[from the NY Daily News]- Rocky Balboa. The retired boxer returns for one last fight. With Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young. Director: Stallone(1:42). PG: Violence.

Think you’re too tough for a sentimental comeback story? Well, a few minutes with “Rocky Balboa” might just knock the cynic out of you.

Touchingly nostalgic, the sixth chapter in the saga of Sylvester Stallone’s eternal underdog packs a far more powerful punch than anyone would have expected.

While a lot has changed since we last saw the Italian Stallion in 1990, this installment has a welcome spareness that deftly recalls the low-key vibe of the 1976 original. Having toned up his 60-year-old body, Stallone – working overtime as writer, director and star – also sheds the bloat that crept into the franchise somewhere around “Rocky III.”

Still a hard-luck case, Rocky recently lost his beloved Adrian (Talia Shire) to cancer. Today, he owns a restaurant, worries about his troubled son (Milo Ventimiglia) and brother-in-law (Burt Young), and gently flirts with old friend Marie (Geraldine Hughes).

But he needs more, and the opportunity arrives when a computerized fantasy match pits him against current heavyweight champ Mason Dixon (Antonio Tarver). Sensing an opportunity for big money, Dixon’s management suggests setting up the real thing.

When he’s not preparing for this unlikely comeback, Rocky repeatedly relives the good old days – and he’s not the only one. Remember the pet shop where Rocky and Adrian met? The skating rink where they had their first date? Stallone can’t stay away from them, let alone from the iconic theme song, the inspiring training montage, the victorious run up the steps of Philadelphia’s Museum of Art.

Fortunately, he’s smart enough to realize, and wryly acknowledge, the parallels between his washed-up hero and himself, which is what gives the movie its power. Should an aging has-been enter the ring for one more stab at glory? When Stallone pushes himself up those steep stairs, with Bill Conti’s still-rousing “Gonna Fly Now” playing in the background, you’ll know the answer.