**** OFFICIAL ROCKY BALBOA THREAD **** (1 Viewer)

[Todem]

I am a huge Rocky fan and thought Rocky V was a disaster. I am looking forward to Rocky VI to redeem the franchise from that hack job of a movie that was Rocky V. I am sure all Rocky fans will be very happy with the new film.

Rocky and Rocky III were great movies. Head and Shoulders the class of the franchise.

Rocky II was a tad uneven but a great finish.

Rocky IV has my favorite training montages between Rocky and Drago and the music for them was excellent. I loved the contrast between the natural workouts Rocky was doing in the bitter Russian cold vs the machines and roid injections of Drago. Great comparison.

Rocky V - Tommy Gun never worshipped Rocky, he simply gave the appearance he did and scammed Rocky into training him because all he was concerned about was with the money and fame of being the champ. Anyway Sly's son killed this movie. He was horid and runined what had the chamnce to be a great film. I felt Rocky should have fought in the ring in this one but it went the way of a street fight and I know Sly must have been very upset about this film after really watching it again.

Anyway we love ya Rocky!!!

 

[Daywalker]

Surprisingly this movie is getting good reviews. Will definetly check it out.

 

[Mr. Mojo]

I am a huge Rocky fan and thought Rocky V was a disaster. I am looking forward to Rocky VI to redeem the franchise from that hack job of a movie that was Rocky V. I am sure all Rocky fans will be very happy with the new film. Rocky and Rocky III were great movies. Head and Shoulders the class of the franchise.Rocky II was a tad uneven but a great finish.Rocky IV has my favorite training montages between Rocky and Drago and the music for them was excellent. I loved the contrast between the natural workouts Rocky was doing in the bitter Russian cold vs the machines and roid injections of Drago. Great comparison. Rocky V - Tommy Gun never worshipped Rocky, he simply gave the appearance he did and scammed Rocky into training him because all he was concerned about was with the money and fame of being the champ. Anyway Sly's son killed this movie. He was horid and runined what had the chamnce to be a great film. I felt Rocky should have fought in the ring in this one but it went the way of a street fight and I know Sly must have been very upset about this film after really watching it again.Anyway we love ya Rocky!!!

 

[flapgreen]

I am a huge Rocky fan and thought Rocky V was a disaster. I am looking forward to Rocky VI to redeem the franchise from that hack job of a movie that was Rocky V. I am sure all Rocky fans will be very happy with the new film. Rocky and Rocky III were great movies. Head and Shoulders the class of the franchise.Rocky II was a tad uneven but a great finish.Rocky IV has my favorite training montages between Rocky and Drago and the music for them was excellent. I loved the contrast between the natural workouts Rocky was doing in the bitter Russian cold vs the machines and roid injections of Drago. Great comparison. Rocky V - Tommy Gun never worshipped Rocky, he simply gave the appearance he did and scammed Rocky into training him because all he was concerned about was with the money and fame of being the champ. Anyway Sly's son killed this movie. He was horid and runined what had the chamnce to be a great film. I felt Rocky should have fought in the ring in this one but it went the way of a street fight and I know Sly must have been very upset about this film after really watching it again.Anyway we love ya Rocky!!!

I'm pumped about seeing it. I realize it won't be as good as 1-4 but I'm ok with that. I still remember going to see all of the Rocky movies with my dad. Big fan here

 

[flapgreen]

Did you ask about Over the Top 2 or Tango & Cash 2?

(please answer in the spoiler text!!)

TIA

 

[flapgreen]

Stallone should have stopped after the first one.

Why? Do you have any idea how much money he's made because of the Rocky Franchise???? I wouldn't blame him if he made 7, 8, 9...however many he wants to. Eeeeeaaasy money. Sure, the fans and the critics might bash it a little...but who cares when you and the studio are making millions?

