Rocky

Didn't really care for Rocky, but regardless, I wouldn't mind going through them all one day.

Crazy talk. The boxing matches in Raging Bull are some of the best scenes in cinema.

Anyway, I went through the Rocky movies a few months ago. I'll post my letterboxd reviews.

Rocky

It's really easy to look at Rocky cynically. It's scenes are so iconic they've become their own clichés, it's a sentimental rag to riches story, it launched a franchise which gradually become ridiculous, and it won Best Picture over Martin Scorsese's more complex Taxi Driver (which is incidentally my favourite film of all-time). The thing is, once you remove all the baggage and actually watch the original film, you realize just how great it is. Yes, the story is sentimental, but it comes by this very honestly. The various apartments and streets all look dirty and gritty. You really get a sense this is a poor, slumish area of the city. Rocky himself is a really well-realized character, earnest and kind but also uneducated and something of a failure. He's such an honest and flawed character that it makes his story all the more endearing. The same goes for the shy Adrian who slowly comes into her own through her relationship with Rocky. That's another thing I love about Rocky; guys watch it expecting a movie with Sylvester Stallone punching people, and they get tricked into watching a tender love story. Stallone and Talia Shire both play these perfectly, and the rest of the cast is great as well.

This is an honest, uplifting, and genuinely very entertaining movie. Stallone's script and John G. Avildsen's direction are very patient, allowing the story and characters to build so that the dramatic pay-offs really work, and they certainly do. Rocky takes his chance and makes the most of it. More importantly, he finds a person he loves and grows. An awesome, inspiring film.

A+

Rocky II

The original Rocky was a massive hit, so naturally a sequel was put into production. The thing is, the first film is really a self-contained story with all of the arcs and plot-lines being solved by the end. A sequel doesn't have much places to go and that shows in Rocky II. Much of the film can be divided into episodic bits that don't really go anywhere. Rocky goes on a shopping spree, Rocky and Adrian get married, Rocky tries commercials but fails, Adrian gets sick, etc. Generally, these story lines feel a lot less inspired and more clichéd than what the first film delivered. This is in large part the script, but I think it also speaks to Sylvester Stallone's limits as a director. Ultimately the central problem here though is that this is a largely a retread of the first film. I realize sequels follow formulas, but it's so very transparent here. The whole climax is built around a rematch with Apollo Creed, the ending is essentially the same beat as the first and the editing is similar, the cinematography is the same, the iconography, hell certain scenes could be mistaken as outtakes from the first film. I actually found the most interesting aspect of the film to be Apollo Creed, shaken by the fact that the no-name thug he never took seriously pushed Creed to his limits. That's pretty interesting, but we don't see much of it in the film.

Rocky II is not quite a terrible film. The characters are still strong and I especially love watching Burgess Meredith, who's just great in these movies. I also appreciate that this film is still taking the franchise seriously, even if I don't think it really works.

D+

Watching Rocky movies seems like a chore to me.

Rocky III

The first two Rocky films were low-key underdog stories about a common man trying to succeed. This is not the case with Rocky III. An opening montage shows Rocky defending his title against various challengers while building a fortune on advertising. This Rocky wears suits, is more well-spoken, and much more confident. It's not unreasonable that the lovable loser from the first film would grow into this character, but it feels odd to just jump into this with only a montage to chart the growths. We've spent two movies learning who this guy is, and within a few minutes he's totally different. Paulie also struck me as really inconsistent in this film and the character is starting to grate on me. He worked great in the first film, but in the sequels it's like the filmmakers are unsure what to do with him. I'm also not okay with Mickey being killed off. It would have worked had the film really built a lot of the drama around this, but it feels more like a way to get the character out of the way so he can be trained by Apollo.

All that said, there is some good stuff here. This is where the movies started taking themselves less seriously, so we get silly, but fun scenes like the boxing/wrestling charity match. There's also a really good scene where Adrian really gets into it with Rocky. I like seeing how she's grown. It's cool to see Apollo and Rocky team-up and Mr. T's Clubber Lang is also a very fun villain, though the final bout with him is a bit of a let-down. They build this dude up all movie, but Rocky takes him down in the climax with minimal difficulty.

Overall, I'm pretty mixed on this movie. It has some good elements, but it also doesn't quite sit right with me.

C+

Rocky IV

Rocky III may have pushed away from the seriousness of the early films, but it was this entry that fully descended into ridiculousness. I can see why that would be frustrating for many, but taken for what it is, this movie is really entertaining. The energy level is off the charts. We get musical numbers, lots of montages, intense training, some really great fights, and a fucking robot. Dolph Lundgren's Ivan Drago is a borderline super-villain and the Cold War backdrop gives this an extra level of cheesy fun. Rocky himself seems closer in character to what we're used to and the film handles the death of a friend to Rocky much better than Rocky III did.

There's definitely stuff I don't like here. It bothers me that after Apollo was given such development through the series that he return to his egotistical self. All that growth and it ultimately never went anywhere. There's also really no denying that this film is stupid as hell. But man did I have fun.

B

Like I said before, my girlfriend who isn't a huge movie fan said 'there was nothing in that movie. The one guy dies, Rocky fights the Russian for no real reason and there are 10 lines of dialogue.' She's not wrong.

She's a keeper.  Rocky IV blows.

I don't hate Rocky IV despite my reservations, when I was growing up it was of course one my all time favorite movies. Like everyone though I grew up. I didn't know that there were so many people though who actually DID actively dislike it.

You're reading far too much into flags.

Canada doubled for Russia.