isn't even the best character in his franchise

Rocky I-IV > every star war movie and tv show

 

[panamaican]

Vader. For me, it's because prior to the 2nd trilogy people really wondered about the sequence of events that would have resulted in this guy becoming who he is. His menace was palpable but he wasn't always like that, so how?

Rocky was a little more open about how and what he was. We saw his journey, we wondered about Vader's.

 

[BisexualMMA]

Vader. For me, it's because prior to the 2nd trilogy people really wondered about the sequence of events that would have resulted in this guy becoming who he is. His menace was palpable but he wasn't always like that, so how?

Rocky was a little more open about how and what he was. We saw his journey, we wondered about Vader's.

Does that work in Vader's favor ultimately when those questions are answered and done so unsatisfactorily? I guess it's easy enough to jettison those answers and the prequels from memory (and the sequels for Luke and company) - much as I am happy to pretend Highlander 2 doesn't exist and Connor McLeod is not a space alien - but Rocky does emerge from 8 movies thus far pretty much unscathed with that kind of thing.

 

[panamaican]

Does that work in Vader's favor ultimately when those questions are answered and done so unsatisfactorily? I guess it's easy enough to jettison those answers and the prequels from memory (and the sequels for Luke and company) - much as I am happy to pretend Highlander 2 doesn't exist and Connor McLeod is not a space alien - but Rocky does emerge from 8 movies thus far pretty much unscathed with that kind of thing.

I think the Vader --> Anakin --> Vader evolution is more interesting that Rocky's Bum --> Superstar --> Mentor evolution. And the initial Darth Vader premise is more interesting than the Rocky premise. I think the acting in Rocky is much better than in most of the Star Wars films. But I think the Vader character has more depth than the Rocky one.

 

[BisexualMMA]

I think the Vader --> Anakin --> Vader evolution is more interesting that Rocky's Bum --> Superstar --> Mentor evolution. And the initial Darth Vader premise is more interesting than the Rocky premise. I think the acting in Rocky is much better than in most of the Star Wars films. But I think the Vader character has more depth than the Rocky one.

I found Vader a very compelling and interesting character with a ton of mystique...for three movies. After that I can do without every time I have seen Vader or Anakin. Some snippits and highlights from Rogue One or the Obi Wan series are cool but it's a music video's worth of material.

Rocky... Mileage will vary for the individual viewer but Bum - Superstar - Mentor sells him a little short. It is actually Bum -> Star -> Bum -> Superstar -> Somewhere between Bum and Star / Regular Guy --> Mentor (failed mentor and then successful mentor).

There is street thug to bona fide boxer and choosing to leave that behind even when broke in Rocky 2. There is overcoming and strategizing around injuries...learning to fight right handed for Rocky 2, then learning to fight Apollo Creed style for Rocky 3.

There are evolving relationships with Adrian and Mickey and Apollo etc. Grieving loss at various points and more than once.

Vader...we see his relationship with Luke change in the last five minutes of his life and it is interesting in the original trilogy to see this absolute monster actually so subservient to something that must be much worse (The Emperor) but otherwise he is mostly an island.

 

[Get To Da Choppa]

Vader is the ultimate bitch. Had all the potential to be the GOAT and always ending up playing second fiddle. The one time he tried to become top dog he died in the process. He's also a domestic abuser and gravely injured his son.

Rocky on the other hand came from nothing, became world champ multiple times, and defeated communism

 

[panamaican]

I found Vader a very compelling and interesting character with a ton of mystique...for three movies. After that I can do without every time I have seen Vader or Anakin. Some snippits and highlights from Rogue One or the Obi Wan series are cool but it's a music video's worth of material.

Rocky... Mileage will vary for the individual viewer but Bum - Superstar - Mentor sells him a little short. It is actually Bum -> Star -> Bum -> Superstar -> Somewhere between Bum and Star / Regular Guy --> Mentor (failed mentor and then successful mentor).

There is street thug to bona fide boxer and choosing to leave that behind even when broke in Rocky 2. There is overcoming and strategizing around injuries...learning to fight right handed for Rocky 2, then learning to fight Apollo Creed style for Rocky 3.

There are evolving relationships with Adrian and Mickey and Apollo etc. Grieving loss at various points and more than once.

Vader...we see his relationship with Luke change in the last five minutes of his life and it is interesting in the original trilogy to see this absolute monster actually so subservient to something that must be much worse (The Emperor) but otherwise he is mostly an island.