Why? Because the other 4 sucked, that's why. Of course he did it for the money and I can't blame him. But from an artistic point of view he should have stopped. He took what was a great movie and turned it into a series of cartoons.

So you think he should have turned down tens of millions of dollars so that you would respect the 'art' of Rocky I a little more?

I said that?

No. You said, "He should have stopped after the first one."I said, "Why?"You said, "Because the other 4 sucked, that's why."If you want to go modify your first comment to reflect the "from an artistic point of view" and try to look at the movie industry as some sort of bubble where critical acclaim is all important while money and longevity mean nothing...then I guess you could do that and I wouldn't have any problem with it.

I don't like crappy movies.

Oh, I agree that the first one is far superior. No argument from me at all there. But Stallone (and the studios) were extremely smart to continue with the Rocky franchise. The fact that they are still making a killing off of Rocky merchandise THIRTY YEARS after the movie came out is amazing.

 

[Capella]

Got an A- in the local rag

Rocky Balboa is one of the best sequels ever made for any franchise. Yet it could almost stand alone. Cynics must stash away those Stallone jokes for another day. After all the million-dollar babies and Cinderella men on screen since 1976, Rocky reclaims his title as American cinema's heavyweight champion.

 

[MrPhoenix]

I am a huge Rocky fan and thought Rocky V was a disaster. I am looking forward to Rocky VI to redeem the franchise from that hack job of a movie that was Rocky V. I am sure all Rocky fans will be very happy with the new film.

Rocky and Rocky III were great movies. Head and Shoulders the class of the franchise.

Rocky II was a tad uneven but a great finish.

Rocky IV has my favorite training montages between Rocky and Drago and the music for them was excellent. I loved the contrast between the natural workouts Rocky was doing in the bitter Russian cold vs the machines and roid injections of Drago. Great comparison.

Rocky V - Tommy Gun never worshipped Rocky, he simply gave the appearance he did and scammed Rocky into training him because all he was concerned about was with the money and fame of being the champ. Anyway Sly's son killed this movie. He was horid and runined what had the chamnce to be a great film. I felt Rocky should have fought in the ring in this one but it went the way of a street fight and I know Sly must have been very upset about this film after really watching it again.

"You're gonna love Picasso!"

 

[(HULK)]

Got an A- in the local rag

Rocky Balboa is one of the best sequels ever made for any franchise. Yet it could almost stand alone. Cynics must stash away those Stallone jokes for another day. After all the million-dollar babies and Cinderella men on screen since 1976, Rocky reclaims his title as American cinema's heavyweight champion.

I liked it, but this reviewer is going too far.Empire Strikes Back, Godfather II, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade can be called one of the best sequels ever made. Rocky VI cannot.Its miles better than Rocky V, but don't let yourself be fooled by that review.

 

[Tony Jabroni]

I am a huge Rocky fan and thought Rocky V was a disaster. I am looking forward to Rocky VI to redeem the franchise from that hack job of a movie that was Rocky V. I am sure all Rocky fans will be very happy with the new film.

Rocky and Rocky III were great movies. Head and Shoulders the class of the franchise.

Rocky II was a tad uneven but a great finish.

Rocky IV has my favorite training montages between Rocky and Drago and the music for them was excellent. I loved the contrast between the natural workouts Rocky was doing in the bitter Russian cold vs the machines and roid injections of Drago. Great comparison.

Rocky V - Tommy Gun never worshipped Rocky, he simply gave the appearance he did and scammed Rocky into training him because all he was concerned about was with the money and fame of being the champ. Anyway Sly's son killed this movie. He was horid and runined what had the chamnce to be a great film. I felt Rocky should have fought in the ring in this one but it went the way of a street fight and I know Sly must have been very upset about this film after really watching it again.

Anyway we love ya Rocky!!!

I'm pumped about seeing it. I realize it won't be as good as 1-4 but I'm ok with that. I still remember going to see all of the Rocky movies with my dad. Big fan here

Repaying the favor, and taking Dad Friday afternoon.



