Rocky IV

ROCKY IV
1985 | Dir. Sylvester Stallone | 90 Minutes

"If I can change, and you can change, everybody can change."

While participating in a politically-charged exhibition match against monstrous Soviet boxer Ivan Drago, Apollo Creed is brutally beaten to death. Feeling guilty for refusing to answer Drago’s initial challenge, and motivated by his desire to avenge Apollo, Rocky travels to the Soviet Union to face Drago in the ring before the eyes of the world.

Clocking in at a brisk 90 minutes, Rocky IV is an entertaining but surreal addition to the Rocky film series. Somehow, a robot servant, a musical number featuring James Brown, and not one, but two extended montage sequences make it into the film. The first montage, occurring roughly halfway through the film, cheaply makes liberal use of footage from previous Rocky films. The signature Rocky training montage is quite on-the-nose thematically, juxtaposing Rocky's utilization of old-world methods to strengthen himself against Drago's use of state-of-the-art equipment and chemical enhancement, painting Rocky as the undisputed humble moral superhero. Consistent with the inconsistent nature of the movie, Vince DiCola's synth-heavy film score is rather outlandish and distracting, running counter to the timeless quality of Bill Conti's work on the previous three films.

Sylvester Stallone, Carl Weathers, Talia Shire, and Burt Young remain consistent in the roles of Rocky, Apollo, Adrian, and Paulie. The breakout star of the film is Dolph Lundgren in a controlled performance as Ivan Drago, ice cold and laconic until his pride takes over during his fight against Rocky. Tony Burton, who appeared in the previous Rocky films as Apollo's trainer, has an expanded role training Rocky in honor of his fallen friend.

Jettisoning realism in favor of sensationalism, Rocky IV takes the Rocky myth deep into the realm of implausibility. Ultimately, the film is an over-the-top Cold War era superhero film with an idealistic if over-simplistic message, placing it squarely in the so-bad-it's-good category.

ROCKY VS. DRAGO DIRECTOR'S CUT

Released in 2021, Sylvester Stallone spent about nine months assembling a director's cut entitled Rocky IV: Rocky Vs. Drago that's a markedly improved, slightly more deliberate edition of the film. While the underlying Cold War era propaganda of the picture is downplayed significantly, it still intrinsically a part of the movie, the mostly subtle changes are significant enough to give the feature more genuine emotional content. Excised are all of the scenes with the robot and most of the Rocky Jr. scenes. In their place are a treasure trove of truly excellent character moments and alternate takes retrieved from the cutting room floor that highlight Apollo, Adrian, Duke, and even Drago. More attention is paid to Apollo's motivation for wanting to fight Drago in order to maintain his pride and recognition as a fighter, Drago is afforded a few more moments that emphasize his inability to speak freely which goes a long way to give the role more humanity, and there is more dramatic Rocky and Adrian material that grant the couple a more satisfying emotional arc. The fights are structured much better in that they don't feel nearly as lopsided as in the original 1985 release, and one key alternate take featured in the final minutes removes the impression that Rocky's speech somehow moved the Soviet Politburo in any meaningful way, doing a better job of grounding the overall narrative considering the global political landscape of the time. The director's cut also features selections from Bill Conti's Rocky scores mixed with the existing Vince DiCola music, giving the picture more of a sense of continuity with the rest of the series.

FRAGMENTS
- Brigitte Nielsen, Stallone's wife at the time of the film's release, plays Ludmilla, Drago's wife and promoter

- Bill Conti was unavailable to compose the score for Rocky IV at the time of the film's development, working on music for The Karate Kid at the time

- Before becoming an action movie star after his breakout performance in Rocky IV, Dolph Lundgren attained a master's degree in chemical engineering and achieved the rank 3rd dan black belt in karate


SUPPLEMENTAL STUFF
- Video: CollegeHumor - If Rocky 4 Happened For Real (30 for 30 Parody)

- Video: The Making of ROCKY VS. DRAGO by Sylvester Stallone


007 CONNECTIONS
- Dolph Lundgren (Venz in A View to a Kill)


MCU CONNECTIONS
- Sylvester Stallone (Stakar in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)

Rocky III

ROCKY III
1982 | Dir. Sylvester Stallone | 100 Minutes

 "There is no tomorrow!"

