Rocky IV (2021)

disgusting, overrated, pointless

A Masterpiece!

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Rocky 4 Review 3/5Rocky 4 or (Rocky IV) see's Rocky Balboa coming out of retirement to go up against the steroid addicted Ivan Drago (and the whole of Russia) For the most part, it's poorly acted and the actors just look bored. It's clear Stallone has lost enthusiasm for the franchise writing a cliché script that just copies the best bits from the previous films whilst throwing in cheesy moments of its own. It has got to the stage now where it's in goofy guilty pleasure territory. The Rocky films were so much more than this and evidently should have ended by the third entry. The performances are wooden all round especially from Sly Stallone and Brigitte Neilson. However the last act is where the film sort of redeems itself. It's a real crowd pleaser from the training sequence to the final fight. Thankfully Rocky 5 and 6 put the franchise back on track by abandoning the silliness of this. It's not the best film in the series but it's certainly the most enjoyably stupid, cheesiest fun you'll probably have.

1980s absurdity and cheesiness at its finest. It's like watching an average size man punch an under size toddler in the face over-and-over-and-over... I'd cheer for the toddler in that situation, not in this film though. Patriotic times, a much better sports movie about this period in the cold war is "Miracle". Real story, told real well.

Rocky IV (1985) is an American sports drama film starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Brigitte Nielsen, and Dolph Lundgren. The film is written by and directed by Sylvester Stallone.ROCKY IV was the first and only film in the Rocky franchise not to have the classic side-scrolling screen intro. Instead, the intro has two boxing gloves, one representing the USA and the other representing the USSR (SOVIET UNION). Both gloves smash into each other and explode while Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" is playing. The film starts up with the "flashback" scene that shows the events from the end of the previous installment in the franchise ROCKY III (1982). It shows the Heavyweight Championship Rematch Title Fight between southpaw Rocky Balboa and the reigning Heavyweight Champion of the World James "Clubber" Lang. Rocky ends up KO'ing Clubber in the 3rd round. Rocky is crowned for the second and final time the NEW HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD. Rocky owes Creed a favor and they spar each other in Mickey's gym.After the flashback of ROCKY III, we are now ready to dive into the beginning of ROCKY IV. The national amateur boxing champion of the USSR Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) along with his gold medal olympic swimming wife Ludmilla (Brigitte Nielsen) arrive from the USSR and come to the USA to challenge the Heavyweight Champion of the World Rocky "The Italian Stallion" Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) to a boxing match. However, Rocky's former rival, former Heavyweight Champion of the World, and a long-time friend Apollo "The Master of Disaster" Creed (Carl Weathers) challenges Drago to an exhibition bout instead. Rocky is hesitant due to the fact that Apollo Creed has been retired for over five years. Apollo, as cocky as he was in the original ROCKY, believes he can beat this "chump" easy. The fight takes place in California and is billed "SUPERMAN vs. SUPERHYPE". Ivan Drago fights Apollo Creed. The first round has Drago relentlessly beating Creed to a pulp. In the second round, Apollo is nearly destroyed when Tony "Duke" Evers (Tony Burton) encourages Rocky to throw in the towel and stop the fight. With the final blow, Drago brutally murders Apollo Creed in the ring. This fight causes much controversy and negative attention towards Ivan Drago. Rocky decides to fight the 2,000 PSI fighter in the ring in Moscow, Russia, USSR to avenge Apollo's death. The fight is set December 25th. Rocky will make no money whatsoever from this fight as to him it is not about the money. Rocky has to temporary give up his title in order to fight Drago due to the fact that the Boxing Commission does not approve of this fight because of Apollo's death. Rocky goes to train in Russia, where his wife, Adrian (Talia Shire), his friend and Adrian's sister Paulie (Burt Young), and Tony join him. Rocky relentlessly trains for this fight. He trains the hardest he has ever in his life, even more than his fight against Clubber Lang. The fight takes place. The athletes go back and forth. The fight is a very close one. It is the fifteenth round. Rocky knocks Drago down and wins the fight. There is overjoy for Rocky Balboa. He gives a speech on changing stating that everyone can change. The movie ends with Rocky waving the American flag in the air and rejoicing over the result of the fight. ROCKY IV, at 91 minutes, is the shortest film in the whole franchise, and it shows that a lot. The pacing feels a little bit rushed. Not a terrible thing though. I just wished the film was a little bit longer. ROCKY IV marks Stallone's third film that he directed n the series after ROCKY II (1979), and ROCKY III (1982). Sylvester Stallone would go on to direct ROCKY BALBOA (2006). ROCKY IV was made on a budget of $30,000,000. The film grossed $300,000,000, making it the most successful film in the entire franchise and the highest grossing boxing film of all-time.ROCKY IV features John Cafferty's "Hearts On Fire" which is a huge hit song. Bill Conti, who composed the music for ROCKY, ROCKY II, and ROCKY III, could not return to compose the music for ROCKY IV due to the fact that he was too busy working on the music for THE KARATE KID (1984) and The Karate Kid Part II (1986). Sylvester Stallone hired Vince DiCola to compose the music for the film. Vince DiCola won a Razzie Award for Worst Film Score. However, I think that that is absolute crap considering how great the film score is and how much popularity his score for the film has had. I still like Bill Conti's score more however. You do see brief notes of Bill Conti's score in the film but not much. ROCKY IV, while lacking a lot of plot and being more a revenge story than an underdog story that the first 3 movies were, ROCKY IV is still an incredibly enjoyable film and just as good as ROCKY III in some ways. 9/10

