The Pretender

This is a great film for any Stallone fan or anyone in general that has had cinema make a positive impact on their life. Mike is a great subject to capture on camera and the documentary flies by very fast, even for its short length. It was great to see how his loved ones embraced his passion and learned to accept it for what it is. At the end of the day Rocky makes Mike strive to be a better person and obviously has grounded him and provided great enjoyment to him throughout his life. And what's wrong with that? The film wraps ups nicely showcasing some of the joy that Mike has been able to bring to others, that Rocky brought to him. That's what it's all about.

In life, there are many ways to define success. Money, relationships, physical items, etc. But simply being able to do what you love day-in and day-out is potentially the most unique and rare definition of that term. That notion is essentially what "The Pretender" captures by examining the story of Mike Kunda, the world's foremost "Rocky enthusiast", if you will.

In the 55-minute runtime, "The Pretender" examines Kunda's life as it relates to the Rocky franchise. As a child, Kunda was inspired (in the most extreme way) by the Rocky Balboa character, watching the 1976 original film hundreds (if not thousands) of times and then even adopting the mannerisms of the pugilist himself. Being Rocky was Kunda's passion in life, and he turned that into a career impersonating Sylvester Stallone and now leading a world-renowned tour of Rocky filming sites in Philadelphia.

I'll get the "bad stuff" out of the way right away (the reason I gave this six stars when I so desperately wanted to give it more): I wish this documentary had taken a bit of a different tact in portraying Kunda. If you know nothing about him (and few will) coming into this experience, you might come away thinking he's a bit of a "nut" or simply a "celebrity-worshiper". This is because the doc hits so hard on the notion of Kunda actually meeting Stallone someday. But there is so much more to his story than just that.

In reality, that portrayal does an injustice to what I would consider a pretty strong and savvy legacy from Kunda. Not only did he build himself into an uncanny impersonation of Rocky, but his skills as film historian, author, and podcaster are also quite strong. His book "Cue The Rocky Music" is truly inspiring, I always enjoy his Stallone-analysis on the SlyCast podcast, and the "Yo Rocky! Film Tour" is truly one of the best explorations of filming sites of any movie ever made. I wish more of those sorts of experiences would have made it into this doc.

Another interesting thing about Kunda is that he seems very reticent to give much perspective on himself. Essentially, he is humble almost to a fault. As such, any philosophical musings on his unique life path in this film come from his father, his brother, or his wife. This approach comes off a bit as "justification" because of his reluctance to hype himself up, when really it is simply support.

At the end of the day, though, it is tough (if not impossible) to criticize much related to Kunda. I'm always inspired by a man who turned his unique passion into a way of life. He never sold out, never gave up on his dreams, and now he gets to do what he loves on a regular basis. It took (and continues to take) a lot of hard work, of course, but to him it is completely worth it. I'd highly encourage anyone who watches this doc to go find "Cue The Rocky Music" for a more in-depth explanation of Kunda and his inspiring story.

The Premise is straightforward...and the Journey is captured well.

Sylvester Stallone's appearance brings the authenticity of the Original Rocky Movie full circle.

You can't help but find Stallone himself endearing, as he speaks kindly to Kunda at the end of the Movie.

What a wonderful film. A guy who lives the dream everyday of his life. Meet Mike Kunda and his family. A guy who fell in love with Stallone movies as a kid and who now runs one of the most successful movie tours in Philadelphia. The film follows the ups and downs of a man who made his dream come true - to wake up every morning and simply love his life. Not many of us can say that.

I watched this knowing Mike, but I didn't have the highest of expectations. It's quite an entertaining story about a man living out a simple dream, not unlike Rocky himself.