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258 comments in total

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84 out of 103 people found the following comment useful :-
Forget the politics and this is one of the most entertaining films ever made, 22 September 1999
Author: Dan Grant (dan.grant@bell.ca) from Toronto, Ontario

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!"

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40 out of 51 people found the following comment useful :-
No Credibility, But Sure Is Entertaining, 24 June 2006

Author: ccthemovieman-1 from Lockport, NY, United States

Here's another low-brained but very entertaining "Rocky" movie with one more interesting villain. Instead Of "Apollo Creed" or "Mr. T.," we now have "Ivan Drago,"(Dolph Lundgren) a giant Russian who is more like a machine. He's "indestructable" (and on steroids, too, and unlike some baseball slugger, he admits it!). He has the latest in technology, nutrition, etc., but you just know the much-smaller disadvantaged hero "Rocky Balboa" (Sylvester Stallone) will somehow find a way to chop this "Goliath" down.

Minute-for-minute, this might be the most entertaining of all the Rocky films, and looks good on DVD despite some graininess in the first five minutes. Rocky's wife "Adrian" (Talia Shire) never looked better: mature and pretty; the gruff and profane manager played Burgess Meredith is gone and the repellent obnoxious slob "Paulie" (Burt Young) has only a few lines.

This is the ultimate "David vs. Goliath" tale in every aspect and the final bout - held in Russia - breaks the all-time Rocky record for most punches ever thrown at two fighters. Of course, any real-life human would have been knocked cold about 50 times had they suffered the blows "Rocky" did in this fight!

This is a real flag-waving film with Rocky draping the Stars and Stripes around his shoulders. It's a totally unrealistic story but, all of these in the series were similar, credibility-wise, so just go along with it and enjoy the story. It's only an hour-and-a-half and story literally flies by.

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39 out of 53 people found the following comment useful :-
Popeye beats Bluto again...., 14 January 2000

Author: gazzo-2 from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Oh Man I loved this one when it came out...the death of Apollo Creed, Stallone standing up for Reagan America in his quest to hammer the Evil Empire's steroided up UberMan Drago. You don't for a second actually Believe that Stallone could kayo Lundgren(Dolph is 6-5-220 plus, a kick boxing champ-Sly 5-9ish, 190) but who cares?! It was great to watch them whale away at one another in Russia like that, surrounded by 10,000 Red Guards, a Gorby lookalike and Brigette Neilson there....

Stallone really took to the MTV style of editing in III and does it again here, with the training montages, Survivor/James Brown/Robert Tepper tunes, etc. very well. I personally enjoyed the contrasts-see Stallone chop wood. See Drago pump iron. See Stallone run acrost a snowy field. See Drago run on an Olympic treadmill. See Stallone do crunches while half-suspended from a loft. See Drago bend every concievable advanced weight machine outta shape as he flexes and trains. See Stallone eat his spinach. See Drago take his Steroids....

Basically you know going in, Drago has no chance, the old David vs. Goliath thing all over. And you know when Stallone re-does his run up the Phillie steps thing again, this time up a mountain, losing the KGB in the process, that he is gonna win or die, plain as that.

The fight is as ratcheted up and brutal as they come, really overkill, over-done, I think that Stallone is knocked down something like 8 times, in truth he would have been TKO'd or put into a coma by the 3rd round. And Drago, too, woulda had to suck soup through a straw and filter for 5 weeks himself...Realism isn't the game here, though. Fun is, excitement, getting caught up in the moment, all of it. This film just could not have been made at anytime save the cold War '50s or '80s. Audiences to intuned to the grunge/ironic/'Whatever'/Friends crap of the first half the '90s especially would have laughed this off the screen or gone to bed. Audiences in '85-86...this is what they, WE wanted, and we got, big time....

Things to not worry about in this film, though are debits to the Rocky IV viewing experience--same old, same old performances/roles for Adrian and Paulie. They were brought along for the ride once again, same as Scottie and Bones were for the 19th time in the way too many Trek sequels. And you can't say Brigette got anywheres in Hollywood on her talent, ya know? Just can't see it. Camera loved her, but....

Anyways--as you can tell I ate this one up, and still like it, its my second fave Rocky film.

So, what is the Gazzo-2 rating?

