MovieChat Forums > Rocky IV (1985) Discussion > Worst of the Rocky films.

Worst of the Rocky films.

posted 7 years ago by BrickNash
27 replies | jump to latest

I consider this the worst of the Rocky films despite it's iconic status.

It's completely shallow but at an hour and a half it's not exactly time to do much. The propaganda in the film is utterly embarrassing and I can't believe the big headedness of some of it. The part where the Russian crowd started cheering for Rocky had me cringing and when the leaders stood up it was even worse.

Total *beep*

Stallone phones it in something rotten too. He's playing himself with a slight Balboa twang rather than the Rocky character and it's totally half arsed.

Despite all the negatives it's still a great film to watch. Vince DiCola's score almost saves the entire film plus Dolph Lundgren is not only a scary bastard but a great bad guy as well and the training montage is pretty memorable if a bit unrealistic.

Can't help liking it but man, it's like the watching the pub wanker tell a story about how great they are and how everyone loves them.

[–] jriddle73 (323) 3 years ago

I don't know that I'd call it worse than V but you're right about everything else. IV is barely even a movie at all; it's just a series of music videos strung together by the thinnest of plots. As you said, Rocky isn't even Rocky in it. Moreover, it's a revenge movie that's very out-of-character for the series.

CREED 2 couldn't make IV any better but it did sort of redeem it.

[–] Drooch (5333) 2 years ago

I like all the Rocky films (and love I,III and Balboa) but this is my least favourite. It’s the film version is an 80’s power ballad, Stallone’s not really playing Rocky, and the robot is an attempt to crowbar some Star Wars into a Rocky film 🤦🏻‍♂️

One thing that stood out on this rewatch is that the film set up Drago’s superhuman punch abilities, which effectively kills Apollo, and then it just disappears when it comes to the fight with Rocky. Way to nerf the villain so Rocky can win!

What they needed to do was keep the strength but have Rocky devise a strategy with Duke that will defeat him, based on Drago’s weaknesses and Rocky’s strengths. Instead it was just a beatdown in which Rocky gets pummelled but is inexplicably invulnerable to Drago’s death-punch, and then suddenly finds the strength to punch back and makes pretty easy work of him.

[–] bobbydallas (8085) 2 years ago

there is no bad Rocky film though