Review: Peter Farrelly's 'I Play Rocky' Lands a Knockout in Toronto

Peter Farrelly's "I Play Rocky," which premiered at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival and opens in theaters on November 6, is an unambiguous winner, according to The Film Stage's review from the festival.

The film dramatizes the making of "Rocky," Sylvester Stallone's Oscar-winning 1976 classic, and Anthony Ippolito plays the struggling young actor then billing himself as "Mike" Stallone. The reviewer's verdict is blunt: Ippolito gives a star-making performance. "You may get sick of hearing that Ippolito gives a star-making performance, but it's undeniably true," the review states, noting that the actor avoids imitation and brings "something soulful" to the role — much as Stallone himself brought to Rocky Balboa.

What does the film cover?

The script by Peter Gamble follows the well-documented beats of Stallone's early career:

• His brief dalliance with adult film
• His practice of reading into a tape recorder and listening back to his vocal battles
• His relationship with photographer Sasha, played by AnnaSophia Robb, who encourages him to write himself the lead role no one else will give him
• Producers Irwin Winkler (P. J. Byrne) and Robert Chartoff (Toby Kebbell) persuading studio executive Sandy Maddox, played with relish by Tracy Letts, to let the writer star in his own script

The pre-production and shooting of "Rocky" in Philadelphia is "expertly recreated," the review finds, and while audiences will know where the story is headed, "getting there is a joy."

How does Farrelly handle it?

Farrelly, whom the reviewer credits as the right director for this "brisk, humor-filled" script, delivers a much stronger crowdpleaser than his "syrupy" Best Picture winner "Green Book." The review notes a possible kinship between Farrelly and "Rocky" director John G. Avildsen — played by Jay Duplass as a self-proclaimed "dick" who was frequently dismissed as a safe, on-time, on-budget journeyman.

Visually, the film is unremarkable and "often has a streaming-movie feel," but the story and performances compensate.

The supporting cast spans Matt Dillon as Stallone's hardass father, Stephen James as the late Carl Weathers, and — a scene-stealer — the bullmastiff playing Butkus, Stallone's real-life dog, who gets his own origin story. The film is also, per the review, the first to feature an actor portraying Garrett Brown, the inventor of the Steadicam.

Where does Stallone stand?

Stallone had no involvement in "I Play Rocky." He releases his memoir, "The Steps," shortly before the film's November 6 theatrical release, and some elements of the film contradict his own retelling in the Netflix documentary "Sly" — particularly regarding Winkler, whom Stallone has notoriously criticized in recent years.

At the TIFF premiere, Farrelly opened his thank-yous by acknowledging Stallone for allowing the filmmakers to tell his tale.

The reviewer dismisses concerns over the liberties taken, arguing the lack of Stallone's involvement "may have made for a better film." The film "could have gone very wrong (like 'Rocky V')," the review concludes. "Instead, it's a worthy supplement to the films that inspired it. For a true Hollywood creation story, there is no higher praise."