TIFF Review: I Play Rocky Is a Crowdpleasing Winner

Does every die-hard fan of Rocky, Sylvester Stallone’s zeitgeist-capturing, Oscar-winning, sequel-spawning classic, know the backstory of Rocky? There’s a very good chance that answer is yes, as the struggles of Sly are as ingrained in pop culture lore as Rocky Balboa’s struggles against Apollo Creed. And if that’s the case, then on paper, Peter Farrelly’s I Play Rocky appears vulnerable to knockout—especially when the main character is an individual as well-known and oft-mocked as Sylvester Stallone. 

Stallone’s story had a happy ending, and so does this one; I Play Rocky is an absolute winner. It plays at times like the ultimate bonus material for a Rocky boxed set, and that’s not a bad thing. Indeed, there are moments when one almost forgets that Anthony Ippolito is playing Rocky Balboa, rather than Sylvester Stallone. You may get sick of hearing that Ippolito gives a star-making performance, but it’s undeniably true. Just as Rocky brought fame to Stallone, I Play Rocky is likely to do the same for Ippolito, who manages to avoid imitation and instead bring to the character something soulful. Yes, just like Stallone brought to Rocky Balboa. 

I Play Rocky opens with Stallone the struggling actor—a.k.a. “Mike” Stallone—and yes, even his brief dalliance with adult film is included. So too is the moving detail of Stallone reading into a tape recorder and listening back to his vocal battles. He finds love with Sasha, a photographer sweetly played by AnnaSophia Robb, and it’s Sasha who encourages the wannabe actor to write himself the lead role no one else will give him. Two more believers are producers Irwin Winkler (P. J. Byrne) and Robert Chartoff (Toby Kebbell), who have the unenviable task of telling ever-pissed studio executive Sandy Maddox (Tracy Letts, an absolute delight) that the writer of Rocky wants to play the lead role, and isn’t budging. Eventually, of course, a compromise is reached, and the pre-production and shooting of Rocky in Philadelphia is expertly recreated. You will know where things are going, but getting there is a joy.

Farrelly has rightfully received his share of criticism over the preceding decades, but he’s the right director for this brisk, humor-filled script by Peter Gamble. This is another Peter Farrelly crowdpleaser, to my mind a much stronger one than the syrupy Green Book (to say nothing of Balls Out). Interestingly, Rocky director John G. Avildsen—a self-proclaimed “dick” played here by Jay Duplass—is frequently referred to as a safe choice who works on-time and on-budget; perhaps Farrelly feels some kinship with the man who was never seen as more than a competent journeyman. There’s nothing visually exceptional happening here; I Play Rocky often has a streaming-movie feel. Luckily, the story and performances make up for the ho-hum form.

Whether on his own or with his brother, Bobby, Peter Farrelly has often brought together surprisingly strong casts, and I Play Rocky is no exception. The roster is across-the-board excellent, including Matt Dillon, reuniting with one of his There’s Something About Mary directors as Stallone’s hardass father, and Stephen James as the late, great Carl Weathers. Plus, there’s the character who most grabbed my attention on a recent Rocky re-watch: Stallone’s real-life dog, Butkus. The bullmastiff gets his own origin story, and steals every scene in which he appears. I Play Rocky is also the first film in which an actor portrays Steadicam creator and operator Garrett Brown, which must count for something. 

It’s worth noting that Sylvester Stallone had nothing to do with I Play Rocky; in fact, he’s releasing a memoir titled The Steps shortly before the film’s release. However, when I Play Rocky premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, Farrelly opened his pre-screening thank-yous by acknowledging Stallone for allowing the filmmakers to tell his tale. If Sly had been involved, one wonders what he might have changed, and whether some elements—particularly those involving Winkler (who Stallone has notoriously criticized in recent years) and Sasha. And there are elements here that contradict Stallone’s own retelling in the Netflix documentary Sly. 

Quite frankly, these concerns mean little, and his lack of involvement may have made for a better film. I Play Rocky simply works, even if liberties have been taken. Stallone himself would surely appreciate the care that went into showing the make-or-break moment of his life and career, and he may feel a peculiar sense of déjà vu watching Ippolito running through the streets of Philly and the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I Play Rocky could have gone very wrong (like Rocky V). Instead, it’s a worthy supplement to the films that inspired it. For a true Hollywood creation story, there is no higher praise. 

I Play Rocky premiered at TIFF 2026 and opens November 6.