Living in comfort and softened by a series of easy victories after becoming the heavyweight champion of the world, Rocky is challenged and soundly defeated by a true contender. Subsequently, Mickey dies from a heart attack. Picking himself up from a low point in his life and in his career, Rocky befriends his formal rival Apollo Creed, trains with him and his team in Los Angeles in hopes of regaining his title, his motivation, and his pride.

Sylvester Stallone's Rocky III takes the character of Rocky to a new and entertainingly incredulous direction. Rocky seems to have lost his endearingly humble ways, memorably playing the fool in a charity match against a pro-wrestler portrayed by Hulk Hogan and training in a luxury hotel instead of Mickey's gym. Rocky's wake-up call comes in the form of Mr. T's Clubber Lang, a twisted reflection of Rocky's journey from hungry up-and-coming fighter to world champion.

Sylvester Stallone plays up Rocky's vulnerability and insecurity, sharing some of his best scenes with Talia Shire's Adrian. By Rocky III, Adrian has developed into Rocky's emotional anchor, and Shire delivers her best performance in the series yet. Loaded with personality Mr. T is memorable as antagonist Clubber Lang, aggressively verbose and formidable, delivering an instantly iconic performance. Burgess Meredith delivers a touching performance as Mickey, his character passing away in a deeply affecting scene halfway through the film. Burt Young's Paulie is as amusingly volatile as ever, this time with an uncomfortable racist bent during the Los Angeles segment of the picture.

At times cartoonish but retaining the inspirational heart of the series, Rocky III is arguably the most entertaining film in the series. Thematically, Rocky III is centered on the belief that in order for greatness to be retained, the great must continue to learn, to improve, and to fight without becoming complacent. Though nowhere near the high standard set by the first Rocky film, Rocky III may be more of an essential part of the Rocky canon than Rocky II.


FRAGMENTS
- The film opens with an adrenaline-pumping montage of Rocky's victories set to Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" which has since become as synonymous with the Rocky film series as Bill Conti's "Gonna Fly Now"

- The bronze statue of Rocky at the top of the steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art was donated by Sylvester Stallone to the city of Philadelphia after the release of Rocky III and is currently resides at the bottom of the stairs by the museum

- With no acting or boxing experience, Mr. T was cast as Clubber Lang after Sylvester Stallone spotted him on television in the "America's Toughest Bouncer" competition

- The woman who asks Rocky for a kiss during his public training session is played by Sasha Stallone, Sylvester Stallone's wife at the time of the film


MCU CONNECTIONS
- Sylvester Stallone (Stakar in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)

Rocky II

ROCKY II
1979 | Dir. Sylvester Stallone | 119 Minutes

"This guy don't just wanna win, you know, he wants to bury ya, he wants to humiliate ya, he wants to prove to the whole world that you was nothin’ but some kind of a freak the first time out."

Immediately following his loss against Apollo Creed, Rocky retires from boxing and marries Adrian but struggles to find legitimate employment. Meanwhile, with his pride hurting from public scrutiny stemming from Rocky's near-victory, Apollo challenges Rocky to a rematch. Rocky once again trains with Mickey to reenter the ring and prove himself.

As Rocky is challenged to prove that his going the distance with Apollo Creed wasn't a fluke, Sylvester Stallone is pressured to produce a sequel on par with the original modern classic. Though Rocky II is a decent sequel, it doesn't shine as bright as its predecessor. Rocky's true-to-life internal conflict isn't nearly as convincing this time around as his reentering the ring to face Apollo again is a foregone conclusion in order to advance the plot. Highlights of the film include a humorous training sequence in which Mickey makes Rocky chase a live chicken and Rocky's thrilling rematch against Apollo that has Rocky employing a new strategy due to an injury sustained during their previous match.

