Rocky IV

[Plain Old Tele]

Discuss.

[MrPink]

AKA as the 'Freakin Sweet Rocky'

 

The poster sets the mood.

 

 

It's Rocky draped in an American flag. Already, my pet bald eage wants to shed a tear at how beautiful this imagery is.

 

5 minutes in and we've got a robot that Paulie kind of wants to have sex with. It's like A.I., except you don't have to put up with Jude Law's smug accent, though if only Rocky IV could add Teddy from A.I. If it had Teddy, it would have been the greatest movie to grace the big screen besides iJackSparrow's hallucigenic version of the Amazing Spider-Man where it's incredible and doesn't have a bland villain, with a memorable score, lacking the crane scene, doesn't feature Coldplay, has romantic scenes where Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield don't stutter and struggle to come up with words, and it even features a cameo of Willem Defoe and J.K. Simmons as if they never left Spider-Man.

 

When we get to the first fight, we're gifted with the always amazing James Brown with one of the most smug and amazingly American introductions ever. If you thought my Bald Eagle was shedding a tear before, it's straight up bawling at this point at the patriotism.

 

https-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzDDJm27vmc

 

As we reach the 1/3rd point, it already features the most awesome villain of the Rocky universe, yes, even greater than Mr. T. Mr. T had some iconic lines, but did he kill Apollo Creed? Hell no. When Apollo went down, lifeless, I stretched my arm out towards the TV screen wanting to hold Apollo's hand and feel the life slowly being drained out of him so I could experience his last moments. And then Dolph Lundgren seals the deal with the amazing line 'If he dies, he dies.'

 

Rocky decides he must avenge his friend. Because that's what bros do. We're given the first of many montages and it's glorious. 'No Easy Way Out' would have won the Oscar for Best Original Song, but it had to wait in line for the superior 'Hearts on Fire.' Oh by the way, Eye of the Tiger is vastly overrated. I can feel the angst of Stallone, and the regret of not throwing the damn towel, and it puts any emotional scene by Christopher Nolan to shame.

 

But the true masterpiece of this movie is most certainly this montage. It's beautiful how it's literally 9 seconds after the previous montage, with the 9 seconds in between featuring no dialogue.

 

https-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SUzcDUERLo

 

Look at Stallone crushing that picture in the mirror. What purpose is there for that? I don't know, but it's provocative. And then when Stallone climbs the mountain and yells 'Dragooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo,' I just want to eat raw eggs and train au naturale instead of being in this scrawny Asian body.

 

The fight between Drago and Rocky is also pretty damn epic. The sound of Drago's punches sound like nuclear bombs exploding on Rocky's face. The look on Duke's face when Rocky lands a huge punch gets me every time. And then to cap it all off, the dramatic music that plays as Rocky gains the upper hand, combined with Talia Shire's "You're gonna do it!" has me just waiting to jump in jubilation along with the crowd. And then we're treated to the speech that pretty much ended the Cold War.

 

https-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRBak_2X3Do

 

'If I can change....and you can change.....EVERYBODY CAN CHAAAAANGE'

 

My Bald Eagle can't handle the tears at this point. It's drowning in its own tears by now. So to recap, we got 4 montages, 2 award worthy songs, the greatest villain to grace the big screen since Darth Vader, the most incredible speech ever put on film that even Bernard Hill used it for inspiration for the Lord of the Rings films, and a not completely coked up James Brown. All wrapped in a 1 hour and 40 minute package. And thankfully, Stallone has the good sense to cap it all off with treating us to Hearts on Fire once again, the best song ever made for film as declared by the Academy.

 

Wait it didn't win the Oscar that year?

Edited March 10, 2013 by MrPink Unchained

[Jack Nevada]

Oooooooooh boy is this a dumb film. I still love it.