"We're gonna eat lightning, we're gonna crap thundah!"

 

[Capella]

these movies on anywhere this week? haven't seen them in ages.

 

[nortobc]

Also, I'll report back tomorrow with a review.

Was it any good?

You read about as well as Balboa did in "Rocky II".

Technically, my post was made "tomorrow".

Then either you forgot to set your clocks back a month ago when daylight savings time went off, or you have the wrong location entered, because your original post was made at 11:32pm Austin time.

nortobc

Footballguy

Group: Members

Joined: 21-October 03

From: Austin, TX

Member No.: 8981

#### you and the boat you came in on.

 

[djcolts]

Who would have thought this movie would have gotten a 76% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes?

 

[Wyldfox]

Saw it and loved it. Stallone did a great job, but I've always loved him in that role. It's a real feel good kinda movie, a tear jerker, and I think it's a perfect ending to the Rocky saga. The theatre was pretty crowded and very enthusiastic.

Guy sitting next to me was videotaping it with this really small video camera.

 

[Wyldfox]

these movies on anywhere this week? haven't seen them in ages.

RockyTue. Dec. 26 8:00 PM TCM

 

[Sonny Lubick Blowup Doll]

So, I'm lucky enough to be going to the DC premier of this movie tonight @ 6pm.Stallone will be there, if I catch him on his own I may converse with him.In this scenario, I'm prepared to say, "So... whens Rocky VII coming out?"Come up with something better if you can, although I'm leaving in a 1/2 hour to go get some drinks.Also, I'll report back tomorrow with a review.

Was this a serious post?

 

[(HULK)]

So, I'm lucky enough to be going to the DC premier of this movie tonight @ 6pm.Stallone will be there, if I catch him on his own I may converse with him.In this scenario, I'm prepared to say, "So... whens Rocky VII coming out?"Come up with something better if you can, although I'm leaving in a 1/2 hour to go get some drinks.Also, I'll report back tomorrow with a review.

Was this a serious post?

Which part?If overall, then the answer is mostly.

 

[menobrown]

This is an old article recently re-ran on ESPN I tought was good.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story...=simmons/061220

My favorite Rocky is Rocky III. Saw that movie when I was about 10 on the back end of a movie doubleheader which started with ET. At the time almost everyone I know said they cried during ET and when the movie was over I was left wondering what it was that made people cry because at no time do I feel the urge to cry while watching that movie. Than during Rocky III when Mickey died I felt it coming and since I was watching the movie with my older brother and dad I tried all I could to not cry but my tears betrayed me when Mick died.

 

[culdeus]

Did you see me? I was an extra.

 

[ArcticEdge]

Just saw it.

####### AWESOME!!!

Loved it...

 

[flapgreen]

Just saw it. ####### AWESOME!!! Loved it...

Awesome dude. I'll report back what I thought this weekend. I'm stoked.

 

[flapgreen]

Saw it and loved it. Stallone did a great job, but I've always loved him in that role. It's a real feel good kinda movie, a tear jerker, and I think it's a perfect ending to the Rocky saga. The theatre was pretty crowded and very enthusiastic.

Guy sitting next to me was videotaping it with this really small video camera.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

Okay.So, first off, its definitely better than 5. Much better than 5. And definitely worth seeing if you're a Rocky fan.Its short, like only 90 minutes or so, and there is only 1 fight scene and only 1 training montage (and its brief).The whole movie is mostly a slow build up to the fight. Its cool to see Rocky and where he's at 20 years after his prime, but this part does drag a bit. It kinda ties into the fight later, which was cool.The one thing that has me totally :shuked: was the song he played while entering the ring. Paulie picked it out, and it was Sinatra's "High Hopes". It seemed very out of place to me, but really with a 60 year old in a boxing ring, maybe out of place was the motif.Anyway, there are definitely a few Rocky moments that still hit you where it counts. But they're few and far between.I wouldn't recommend seeing it if you could care less about the previous Rocky movies.If you're a Rocky fan, see it... at least it will wash the bad taste of Rocky V out of your mouth. It puts the character to rest in a more appropriate way... Stallone was there and talked to us before the movie. He talked about how Rocky V was a disapointment, and he didn't want the Rocky legacy to have ended on a down note. VI does a better job of keeping that legacy going. VI isn't as good as 1 through 4, but its a good movie.If you have specific plot questions, post them and I'll answer them in spoiler text.

