What age is Rocky appropriate for?

Rocky is rated PG and PopcornCheck recommends it for ages 13+, based on reading the actual screenplay. The 15-round championship fight depicts both fighters with broken noses, cut eyes, and swollen faces bleeding heavily, while the script also contains strong language including a racial slur ('nigger') and ethnic slur ('honky'), multiple uses of 'fuck,' and a scene where Paulie swings a baseball bat at Rocky and Adrian in a violent domestic outburst.

Does Rocky have swearing or bad language?

Rocky has Moderate language. Strong language includes 'hell' (4x), 'shit'/'shhiii' (3x), and 'fuck'/'fuckin'' (6x) used throughout the film.

Rocky has Extreme violence. The 15-round championship fight between Rocky and Apollo Creed is brutally graphic, with both fighters suffering a broken nose, cut eyes, and swollen faces; blood sprays from Rocky's broken nose onto ringside photographers.

Is Rocky scary for children?

Rocky has Extreme scary scenes. A tense scene shows Rocky escorting young Marie through a dark school yard where muggers are lurking in the shadows.

Is Rocky OK for Kids?

Name: Rocky
Director: John G. Avildsen
Genre: Drama
Released: 1976
Duration: 120 min
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith

Drama

13+

PG⭐ IMDb 8.1 / 101976 · 2h 0m

John G. Avildsen● Script verified

See all movies for 13-year-olds

Where to Watch

United States

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What's In It

Based on the actual screenplay

🗡️Violence

Extreme▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Cartoon / Comedic

Action & Peril

Injuries & Death Shown

Graphic & Disturbing

The 15-round championship fight between Rocky and Apollo Creed is brutally graphic, with both fighters suffering a broken nose, cut eyes, and swollen faces; blood sprays from Rocky's broken nose onto ringside photographers.
Rocky punches hanging beef carcasses in a meat freezer with increasing ferocity, his hands dripping with blood, as part of his unconventional training.
Rocky's cutman Benny slices open Rocky's swollen eyelids with a ring knife between rounds to drain the wounds so he can keep fighting.
Paulie swings a baseball bat inside the apartment, smashing furniture while threatening Rocky and Adrian in a frightening domestic outburst.
Other violence includes Rocky defeating an opponent at the Blue Door Fight Club, grabbing debtor Fats by the neck on a ship, and Dipper slapping Rocky twice in the gym; no character dies on screen, but the tone throughout the fight scenes is intense and physically punishing.

💬Language

Moderate▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mild Words

(damn, hell)

Moderate

(ass, b**ch)

Strong

(sh*t)

Extreme

(f**k)

Strong language includes 'hell' (4x), 's**t'/'shhiii' (3x), and 'f**k'/'fuckin'' (6x) used throughout the film.
A racial slur ('nigger', 1x) and an ethnic slur ('honky', 1x) are both used once in the dialogue.
Moderate language includes 'da**'/'dammit' (8x), 'bum' (15x, often directed at Rocky as an insult), 'a**' (4x), 'scum'/'scumbag' (3x), 'b**tard' (2x), and 'wh**e' (3x).

👻Scary Scenes

Extreme▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mildly Tense

Startling Moments

Genuinely Scary

Deeply Disturbing

A tense scene shows Rocky escorting young Marie through a dark school yard where muggers are lurking in the shadows.
Paulie's sudden violent outburst with a baseball bat is startling, as he threatens both Rocky and Adrian in their apartment.
The 15-round championship fight is intense and at times feels life-threatening for both fighters, culminating in a final round where Rocky's eyes are nearly swollen shut and the ring doctor questions whether he can continue.
After the fight, an overwhelming crowd surge nearly engulfs both fighters, separating Rocky from Adrian in the chaos.
All scary moments resolve without lasting harm to major characters; the muggers are chased off and the fight/crowd scenes end safely.

💕Romance

Extreme▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Crushes & Holding Hands

Kissing & Dating

Suggestive

Sexual Content

Rocky repeatedly visits a pet shop to shyly flirt with Adrian, at one point doing a Hunchback impression to make her laugh.
Rocky removes Adrian's glasses and hat, tells her she's pretty, and softly kisses her; a later scene fades as they embrace in his apartment with the implication they've become intimate.
Adrian removes her sweater to reveal a 'Win, Rocky, Win' t-shirt in a suggestive moment, though Rocky restrains himself due to training discipline.
Paulie accuses Adrian of letting Rocky 'in her pants,' an explicit implication of their sexual relationship, though nothing is shown.
The film ends with Rocky and Adrian embracing in the crowd as she repeatedly tells him 'I love you.'

🍺Substances

Mild▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mentioned in Passing

Shown Casually

Featured Prominently

Glorified or Abused

Rocky drinks raw eggs from a glass as part of his unconventional training regimen, shown casually and without glorification.
Paulie drinks wine and whiskey throughout the film, often visibly drunk, including swilling whiskey from a pint bottle in the meat freezer.
Andy's Bar shows a bartender and patrons drinking beer, and multiple characters smoke cigarettes throughout the film.
Young people at the Atomic Hoagie Shop ask Rocky to buy them Thunderbird wine, which is mentioned but not shown being purchased.

⚡Stimulation

Extreme▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Gently Engaging

Exciting

Intense

Overwhelming

Rocky's training montage, running through Philadelphia streets and up the museum steps, is exciting and energizing with upbeat pacing.
Rocky's freezer beef-punching scene builds in intensity and focus as his training becomes more ferocious.
Rounds 10 through 15 of the championship fight are overwhelming, with relentless brutal exchanges as both fighters near collapse, and the crowd noise is described as deafening.
The post-fight crowd chaos, where fans lift both fighters overhead in competing waves, is overwhelming and may be too much for sensory-sensitive younger children.

Parents also checked

Rocky — Heads Up for Parents

Despite being a PG-rated classic, parents should be aware the script contains a racial slur ('nigger') and ethnic slur ('honky') used once each, plus six uses of 'f**k,' alongside the graphic championship fight where a cutman slices open Rocky's swollen eyelids with a ring knife between rounds.

About Rocky

Rocky is the story of a struggling Philadelphia club boxer and debt collector who gets an unlikely shot at the world heavyweight title against champion Apollo Creed. It's a gritty, working-class underdog drama mixing brutal boxing action with a tender, awkward romance and themes of dignity and perseverance.

👨‍👧

Best watched together

The strong and slur-based language, the graphic 15-round championship fight with visible blood and a cutman slicing Rocky's eyelids, and Paulie's frightening baseball bat outburst are heavy enough that a parent should watch alongside younger teens to provide context and discuss the language and violence.

Family Takeaways from Rocky

What it gets right

✓The film shows that self-respect and effort matter more than winning, as Rocky's goal shifts from beating Apollo Creed to simply 'going the distance' and proving he's 'not just another bum.'
✓Rocky's kindness toward young Marie and a homeless man on the street models everyday compassion outside the boxing ring.

Rocky Cultural & Values Guide

Cultural & Values Guide

Values & Themes

●Traditional family values

The film centers on Rocky and Adrian's committed romantic relationship, culminating in their final embrace where she repeatedly says 'I love you,' framing loyalty and partnership as core values.

Community Notes

Use of a racial slur ('nigger') and an ethnic slur ('honky') in dialogue may raise concern for some viewers and communities regarding depictions of racial tension.

Cast:Sylvester StalloneTalia ShireBurt YoungCarl WeathersBurgess Meredith