Stallone dubs Pacquiao's foe as 'modern day Rocky'

Algieri gets surprise visit from 'Sly'

LOS ANGELES - The iconic movie series “Rocky” follows an unknown boxer played by Sylvester Stallone who rises nowhere to the top of the boxing world, a story that Manny Pacquiao's opponent Chris Algieri is familiar with as he prepares for the fight of his life.

Since his upset win over Ruslan Providnikov, Algieri has been compared to the fictional boxing character Rocky, an underdog who went on to become a champion.

During Algieri's downtown Los Angeles press conference, the so-called "new Rocky" got a surprise visit from the original Rocky himself, Sylvester Stallone.

“It's really great to say Rocky happened in reality so I guess you’re about to see it, so ladies and gentlemen, stay tuned I think we have the birth of a new star,” said Stallone.

“That's something I've been watching since I was a kid, and to be in league or same breath as someone like that is pretty incredible,” said Algieri.

While Pacquiao holds his training camp in General Santos for their November 22nd showdown, the Long Island, New York fighter has been training in Las Vegas for the past few weeks and has gone thru six sparring partners and is ready to get a first hand look at Pacquiao's speed which many fighters have fallen victim to.

“As training camp has gone on, I feel more confident. Everything has been going great. I never know how fast or strong any guy is gonna be before I get in the ring. So you just gotta be ready for anything. I've had really good sparring, very good quick guys with us and really, it's about setting the rhythm. You can offset speed with rhythm and timing,” said Algieri.

Algieri won't be entering the ring with the title that he outboxed Provodnikov for. Last week, Algieri was asked to vacate his WBO 140-pound belt, a pre-condition to getting a shot at the Pacman's WBO welterweight belt.

“It is what it is. I'm not really gonna focus on that too much I'm gonna focus on getting the 147 belt,” he said.

Algeiri leaves for Macau next week on the November 12, giving the undefeated American, who has yet to fight outside of the East Coast, about 10 days to acclimate in a place considered to have a home field advantage for the Pacman.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Review: Arnie, Stallone hatch 'Escape Plan'

I went in to watch "Escape Plan" with very low expectations, not knowing anything of the plot, prepared not to like it. But surprisingly, this film turned out to be very engaging and fun to watch after all.

Ray Breslin (Sylvester Stallone) is a Houdini of jails, having the ability to escape even the highest of high security enclosures. He finds himself locked up in The Tomb, an unofficial prison facility whose problematic heinous inmates are meant to "permanently disappear." In this technologically advanced and remotely isolated prison, Breslin's escaping skills will be put to the ultimate test.

Stallone still delivers his lines as garbled as ever, but he looks good for his age, and has not lost his charisma as an action star. He managed to be quite credible in playing such an incredibly skilled individual. We are ready to suspend disbelief and accept that he can do the impossible. Hey, that is Stallone on that screen!

Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a German inmate named Rottmeyer, who befriends Breslin and becomes his escape partner. Arnie plays it light here, with his acting so typically awkward and actually funny, but we know and love him in this tongue-in-cheek style of his.

Jim Caviezel is very intense as Hobbes, the warden of this special prison, as well as its proud designer. He will go to all extremes to prove that his prison is escape-proof. Caviezel's career seemed to have taken a dip after "The Passion of the Christ" and that is unfortunate after the limits he pushed with that memorably emotional performance. He is sadistically good here in a potentially one-dimensional antagonist role.

It was very good to see Sam Neill on screen again, also after what seems to be a long absence. He plays the prison physician here faced with a moral dilemma.

The story telling by Swedish-born director Mikael Håfström is well-paced and actually quite exciting. The set design of the prison was very high- tech, and well thought of. That version of solitary confinement was harsh! The escape sequences seemed logically planned and were thrillingly executed. The revelation scenes are very well-staged and that is only how far I'm going to describe them so you won't be spoiled with the many surprises this film has in store for you.

Recommended for those looking for a good, entertaining and unexpectedly smart action film. You may think you already know how it all ends, but the road it took to get to that ending is quite an enjoyable ride. I had a really good time watching this. 7/10.

This review was originally published in the author's blog, "Fred Said."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com