I just saw it. I agree with everything in Hulk's post except the part about Stallone being there and talking to us before the movie.I'm a Rocky fan and this movie was enjoyable. I'm glad I saw it. It wasn't as good as Rocky I, II, III, or IV, but it was still good. I am calling this movie Rocky V instead of Rocky VI because the previous Rocky V is dead to me. So anyway, this Rocky V was well worth seeing.

 

[NY/NJMFDIVER]

I have always loved Rocky and hated Rocky V so I guess I'm pretty average. But I LOVED this. It isn't better than the first 4 but I truly don't think its worse either. There are really phenomenal parts to this, and I'd urge anyone on the fence to go see this and see it soon. Seeing it with the crowd was a great element, they went ape in all the right parts and you'll get swept up.

As far as the final outcome, I think it is the most tension Rocky has EVER had going into the final fight as far as, you have no idea what is going to happen. Some real sweet moments overall and this was actually one of the better movies I've seen in this lackluster year.

There's still something in the basement baby!

 

[Sonny Lubick Blowup Doll]

So, I'm lucky enough to be going to the DC premier of this movie tonight @ 6pm.Stallone will be there, if I catch him on his own I may converse with him.In this scenario, I'm prepared to say, "So... whens Rocky VII coming out?"Come up with something better if you can, although I'm leaving in a 1/2 hour to go get some drinks.Also, I'll report back tomorrow with a review.

Was this a serious post?

Which part?If overall, then the answer is mostly.

You really thought you were gonna catch Sylvester Stallone, on his own, at his movie premiere? :( And then, you were thinking of questions to ask him like, "So... whens Rocky VII coming out?" That part.

 

[Kip Dynamite]

When does Rambo IV come out?

 

[GRIDIRON ASSASSIN]

When does Rambo IV come out?

Right after "Don't Move or My Mom Will Shoot 2" comes out.

 

[(HULK)]

So, I'm lucky enough to be going to the DC premier of this movie tonight @ 6pm.Stallone will be there, if I catch him on his own I may converse with him.In this scenario, I'm prepared to say, "So... whens Rocky VII coming out?"Come up with something better if you can, although I'm leaving in a 1/2 hour to go get some drinks.Also, I'll report back tomorrow with a review.

Was this a serious post?

Which part?If overall, then the answer is mostly.

You really thought you were gonna catch Sylvester Stallone, on his own, at his movie premiere? And then, you were thinking of questions to ask him like, "So... whens Rocky VII coming out?" That part.

I was kidding about the question part. I absolutely could've met him if I'd pressed to meet him. My girlfriend was in charge of the event. The thing is, because of her job, I tend to meet a lot of famous italians. I was kinda impressed at first, but now I don't even care about it. They're ultimatly all just regular folks. Anyways, I don't press her to get me an introduction unless its someone like Marissa Tomei or Maria Bello or something.

 

[GRIDIRON ASSASSIN]

Stallone said the person that 'hit him the hardest' in any Rocky movie was whom?

...and which person did he say was 'the strongest'?

Antonio Tarver?

Tommy Morrison?

Dolph Lundgren?

Mr. T?

Hulk Hogan?

Carl Weathers?

Burt Young?

Talia Shire?