Charming and enjoyable sequel with the Italian Stallion taking on the brute , huge Drago , Dolph Lundgren . Once and again an interesting sequel , resulting to be passable but inferior follow-up to precedent ones in which Balboa is willing to risk his life against a violent Russkie boxer . Acceptable sequel that works every time and in which beloved Balboa is considering retirement , but he returns when Apollo Creed , Carl Weathers , is beaten by a big , mean Russian during a bout . As Apollo is crushed by an obnoxious , corpulent boxer , that's why Rocky sinks into a depression . To confront the huge boxer , Rocky goes Russia to seek vengeance and hoping win fame , confidence and self-respect , as he faces off a tough contender performed by Dolph Lundgren . About to be retired from boxing and back from riches to ring , Rocky takes on a new combat . Rocky is homaged as one of the greatest boxing champions in the history ; then , ¨The Italian Stallion¨ , the heavy weight champion , returns to take on the ultimate boxing combat , as he comes out from almost-retirement for revenge and to combat the strongest , youngest and faster contender , The Russian Drago . While Rocky attempts to prove himself and his family , his wife (Talia Shire), and brother-in-law (Burt Young) . Shortly after , and in Russia the coach Duke (Tony Burton) decides to train Rocky for the impressive match against the brave and invincible opponent , so Rocky can attempt to win him . Will Balboa knock the Russkie out ? .This agreeable predictable entertainment displays splendidly the 'formula Rocky' , though loses strength in the numerous and subsequent sequels . The movie works in usual manner , fitting appropriately to franchise , even though we know the plot the film works . This soaper on the ring is developed in gentleness , dignity , feel-good style as well as the initial outing . Great training montage and spectacular and climatic final bout . Writer-director-actor Stallone new entry is surprisingly entertaining and packs good feeling . Here Dolph Lundgren isn't as much fun as some Rocky's former opponents . The Rocky's earlier contenders were the followings : ¨Rocky I¨ and ¨II¨ was Carl Weathers ; ¨Rocky III¨ the fast-mouthed and cruel boxer Mister T . Usual and nostalgic musical score by Bill Conti along with Vince DiCola and atmospheric cinematography by Bill Butler . The motion picture was lavishly financed by the producers of complete saga , Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler and well directed by Stallone who along John G. Avildsen created the six Rocky saga . Here Stallone overdoes the hyper-jingoism and patriotism and relies too heavily on uplifting stock footage from previous Rocky films . However , this Rocky IV won several Golden Raspberries such as : 85 worst actor Stallone , worst screenplay , worst director , worst support actor : Dolph Lundgren and worst support actress : Brigitte Nielsen who married Stallone . Rating : Good , being impossible to dislike , the result is deliciously corny agreeable and predictable amusement . Although we've seen it all before , Sylvester manages to make it work one more time and it works every way even better than successive Rockys .It is followed by ¨Rocky V¨ in which Rocky , nicknamed as the Chicken Stallion , lives from records being ostracized , but our hero returns as a coach , as Rocky goes back despite his own cerebral damage through a rematch on the streets , as he fights Tommy 'Machine' Gunn/Tommy Morrison ; meanwhile , the champ must adjust to his family's new life on bankruptcy ; subsequently ¨Rocky Balboa¨ proving his estranged young son Milo Ventiglimia who still can fight . And , finally , ¨Creed¨ in which Rocky eventually agrees to mentor Adonis , son of the known boxing champion Apollo Creed .