Kind of overselling Rocky here. Movie 2-4 are the same rags to riches premise dressed up in different clothes. If you ask me if the Rocky movies are better, I'd agree, but the character itself? He's a bum then a star. Then a bum then a star. Then a star who loses, trains like a bum to become a star. Then a star who loses his close friend, trains like a bum to become a star again. All time great training montages but Rocky goes through the same experience a lot. There isn't more to his evolution than there is in the evolution of galaxy savior into galaxy pariah into redemption.

And lightsabers are cooler than boxing gloves.

 

[BigSexy444]

Rocky is the greatest character of all time.

 

[The Good The Bad The HBK]

Movie 2-4 are the same rags to riches premise dressed up in different clothes

Rocky 2 is an incredible redemption story about being who you are meant to be.

Rocky quit boxing because of the damage he took against Apollo permanently messed up his eye. He did everything else except boxing and was miserable and unhappy. He quit boxing for Adrian who eventually sees being a fighter is what Rocky is meant to be. So Mick then adjusts his style to protect his eye so he fights southpaw against Apollo.


Rocky 3 is about rocky crushing cans to protect his eye until he finally accepts a fight with Clubber and loses because he was fighting nobodies along with enjoying the rich life.

Rocky 4 is about revenge for Apollo. He was still rich in there.

So only Rocky 1 was about rags to riches

The other 3 were individual stories that told much more than you're giving credit for.

 

[Fox by the Sea]

Vader GOAT

 

[Xuh]

I need to know how Rocky feels about sand before I can answer

 

[I Am Legion]

Wow, right down the middle. This is a battle

 

[panamaican]

Rocky 2 is an incredible redemption story about being who you are meant to be.

Rocky quit boxing because of the damage he took against Apollo permanently messed up his eye. He did everything else except boxing and was miserable and unhappy. He quit boxing for Adrian who eventually sees being a fighter is what Rocky is meant to be. So Mick then adjusts his style to protect his eye so he fights southpaw against Apollo.


Rocky 3 is about rocky crushing cans to protect his eye until he finally accepts a fight with Clubber and loses because he was fighting nobodies along with enjoying the rich life.

Rocky 4 is about revenge for Apollo. He was still rich in there.

So only Rocky 1 was about rags to riches

The other 3 were individual stories that told much more than you're giving credit for.

They were individual rags to riches stories. How we got to rags and how we went to riches changed but they're all still rags to riches. Rocky 1 is the movie that uses that formula the least because he ends the movie without the all out success that movies 2-4 give him. His "victory" in Rocky 1 is more symbolic and about his character. It's the best Rocky in terms of the character. It's also the movie least invested in the boxing itself (not that the boxing isn't great), Rocky 1 is way of a full character arc than the usual athlete climbing the gloried sports mountain movies that we got later.

 

[Dream Evil]

Would Vader be able to catch a chicken? Would be fun to watch. No force choking the chicken.

 

[BisexualMMA]

They were individual rags to riches stories. How we got to rags and how we went to riches changed but they're all still rags to riches. Rocky 1 is the movie that uses that formula the least because he ends the movie without the all out success that movies 2-4 give him. His "victory" in Rocky 1 is more symbolic and about his character. It's the best Rocky in terms of the character. It's also the movie least invested in the boxing itself (not that the boxing isn't great), Rocky 1 is way of a full character arc than the usual athlete climbing the gloried sports mountain movies that we got later.

Rocky 2 is filled with the same character stuff and non boxing real world struggles. More so perhaps which is unfortunately why a lot of people find it their least favorite of the first four. They don't like the commercials and advertising, the hospital recovery, the meat packing plant, sweeping up the gym, etc. It's some of the best stuff.

 

[ferrisjso]

Want to bring up the point that Vader saving his son equating to him becoming Anakin Skywalker again was pretty silly. Lots of pretty evil people care about their family members and dark side Vader would have always chosen Luke over the Emperor he was just too crippled to do anything. The fact that killing Palpatine to save Luke equals throwing away the last 20 years of his life never made sense he always wanted to kill Palpatine after becoming Darth Vader. He tells Padme this in episode 3 and Luke this in episode 5.

Rocky grows more through the course of his franchise. He goes from a forrest gump like character to a legitamely wise mentor figure. He goes from a mediocre club fighter to arguably boxings goat in his timeline(where boxers are better cause Apollo the worst boxing character stops George Foreman). Vader always has a master throughout Star Wars of some sort that he's frustrated at. Despite his surrondings changing dramatically throughout his life you feel like he's still in the same place.