 

[NY/NJMFDIVER]

Stallone said the person that 'hit him the hardest' in any Rocky movie was whom?...and which person did he say was 'the strongest'?Antonio Tarver?Tommy Morrison?Dolph Lundgren?Mr. T?Hulk Hogan?Carl Weathers?Burt Young?Talia Shire?

Probably T, he was a legit toughman boxer. I could see Morrison being clumsy though.Tarver could take out any of them, but I doubt he was bombing a 60 year old Sly.

 

[Swampy]

Stallone said the person that 'hit him the hardest' in any Rocky movie was whom?...and which person did he say was 'the strongest'?Antonio Tarver?Tommy Morrison?Dolph Lundgren?Mr. T?Hulk Hogan?Carl Weathers?Burt Young?Talia Shire?

I believe he said once that Lundgren hit the hardest, and Mr. T was the strongest. A side note Burt Young was once a boxer himself. Another side note I think Stallone also said that Burt Young was a better kisser than Talia Shire. Everyone should do themselves the favor and go see Rocky Balboa it was a wonderful movie. Better than all except Rocky and II

 

[Softballguy]

Everyone should do themselves the favor and go see Rocky Balboa it was a wonderful movie. Better than all except Rocky and II

I really enjoyed it - much more than I thought I would.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Everyone should do themselves the favor and go see Rocky Balboa it was a wonderful movie. Better than all except Rocky and II

I really enjoyed it - much more than I thought I would.

By far the most realistic fight sequence. I also thought Stallone did a great job directing the film. Very good camera shots/angles and I liked the coloration, cuts, and changes of the fight sequence a lot.

 

[JMJ]

To all that have seen the movie:

I am a devout Rocky fan (Rocky IV is my favorite movie; not my favorite "Rocky movie," but my favorite movie, period). Anyway, my wife's parents whom I have a great relationship with are taking my wife and me to see it tonight as part of my X-Mas gift (by that I mean they are paying). Now they have both seen Rocky I of course and they know who and what Rocky movies are about. However, in no way, shape or form are they followers of all the movies and all the plot lines.

Is there any type of "flashback scenes" in the beginning or anything like that? Some kind of recap? Something to help them quickly understand just the most important things that have happened since Rocky I (wins the belt, Mick dies, Apollo dies, brain damage and can't fight anymore, lost all his money, etc.), or, am I better served giving them a verbal rundown myself prior to the start of the movie to help them better understand where they are in the movie at this point and how they got there?

Thanks in advance .....

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Over 6 million on a Wed opening...it will do over 10 million before Friday...it has a chance to clear $25-30 million+ before the Christams weekend ends...with good reviews you could see this film carry out to somewhere in the $75 million+ range I would think...pretty smart from a financial standpoint. Also Stallone was part of "The Contender" which helped put him out there around boxing again.

I was going to try to stay away from this movie but I am thinking a matinee somewhere this weekend would be nice. When I saw III and IV as a kid I remember the audiences getting up out of their seat to cheer like the fight was actually live...wonder if any of that will happen in this one.

 

[seahawk 17]

Ok, ok, I can't stand the suspense: Does Rocky win or does he get his ### kicked?

mytagid = Math.floor( Math.random() * 100 );document.write("The fight goes all 10 rounds and is a split decsion. 2 judges for Mason Dixon, 1 judge for Rocky Balboa. But all the fans are so happy that he fought hard the whole time, the whole crowd is chanting, "Rocky! Rocky!".

*** SPOILER ALERT! Click this link to display the potential spoiler text in this box. ***

");document.close();

#### this movie

 

[JMJ]

To all that have seen the movie:I am a devout Rocky fan (Rocky IV is my favorite movie; not my favorite "Rocky movie," but my favorite movie, period). Anyway, my wife's parents whom I have a great relationship with are taking my wife and me to see it tonight as part of my X-Mas gift (by that I mean they are paying). Now they have both seen Rocky I of course and they know who and what Rocky movies are about. However, in no way, shape or form are they followers of all the movies and all the plot lines.Is there any type of "flashback scenes" in the beginning or anything like that? Some kind of recap? Something to help them quickly understand just the most important things that have happened since Rocky I (wins the belt, Mick dies, Apollo dies, brain damage and can't fight anymore, lost all his money, etc.), or, am I better served giving them a verbal rundown myself prior to the start of the movie to help them better understand where they are in the movie at this point and how they got there?Thanks in advance .....

