Action & Adventure > Stallone, Sylvester Action & Adventure

Yo Adrian! I did it!

Advantages: Inspiring, motivational film
Disadvantages: None. You must own this

...dribbled to an end with Rocky V, but as it turns out, the old pug still has one more fight in him. Picking up in present day Philadelphia, a middle aged Rocky is now making a living running an Italian restaurant and entertaining customers with stories of his glory days. He isn't exactly a burn-out, but he's a man facing his autumn years with no real sense of purpose. Meanwhile, current heavyweight champion Mason Dixon faces growing public apathy ...
...between Dixon and an in-his-prime Rocky has Balboa come out on top. Dixon's promoters hit upon the idea of staging a one-off exhibition bout between the two men. For Rocky, it's just the opportunity he's been waiting for - a chance to exorcise his demons and prove that he can still go one more round. I must admit, I really didn't see how Stallone could make this film work with Rocky pushing sixty. Could he really pull off such a miracle? Could he ...

Dr-Jones 13.10.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Rocky Balboa (DVD)

It's Rocky vs The Cold War!

Advantages: The montages
Disadvantages: It's a bit cartoonish and over the top

...left on this planet for Rocky to beat. He'd already prevailed over Apollo Creed, Mr T and even Hulk Hogan. His next opponent? The Soviet Union. A couple of years after his victory against Clubber Lang, Rocky is still on top. But a new threat emerges from behind the Iron Curtain in the form of Ivan Drago - a hulking Soviet boxer whose strength borders on superhuman. Drago is set to fight Rocky for the heavyweight title, but a patriotic Apollo Creed ...
...to avenge his friend's death, Rocky drops his heavyweight title and travels to Russia to fight Drago. Whereas Drago trains in a high-tech gym with scientists monitoring his every move, Rocky embarks on a mad strength training regime in freezing Siberian weather to toughen himself up. When the fight finally comes around, both men are in phenomenal shape and determined to win, but Drago is still much bigger and stronger. Worse, the entire Soviet crowd ...

Dr-Jones 13.10.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Rocky 4 (DVD)

Not as brainless as punch drunk as you'd think

Advantages: Inspring action and sharp dialogue in places
Disadvantages: Shouldve skipped from IV to VI in my opinion

The Rocky films are surprisingly a sharp set of stories which are not the '80s action movie hero with boxing gloves on' that you'd expect. They have the power to inspire the mind, make you chuckle and pull on the heart strings, unlike any of his action rivals of the time. This is the reason I rate them so highly. A couple of years before the (probably) final installment of the Rocky series came in, Warner Brothers released a slick box set entitled ...
...rash, doesn't it? The Rocky Anthology consists of Rockys 1 through 5: from the gritty opener in 1976 which made Stallone his name, to the uneccessary 'V' in 1990. That makes me wonder: is there a single film out there with the roman numeral 'V' ending the title which is any good??? Rocky V is certainly no exception to the rule. However, there is some real gold amongst the 6 disks here. Especially in the early installments before the Rocky franchise ...

runningman77 16.11.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Rocky Anthology (Ultimate Edition) (DVD)

The weak link in the series

Advantages: Burgess Meredith
Disadvantages: Depressing. A downbeat ending to the series

...and in this case it's Rocky V. Picking up immediately after the big fight at the end of the previous movie, Rocky is in the midst of celebrating his victory over Ivan Drago. But wait, all is not well. His hands start shaking uncontrollably, and he becomes confused and disoriented, apparently confusing Adrian with his dead manager Mickey. Returning to the States, things only get worse when Rocky finds out his double-dealing attorney has invested his ...
...toll. With no other option, Rocky and his family are forced to move back to their old neighbourhood in Philadelphia. Everything in Rocky's life is going backwards. He reopens Mickey's gym, moves into his old house, and even starts wearing his old clothes. His boxing days seem to be behind him, until one day he's approached by flamboyant boxing promoter George Washington Duke (clearly a parody of Don King) who wants to get him back in the ring despite ...

Dr-Jones 13.10.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Rocky 5 (DVD)

Round two, and still going strong

Advantages: A solid follow-up, good performances, exciting fight scenes
Disadvantages: Doesn't quite live up to its predecessor

...of the movies in the Rocky series essentially represents Stallone's career at the time, charting his rise from obscurity (Rocky), his struggles to stay at the top (Rocky III and IV), his decline from the glory days (Rocky V), and his efforts to make a comeback (Rocky Balboa). Following this analogy, Rocky II is about his attempts to deal with his new-found fame and make his way in the world. Picking up immediately after the iconic fight that climaxed ...
...back his respect, he challenges Rocky to a rematch. Rocky declines, but as his financial problems continue to mount, he eventually relents and agrees to the rematch against Adrian's wishes. Mickey, his old trainer, initially advises him against it, but after witnessing Creed publicly insult Rocky, he agrees to train him again. Unlike last time, Creed takes this fight seriously, training with far greater intensity and determination. When they meet ...

Dr-Jones 13.10.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Rocky 2 (DVD)