This year, both of these films revived two of my all time favorite movie characters – Rocky Balboa and Henry Jones, Jr (aka “Indiana”). One did it right; the other one did not.

I loved the original Rocky. I loved it because despite what the movie posters might say, this movie isn’t about boxing at all. It’s about struggle, perseverance, and the underdog. I think the best example of this comes at the end of the movie. Rocky has just gone the distance with the great champion, Apollo Creed. The fight is a draw and both men are exhausted. And Rocky starts looking for Adrian.

In the craziness, he finally spots her, remarks “Where’s your hat?” and then they say they love each other. It’s only in the background noise that you hear the announcer for the fight say that Apollo has won the split decision fight. Rocky lost – but the whole point is that the outcome of the fight was irrelevant. It didn’t matter, because he finished it. He went the distance, and the fight is a metaphor for his whole life.

Ultimately the movie is about the character of Rocky. Forget the fight; it’s just something to keep the story moving. It’s about the character. And that’s why I liked the latest movie, Rocky Balboa. In a return to the original, this movie is about the same underdog trudging through life, trying to figure out who he is as an aging, widowed athlete with an alienated son.

It’s about him, the character, the story. The fight is just an afterthought (which is a good thing because I’m not sure about the plausibility of a 65 year old fighting a 23 year old brawler). The line of the movie, which to me pretty much sums up what the whole character is about, is this: “What matters is how hard you can get hit and keep on coming.” That’s Rocky’s life. It’s about persevering, lasting the entire fight, and never giving up. And I love him – you know you do, too.

Indiana Jones? Well, more about him in part 2. For now, let’s just leave the sweet image of the Italian Stallion in our heads.