 

[Sonny Lubick Blowup Doll]

To all that have seen the movie:I am a devout Rocky fan (Rocky IV is my favorite movie; not my favorite "Rocky movie," but my favorite movie, period). Anyway, my wife's parents whom I have a great relationship with are taking my wife and me to see it tonight as part of my X-Mas gift (by that I mean they are paying). Now they have both seen Rocky I of course and they know who and what Rocky movies are about. However, in no way, shape or form are they followers of all the movies and all the plot lines.Is there any type of "flashback scenes" in the beginning or anything like that? Some kind of recap? Something to help them quickly understand just the most important things that have happened since Rocky I (wins the belt, Mick dies, Apollo dies, brain damage and can't fight anymore, lost all his money, etc.), or, am I better served giving them a verbal rundown myself prior to the start of the movie to help them better understand where they are in the movie at this point and how they got there?Thanks in advance .....

So let me get this straight: your wife's folks are taking the two of you to see Rocky IXVXXVVI as a Christmas present? What grade are you in?

 

[JMJ]

To all that have seen the movie:I am a devout Rocky fan (Rocky IV is my favorite movie; not my favorite "Rocky movie," but my favorite movie, period). Anyway, my wife's parents whom I have a great relationship with are taking my wife and me to see it tonight as part of my X-Mas gift (by that I mean they are paying). Now they have both seen Rocky I of course and they know who and what Rocky movies are about. However, in no way, shape or form are they followers of all the movies and all the plot lines.Is there any type of "flashback scenes" in the beginning or anything like that? Some kind of recap? Something to help them quickly understand just the most important things that have happened since Rocky I (wins the belt, Mick dies, Apollo dies, brain damage and can't fight anymore, lost all his money, etc.), or, am I better served giving them a verbal rundown myself prior to the start of the movie to help them better understand where they are in the movie at this point and how they got there?Thanks in advance .....

So let me get this straight: your wife's folks are taking the two of you to see Rocky IXVXXVVI as a Christmas present? What grade are you in?

I'm an italian dude from jersey. Rocky was my childhood idol. :(

 

[nase]

rest assured, i'll be starting the ****OFFICIAL Dreamgirls Thread****** thread next week.

 

[Chase Stuart]

My Rocky Review -- MOSTLY SPOILERS BELOW

If you haven't seen the movie, I suggest you skip past this. I'll be basically summarizing the whole movie here.

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS, PLEASE SKIP PAST THIS POST.

Let me start by saying I'm as big a fan of the Rocky series as anyone. I watched Rocky on Wednesday Night, Rocky II and Rocky III on Thursday Night, and Rocky IV, Rocky V and then Rocky Balboa today. I wanted to go with a mini-marathon to get ready for the movie.

As for the first five: I probably like Rocky V more than anyone I know. Which isn't much of a standard, of course. It's my least favorite of the five, but I think it's very underrated and I won't turn it off if it's on TV. George Washington Duke and Tommy Morrison are both very good characters, so the movie has enough for me.

I don't really have a favorite out of I-IV. I love the last 30 minutes of Rocky II, right after Adrian tells him to win. I love almost all of four. III is great, and I really like the fights in all the movies. Rocky isn't my favorite of the four, but it's not my least favorite. It's a bit slower than the rest (although II is awfully slow, as well), but all are excellent movies.