Charming and inspirational as ever, Sylvester Stallone returns to his signature role with unsurprising ease. While Adrian is developed into a stronger, more outspoken character, Talia Shire is allowed more opportunities to demonstrate her talent despite her limited screen time. Once again, Burgess Meredith continues to be a scene-stealer as Mickey, Burt Young's Paulie is as surly as ever - bordering on despicable considering his character’s treatment of Adrian, and Carl Weathers brings a surprisingly element of pathos to the role of the prideful Apollo Creed.

The picture is a natural and entertaining continuation of Rocky Balboa's story, mostly consistent in quality to the first Rocky film. However, written and produced as a straight-forward sequel with no real surprises, Rocky II inevitably lacks to originality of the original film, retreading too much of the same ground.


MCU CONNECTIONS
- Sylvester Stallone (Stakar in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)

Rocky

ROCKY
1976 | Dir. John G. Avildsen | 119 Minutes

"Nobody's ever gone the distance with Creed, and if I can go that distance and that bell rings and I'm still standin', I'm gonna know for the first time in my life that I weren't just another bum from the neighborhood."

Washed-up Philadelphia boxer Rocky Balboa is chosen by world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed to be his next opponent. With support from cranky boxing coach Mickey and his mousy girlfriend Adrian, Rocky overcomes all odds, including his personal demons, and enters the ring, taking the chance of a lifetime, and doing the impossible by going the distance against the champ.

Written by and starring then-unknown Sylvester Stallone, Rocky may be the ultimate inspirational underdog fairy tale. First and foremost a character piece, the role of Rocky was written to be a reflection of Stallone's real life struggles at the time. Seen by most as nothing more than an uneducated bruiser, Rocky's brutish exterior hides a big heart and a fierce determination to succeed waiting to be awakened. The picture features one of the most famous training montages ever filmed, the first movie sequence ever to utilize the Steadicam, with Rocky jogging through the streets of Philadelphia set to Bill Conti's iconic rousing musical score.

Sylvester Stallone drives the film with a genuinely heroic performance, playing the title role with humor, grit, vulnerability, and heart. As the shy introvert Adrian, Talia Shire conveys a quiet hidden strength, perfectly complementing Stallone's Rocky. Character actor Burgess Meredith plays Mickey with explosive energy, delivering many of the film's best lines. Brimming with style and charisma, Former pro football player Carl Weathers is expertly cast as the bombastic Apollo Creed. Rounding out the supporting cast is Burt Young as Rocky's unpleasant rough-around-the-edges best friend Paulie.

Rocky is a crowd-pleaser that tells a universally appealing story. Sylvester Stallone's star-making all-or-nothing dream project is a Hollywood classic for the ages.


FRAGMENTS
- Frank Stallone, Sylvester Stallone's brother, makes a cameo appearance as a singer on a street corner

- Boxer Joe Frazier, who famously boxed three times against Muhammad Ali (a partial inspiration for the character of Apollo Creed), makes a cameo appearance in the film

- Troma Entertainment co-founder Lloyd Kaufman, who assisted in the production of Rocky, has a cameo appearance as drunk


MCU CONNECTIONS
- Lloyd Kaufman (Gridlemop in Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)

- Sylvester Stallone (Stakar in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)

Going the Distance: Rocky

"You, me or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward."

Released in 1976 and winning several Academy Awards including Best Picture, Rocky brought Sylvester Stallone instant fame and began one of the most popular movie series in the world. With passion and conviction, Stallone wrestled with Hollywood executives to retain the integrity of his original screenplay inspired by boxer Rocky Marciano and his own real life personal struggles. Instantly iconic, often emulated and parodied, the inspiring and universally relatable story of Rocky Balboa rings true. The film transcends what most would write off as a simple boxing movie to become what is essentially a synonym for "crowd-pleasing underdog film."

The success of Rocky paved the way for five direct sequels and a spin-off film series centered on the son of Rocky's rival Apollo Creed with Stallone's Rocky as an essential supporting character. Spanning four decades of cinema history, the Rocky film series turned Carl Weathers, Mr. T, and Dolph Lundgren into action stars. Running parallel to the life and professional career of Stallone, most apparent in the fluctuating thematic focal points and varying overall quality of each film in the series, the extended saga of Rocky Balboa is American cinema's ultimate inspirational fairy tale.