 

 

4/5

[DAR]

Best Rocky ever. It's the only one I've seen more than 10 times. A

[baumer]

In 1976, a phenom was born. By now we are all aware of the story of how Stallone wrote the screenplay for Rocky in three days after watching a fight between an extreme underdog and a highly favoured champ. Stallone was a nobody back then yet he still stood his ground and didn't sell out to the producers until they promised him the title role. The rest they say is history. Well 9 years later, after three Rocky films, in my opinion comes the best one. I realize that Rocky was all story and then a climatic boxing match and that is what won the film the Oscar. And even though I can admit that this film is not as concerned with character developement as it is with training montages and bulging muscles, it is by far and away the most entertaining film of the 5. And that is what I enjoy about the film. I love that Rocky IV has some of the best training montages ever filmed. I love that it has the heart of a lion when it shows Rocky scaling a mountain that you know damn well he shouldn't be able to. And I absolutely love the boxing match at the end of the film. This was completely choreographed by Stallone and he and Dolph Lundgren boxed for real for about 75% of the match. Stallone felt that it needed some authenticity so that was the way to do it. And if you think Robert De Niro is an impressive method actor, try this fact on for size. When filming the boxing match, some of the scenes were so real that Stallone was rushed to hospital because his heart was actually pushed up and his ribcage was slightly shattered. So when you watch that match at the end, just know that what you are seeing is not exactly choreography and trick camera work. They did the best job they could to keep the look of the fight as real as possible. And I think this is the best boxing match ever filmed, with all due respect to Raging Bull.Stallone was in the shape of his life in this year as he filmed Rocky and Rambo back to back and it shows. I have never seen a more sculpted man in the movies than he was here. And I think that added to his superman persona. If you notice in all the Rocky films, he grows a little each time. And that also adds to the enjoyment of the film.Rocky IV is different than Rocky, there is no doubt. And as much as I love the first one, it doesn't come close to entertaining me as much as this one does. Rocky IV starts fast and it ends hard and in between we are blessed with a great soundtrack and a beautiful montage of all the Rocky films to Robert Tepper's "There's No Easy Way Out" And it is here that even though some will say that Stallone has substituted real human emotion with an MTV ersatz video, I think it works well. There is nothing about this film that I didn't enjoy and if you forget what the experience of watching this one is like, I suggest that you rent it now and take a look at it. And try to remember what it was like when you first saw this film back in the winter of 85. I remember I was in Kokomo Indiana visiting family for Christmas. My mom and I walked into a packed theater and you want to talk about a place erupting like a volcano, then this was the place. When Rocky finally hits Drago to cut him over the eye and Duke yells " he's cut, he's cut! " the crowd went into a frenzy. And you can look no further than that as to why the Rocky films were so popular. It doesn't matter if you are Canadian, American, Portuguese, Polish or Dutch or whatever, Rocky appeals to all of us. Because all of us have been the underdog at some time in our lives and we love to watch him and perhaps live vicariously through him. That is the beauty of Rocky. If Rocky can do it then dammit so can I!When the movie ended on that cold night back in 1985, and people were filtering out to their cars for the drive home, I swear I could hear the crowd chanting his name, as did the millions..... and millions of the Rock's fans." Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!"10/10

[Plain Old Tele]

For some reason, I never saw all the Rockys when I was a young, impressionable age, so my review of ROCKY IV is that it's really stupid and dumb.

[baumer]

For some reason, I never saw all the Rockys when I was a young, impressionable age, so my review of ROCKY IV is that it's really stupid and dumb.

 

[The Stingray]

Great post, baumie.

[Lordmandeep]

2nd fav rocky after the first one

 

B+

[tommycruise]