I didn't know what to think about Rocky Balboa. I don't care if this movie was the worst movie of all time, I'd be here telling you I liked it. I knew I was going to like it before I saw it. After seeing it, well, I liked it. The things that stood out:

1 - All the old references. Seeing Cuff and Link. Seeing Gloria. Bringing back Spider Rico was f'n hilarious, and I liked Marie being in there. It was never explained how Rocky knew her in Rocky, which bothered me. He said he was friends with her brother, but we never found out who her brother was. I was hoping for some closure in Rocky Balboa, but alas, it did not come.

The meat house with Paulie was good, seeing Adrian's old petshop was neat, and I liked the painting from the end of Rocky III in Rocky's restaurant. One thing I didn't get was Adrians (the restaurant) was established in 1995 (per the sign, at least I think) while her tombstone said she died in 2002. I assumed he made the restaurant after she died, but I guess not. Also, was it me or did they not explain how she died? I know Marie said something to Rocky about hearing about his wife, but the person next to me coughed so I may have missed a couple of words. Was it cancer?

I would have liked a little more references. When Rocky says to Paulie in the first scene "I owe you" for coming to his restaurant that night, I would have liked it if Paulie says "Friends don't owe friends...they do cause they wanna do." That would have been neat. (Rocky said this to Paulie in the first 10 minutes of Rocky III). I also would have liked cameos out of Mr. T or Hulk Hogan.

2. I really liked Dixon's character. Realistic, and well acted. There is no juice in the heavyweight division, no exciting characters, and no real contenders. This was pretty accurate, and added some realism to the movie. I think he played the modern black wealthy athlete pretty well, which of course, couldn't have been very difficult for him. But I thought he was pretty believable, his reactions to the whole thing were legitimate, and he wasn't a crazy over the top superheel like Mr. T.

3. The fight was good. I don't think it was great. It might have been the worst fight of the movies. But that second round was awesome. I liked how they played the same music in the second round of this one as they did for Rocky II, which was similar (Rocky gets killed in round 1 in both, but came back strong in round 2). I also thought the breaking his hand storyline was very smart. Made the movie a bit more believable.

4. The training scenes were too short. I would have liked a bit more on that. Just lacked a lot of juice.

Overall, the movie was pretty slow, and the fight/training scenes were lagging. It certainly wasn't similar to the other Rocky movies. This was the polar opposite of Rocky III and IV.

But that doesn't make it bad. Once again, his son is annoying. But the speech he gave to his son was one of the highlights of the movie, so I can't complain too much. I would have liked to see Duke have a bigger role in this one too.

Paulie's painting hobby is never really developed, and I don't know what the point of Steps was. I thought Marie was pretty good.

I need to think about the movie a bit more and then I'll post some additional stuff.

Anyway,

 

[tipsy mcstagger]

The vast majority of the posters in this thread think Rocky IV was really good. WTF is wrong with you people? Take out the death of Apollo & that movie is as bad as V. Training in mother russia? Give me a break. That movie was terribe, terrible, TERRIBLE.

 

[Voltaire]

Spoilers follow:

How does anyone not LOVE the ending? I went with a couple of buddies I needed a new pair of pants after watching, one was meh, and one hated it because Rocky doesn't "win." Did I just imagine the paralles to Rocky I's ending? The ending at Adrian's headstone sealed this as probably the best movie I have seen all year (and I LOVED Talladega Nights). I don't know how Stallone did it.

ETA: Also Chase, Rocky said Adrian died of "woman cancer" IIRC (I don't know the rules about quoting and spoilers and whatnot).

 

[Sonny Lubick Blowup Doll]

I can barely remember I.

 

[David Yudkin]

When does Rambo IV come out?

2008. And I'm not kidding. It's called Rambo IV: Pearl of the Cobra.

 

[Deranged Hermit]

Saw Rocky today with my Dad and was not disappointed. Highly recommended...

