Ready for More with Rocky IV (1985)

After watching Rocky III yesterday, and really enjoying it, all I wanted to do was see more. Today while at work, I talked to my colleagues and almost all of them said something like "Oh well just wait until Rocky IV!" This of course only made me more anxious to see it, and so as soon as I got home I put on Rocky IV. Even the comment on yesterday's Rocky III post said that this was probably the best Rocky movie of them all. I couldn't wait to watch it! Check out my thoughts on the other side of the jump!


While it's a really cool idea to recap the end of the previous film at the start of the sequel for people who haven't seen it in a while, I have to admit it's a little annoying when watching them really close together. Even more so when you see them back to back. Anyways, it's not that big of a deal.  

Rocky IV starts off with Rocky and Apollo Creed (with Carl Weathers of course reprising the role) as good friends after the events of the previous film. This time, a challenger comes from the USSR wanting to fight Rocky in an exhibition match, but Apollo wants a shot at him first to prove he's still got it. Of course Apollo's over-the-top American patriotism takes the form of a massive song and dance spectacle. The festivities are cut short, however, when he is annihilated by the towering Russian, Ivan Drago, played by Dolph Lundgren. Rocky feels he has no choice, and accepts the challenge to go to Russia to train for the match on Drago's home turf.

The first thing I have to say is "Welcome, Rocky, you've well and truly entered the 80s!" Man, this movie reeks of the 80s cheese factor! Sometimes it works, Rocky III had just a bit of it with the "Eye of the Tiger" song blasting in the background, but it sure doesn't work this time. I could hardly stand the songs in this one, and none of them were even recognizable either. Don't get me started about the robot. Almost everything about this movie screamed "stupid idea".

I can't even believe what I'm seeing

I've also come to the conclusion that the character of Rocky is one of the most inconsistent characters I've ever seen. This time, that sort of maturity that I thought I saw in Rocky III as I reasoned away his ever changing character is once again gone. This time he's closer to the Rocky of the first movie, with just a little experience of so many fights under his belt. Sure he can talk to Apollo about what it's like to be out of the limelight and how they don't really have it anymore, but he seems to have reverted back to that simple man with below average intelligence. I really don't know what to think about it all, except wonder who the writer and director of all these movies is... Oh... it was Stallone who wrote them ALL and directed all but the first. I guess that explains it.

Ivan Drago

One of the things I could appreciate about the previous Rocky movies, was how they kept building up Rocky's fighting ability, and how he could completely change up his entire fighting style. In the first film he was just a southpaw who could take a beating. In the second film, he learned to fight right-handed to throw off Apollo's game, and avoid hits to his left eye. He still took most of the hits straight to the face though. In the third film, he learns to be quicker and how to dodge so he barely takes any hits at all! I was so happy to see him ducking and weaving. But Rocky IV throws all that out the window and he just trains to get stronger, and once again takes nearly all the hits right to the face like a barn animal. What happened to everything Apollo taught him?!

While some of the training montage this time was cool, simply showing how fit and strong Stallone really is (hanging over an edge by his knees, pulling himself up and holding that pose straight out mid-air comes to mind) and the shots of some of the landscapes were alright, the horrible music and Rocky screaming "DRAGOOOOO" from the mountain was pretty lame. Lets not forget all the blinking lights and digital alarm clock numbers flickering around Drago during his own training, like he was in Star Trek with Kirk and Spock. It was just all so fake and stupid.

There are no stairs in Russia, only mountains

Lastly, I thought the action was disappointing too. As I said, Rocky pretty much just gets punched in the face over and over, and we're supposed to believe he simply toughened himself up so he can take 2000+ psi punches to the face like it's nothing for 15 rounds. The two just run around the ring and trade punches, no dodging or strategy, just a fancy street fight. Frankly, I wasn't that impressed. Oh yeah, and a nation wouldn't start loving the other country's contender because he can beat the Hell out of their own. I don't see rival countries cheering for other teams in the Olympics. That just doesn't happen, and I totally didn't buy it here.

While this wasn't as bad as Rocky II, I don't think it was nearly as good as Rocky III and doesn't even touch the original. It's possible my disappointment stems from everyone around me building this movie up so much, or maybe it's because I can't connect with American patriotism... since I'm not American. I've recently experienced similar disconnects in Captain America: The First Avenger and in Warrior when the US Army starts to proudly sing in one scene. I'm sorry, but I wouldn't expect anyone from outside of Canada to feel anything from the Canadian national anthem either.

In the end, I thought Rocky IV was just silly, cheesy, and kinda lame. Now I'm only left with Rocky V which I've been universally told to not watch at all. Even IMDB agrees. When the people and the critics agree, you know you're in trouble. Not looking forward to that at all.