Most Inspiring Movies...

Rocky is definitely the most inspiring movie of all time bar none. Stallone's low-budget gem manages to inspire on a high level through the script, the characters and Bill Conti's perfect musical score (seriously, the music gives me goosebumps and almost makes me cry).

Rocky Balboa is one of the most lovable characters ever to hit the big screen. Humble, nice, amusing and fair dinkum, Stallone's portrayal of this underdog marks his best performance in a motion picture to date. Due to our love for Rocky, we root for him. Never before have I found myself throwing punches into the air, literally screaming at the top of my lungs for Rocky to win the match...
And when it's all over, Conti's triumphant music kicks in...
Perfect ending to a perfect movie.

And what about those montages of Rocky training? His training routines inspire me to get active and start getting fit. Once again, Conti's music play a big part here, as does the splendid cinematography and Stallone's Oscar-worthy performance.

Incredibly inspirational. And that's putting it mildly.

Whenever I feel down in the dumps about life, contemplating suicide as a result of some minor personal problem which doesn't matter in the long run, I simply need to load It's a Wonderful Life into my DVD player. Just a few minutes in, and I'm already pulled into the story. Two hours later, and tears are streaming down my face...and I feel confident to tell myself "Be happy that you're alive." Yes, this film cures depression for me.

So the question is, why is Frank Capra's masterwork inspiring?
When Clarence the Guardian Angel of George Bailey comes to Earth, he shows the depressed man what the world would be like if he was never born. It's a nightmarish world. After spending a gruelling period inside this nightmare, everything is restored...George is brought back to a world in which he exists. George is happy to be alive. He realises that the world is a harsh place and problems will continue to fly at him...and suicide is not the avenue to travel down. George learns a valuable lesson, and in turn the audience have learned the very same lesson. Cue one of the most touching, poignant scenes in cinematic history...

It's a Wonderful Life is a wonderful movie. The world would be a worse place if Capra's masterpiece was never born.

Let's face it: after a dud of a Rocky V (I'm still trying to pretend it doesn't exist) and multiple other dodgy Stallone vehicles (D-Tox, Avenging Angelo, Driven), no-one expected another addition to the Rocky franchise to be watchable at all.

They were all wrong.

Rocky Balboa is the best film in the Rocky franchise since the 1976 original. Returning the series to its roots, and in turn generating an all-new underdog story without being too derivative, Stallone has fought against all odds and won by a convincing knockout.

And how is this sixth instalment so inspiring?
Rocky Balboa is now an aging, unfit old man. Due to our experiences with him in previous films, we want to our boy succeed once again. Bill Conti's music is as potent as ever, and Stallone's performance is once again Oscar-worthy material. Training montages hit home, and Rocky's interaction with those around his is heart-warming. And then comes the final fight...riveting, heart-pounding and so inspiring! Once again I threw punches into the empty air and rooted for Rocky at the top of my lungs.

Rocky Balboa inspires me in much the same way that the orginal film did.

The display of humanity is so poignant... It's uplifting and inspiring to know that humans can be so compassionate. One man stood against the Nazis, using every cent to shield Jews from the horrors of the Holocaust.

Utterly brilliant.

Same principals as the other movies apply here. Training montages aside, the final fight is nail-biting...and the ending is inspiring beyond words.

"I just want to say something to my wife at home. YO ADRIAN! I DID IT!"

The above quote makes me emotional. A brilliant flick.

Before you wonder if this is purposeful...yes, Run Fatboy Run is present on a list for "Most Inspiring Movies". Yes, the British comedy starring Simon Pegg and Dylan Moran. Don't ridicule me, I have my reasons.

Everyone knows getting fit is one of the hardest thing you could ever do, especially when you've been out of shape for an extremely long time. It truly is the hardest thing to do. You have to push yourself to your limits in order to succeed. Personally, I've been trying to get in shape for a long time but I've never been truly inspired to do so. Run Fatboy Run gave me laughs and a protagonist trying to overcome his obesity to prove himself. It's a fun rom-com, and a strangely inspiring one at that.

What else is there to say?
I enjoyed it. It inspired me to get in shape. It fits the criteria for this list.