 

[Uruk-Hai]

******SPOILERS BELOW*********

Saw it last night. I've probably read 20 professional reviews of the film and even the most luke-warm say that most Rocky fans will like it. I agree, but the first 2/3 are not action-packed - this ain't III or IV. It's a much quieter movie than those speaker-rattling extravaganzas. As someone above said, it's much closer to the original in its pacing.

OK - my thoughts:

I thought the training montage was very good. Coulda been longer, I guess, but it felt right. You can see Rocky's age affecting him in trying to get in shape.

The fight sequence was well-done, though I'm not the biggest fan of slow-mo & still pictures being a part of it. But when it was "live" I thought it was at least as realistic as any fight in a Rocky film. The broken hand caught me off guard, but I kind of liked it. I also thought Rocky & his corner leaving the ring before the decision was announced was a nice twist on Rocky's actions right after his first fight with Apollo ended.

I never saw Dixon as a "bad guy" like Clubber or even Drago (interestingly, I never saw Creed as the bad guy) - which was a good thing, IMO. I thought his part was written well & Tarver did a fine job as a champ who knows he can't win, no matter the outcome of the actual fight.

I loved Duke's speech (also used in some ads for the film) about Rocky's legs being shot, having arthritis in his neck.....so they'll have to use blunt-force trauma.

I didn't mind Rocky Jr's part - pretty believable to me until the fight scene. He got really annoying, cutting Duke off & giving inane advice.

Loved Marie & Spider coming back. I also thought the thread with Marie's son could have been interesting, but it felt strangely abbreviated. I wonder if much of it got edited out.......

As Chase & others have stated, there are some plot holes & unanswered questions. But they didn't really take away from my enjoyment of the film.

This is a very bittersweet film, much truer in its sadness (which lays like a blanket over the whole thing) than the more manufactured downs of III & IV. Yet there's a calmness to it too. Driving home from the movie I felt both of those emotions - it felt odd, but kind of nice too. I think the look on Rocky's face & the way he says "yo Adrian, we did it" at the end sums up this movie very well.

 

[Jayrok]

Saw Rocky with the kids earlier this week and we enjoyed it. My kids are now interested in seeing the first 3 movies.

It moved a bit slow in the beginning, but I don't think Stallone's idea was about all out action in this film. It seems his goal was to tie up some loose ends for the Rocky character. I think it worked out well.

My favorite parts of the movie were Rocky's speeches in front of the board and to his son (this one was great IMO). You get the sense that he made this movie, in part, just to get those things off his chest.

When I first heard of the concept I was (WTF?). But now I understand his reasoning behind making Rocky VI... not about winning a title or anything other than some personal closure to a character that is beloved by a movie generation.

*** Spoiler Alert ***

Mason Dixon (The Champ) didn't come off as a bad guy like Clubber Lang. So I was wondering what the point was with him. He was a good champion but got no respect because there was no fighters worthy of fighting him and it came off as he was hand-picking opponents. No one thought he could really take a punch because he was never really tested. So the Rocky fight worked out well for him too. He got stuck by Rocky several times and by fight's end he proved he could take some great punches. So even though you got the typical "Rocky Rocky!" chants in the crowd, you get the sense that Dixon also gained lots of respect for taking those shots. So he never needed to be the "bad guy" to make this movie work.

I liked the way Rocky left the ring without waiting for the decision. He didn't care about winning or losing... he just wanted to get rid of some lingering demons.

Lastly, I always loved the music in these movies. Not just the training music or the famous Rocky tune, but also the music when things are down... like when he was waiting for his wife to come out of the coma in Rocky II... and especially at the end, in the ring after winning or getting up before the 10 count.

This movie brought back some great memories for me. I came away with a sense of appreciation for Sly Stallone for not making what I thought would be a very cheesy movie. I loved the early Rocky movies and I was pleased how he chose to close the story.

 

[GRIDIRON ASSASSIN]

Didn't Rocky make millions from sales of his FATHEAD?

 

[NY/NJMFDIVER]

The antagonist in this movie is Time,not Mason Dixon.