In 1976, a phenom was born. By now we are all aware of the story of how Stallone wrote the screenplay for Rocky in three days after watching a fight between an extreme underdog and a highly favoured champ. Stallone was a nobody back then yet he still stood his ground and didn't sell out to the producers until they promised him the title role. The rest they say is history. Well 9 years later, after three Rocky films, in my opinion comes the best one. I realize that Rocky was all story and then a climatic boxing match and that is what won the film the Oscar. And even though I can admit that this film is not as concerned with character developement as it is with training montages and bulging muscles, it is by far and away the most entertaining film of the 5. And that is what I enjoy about the film. I love that Rocky IV has some of the best training montages ever filmed. I love that it has the heart of a lion when it shows Rocky scaling a mountain that you know damn well he shouldn't be able to. And I absolutely love the boxing match at the end of the film. This was completely choreographed by Stallone and he and Dolph Lundgren boxed for real for about 75% of the match. Stallone felt that it needed some authenticity so that was the way to do it. And if you think Robert De Niro is an impressive method actor, try this fact on for size. When filming the boxing match, some of the scenes were so real that Stallone was rushed to hospital because his heart was actually pushed up and his ribcage was slightly shattered. So when you watch that match at the end, just know that what you are seeing is not exactly choreography and trick camera work. They did the best job they could to keep the look of the fight as real as possible. And I think this is the best boxing match ever filmed, with all due respect to Raging Bull.Stallone was in the shape of his life in this year as he filmed Rocky and Rambo back to back and it shows. I have never seen a more sculpted man in the movies than he was here. And I think that added to his superman persona. If you notice in all the Rocky films, he grows a little each time. And that also adds to the enjoyment of the film.Rocky IV is different than Rocky, there is no doubt. And as much as I love the first one, it doesn't come close to entertaining me as much as this one does. Rocky IV starts fast and it ends hard and in between we are blessed with a great soundtrack and a beautiful montage of all the Rocky films to Robert Tepper's "There's No Easy Way Out" And it is here that even though some will say that Stallone has substituted real human emotion with an MTV ersatz video, I think it works well. There is nothing about this film that I didn't enjoy and if you forget what the experience of watching this one is like, I suggest that you rent it now and take a look at it. And try to remember what it was like when you first saw this film back in the winter of 85. I remember I was in Kokomo Indiana visiting family for Christmas. My mom and I walked into a packed theater and you want to talk about a place erupting like a volcano, then this was the place. When Rocky finally hits Drago to cut him over the eye and Duke yells " he's cut, he's cut! " the crowd went into a frenzy. And you can look no further than that as to why the Rocky films were so popular. It doesn't matter if you are Canadian, American, Portuguese, Polish or Dutch or whatever, Rocky appeals to all of us. Because all of us have been the underdog at some time in our lives and we love to watch him and perhaps live vicariously through him. That is the beauty of Rocky. If Rocky can do it then dammit so can I!When the movie ended on that cold night back in 1985, and people were filtering out to their cars for the drive home, I swear I could hear the crowd chanting his name, as did the millions..... and millions of the Rock's fans." Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!"10/10

Of the 5? Did you forget about the sixth one?

[baumer]

Of the 5? Did you forget about the sixth one?

Old review. I wrote that in 1999 I think.

[Blankments]

... what? Why? ... Huh? Why was this made? How was this made? Why is there a robot? Why is the Russian sympathetic in some scenes and completely irredeemable in others? The best part of the movie is Carl Weathers who dies in the first act in a really anti-climatic way. And why was there a six minute long recap montage of the entire franchise in the middle of the movie? AND WHY WAS THERE A ROBOT? WHAT DOES THE ROBOT HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING? IS IT FUNNY? NO. IS IT PLOT RELEVANT? NO. WHY. IS. IT. A. THING????

 

...Sylvester Stallone, what were you smoking in 1985?? And why, why, why does he try to make the end of the movie a cry for peace? Rocky IV might be entertaining in parts, but it's a total misfire and misunderstanding of what makes Rocky as a franchise appealing. Just... no. D

[baumer]

4 hours ago, Blankments said:

... what? Why? ... Huh? Why was this made? How was this made? Why is there a robot? Why is the Russian sympathetic in some scenes and completely irredeemable in others? The best part of the movie is Carl Weathers who dies in the first act in a really anti-climatic way. And why was there a six minute long recap montage of the entire franchise in the middle of the movie? AND WHY WAS THERE A ROBOT? WHAT DOES THE ROBOT HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING? IS IT FUNNY? NO. IS IT PLOT RELEVANT? NO. WHY. IS. IT. A. THING????

 

...Sylvester Stallone, what were you smoking in 1985?? And why, why, why does he try to make the end of the movie a cry for peace? Rocky IV might be entertaining in parts, but it's a total misfire and misunderstanding of what makes Rocky as a franchise appealing. Just... no. D

 

He was smoking $1000 bills.  When you have a summer movie that made the equivalent of 350 million dollars and then one on the winter than made 300 million dollars, you are obviously giving people what they want to see.  Rocky IV is one of the most crowd pleasing films ever made.  It's makes you want to run in the snow and shoulder press a wagon full of your friends and family.

[Blankments]

I don't know who saw Rocky III and said "I want James Brown and a robot in the next one" but okay

[darkelf]

Boy this movie's bad... but also awesome as hell. Go montages!