For better or worse, when then-journeyman actor-writer Sylvester Stallone created the character of punchy pugilist Rocky Balboa, he did more than offer all the ne'er-do-wells in the world the hope of someday being a contender; he created a cinematic sensibility--perverse optimism in the face of insane odds--that's infected Hollywood films ever since. And if Bill Conti's horn-fanfare theme has become an instantly evocative cliché, it's only because it fit the proceedings so damned well, like a clenched fist in a boxing glove--or a slice of Velveeta on a Ritz cracker. Conti may be no Morricone, but then, when was the last time you heard the theme to Cinema Paradiso played at a wrestling match? --Jerry McCulley