***1/2 outta ****, Cartoony to the max, (Is Not Documentary!)-much fun.

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41 out of 64 people found the following comment useful :-
A reasonable fourth instalment, as long as you suspend ALL disbelief!, 4 February 1999
Author: Glyn Ingram (mringram@hotmail.com) from London, England

And so, after taking on the might of none other than Mr. T in part III (And winning), Rocky Balboa (Sylverster Stallone) returns to face his greatest challenge yet - Defeating the Russian heavyweight super-strength and steroid-powered boxer, Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundren).... ....And there's not much else happening in this formulaic but embarrassingly entertaining and feel-good fourth instalment in the "Rocky" series, which, as it happens, ended up being the second from final one to be made. As yet.

It's the death of Rocky's enemy-turned-friend Apollo Creed (The disappearing Carl Weathers) in the movie's first half that sees Rocky return to the ring. He goes to Russia to train for the match, despite warnings that another fight could kill him. Que plenty of genuinely exciting training sequences, with lots of nice 80's music played in the background, as Rocky prepares to wipe out the man who was responsible for his friend's death.

There's some highly memorable lines and moments in there as well, such as the scene where Drago's punching power is measured, and the chilling moment where Drago utters to Creed "You will lose." Some of the dialogue is so preposterous, however, that you'll probably find yourself laughing, particularly towards the end where Drago discovers that he isn't the iron man he thought he was.

Yep, it's trashy, but it's damn good fun. The boxing scenes are as unrealistic and silly as ever (As if the Russian spectators in the final boxing match would end up cheering for Drago's opponent, and AS IF you would hear those loud clumping noises every time a punch is thrown!), but Sylveser Stallone is always watchable as the simple but likeable boxer, whilst Dolph Lundren has probably never been on better form. Following the death of Apollo Creed, there's a wonderfully directed moment in the movie where, with no dialogue at all, the eyes of Both Drago and Rocky meet for several seconds - This tiny sequence alone sort of spells out what the rest of the movie is going to be about!

There's plenty of steroetyping in there too (Look at the way the Russians are portrayed), and Talia Shire is as miserable and irritable as ever as Rocky's put-on wife. The usual support is back in there too in the form of Burt Young and the amazing Brigette Neilson, and, believe it or not, much can be said for Stallone's direction; he may not be too worried about realism or plot, but when it comes to exciting and entertaining his audience, he really is something quite special.

All in all, this is trashy fun, but it's still fun, and, whilst it's nowhere near as mature as the original "Rocky," it probably remains the best out of the four sequels (Two being the worst). Not bad at all.

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36 out of 58 people found the following comment useful :-
Gets my blood pumping, 2 May 2001

Author: mm-39 from Winnipeg

This film gets my blood pumping, with a new angle on it the Soviets vers the Americans. Rocky, must go to the Soviet Union to fight the Soviet champ after his friend is killed. Ivan Drago is portrayed as what the Soviet system can create, and Rocky a symbol of American grit has to defend the American way, and correct a personal mistake. This film is directed so well that it gets my blood pumping, the fight scenes, and personal dialogue is incredible. You leave this film on a high; Rocky, Rocky 3 and 4 know how to entertain, and I would not miss them for the world.

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11 out of 15 people found the following comment useful :-
This film will pump you up!, 30 November 2005

Author: cinemasaver from United States

Rocky IV really stood out from the rest of the Rocky films to me, with the whole America versus Russia ordeal. Now it has been mentioned by other critics that this is inaccurate, but who really cares??? The point is that you really get to the point where you want Sly to kick Dragos butt in the ring. I enjoyed the training montage, and the boxing scene was so entertaining for me. And with the Russian leaders, and the Russian public standing up and cheering and clapping for Rocko.. a bit corny but so great.Talia shire in my opinion is at her best in this one out of all the other ones; she seems more confident and easier to get along with her character. And one of the most dramatic scenes to hit cinema was the death of Carl Weathers(Apollo Creed). The idea of fighting for the death of his friend, and for himself is just so inspirational. It just makes you want to jump up and get in the ring to help rocko. Out of a perfect score of 10, i gave this one a 7.

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17 out of 27 people found the following comment useful :-
Inspiring!, 26 April 2007

Author: TonyMontalbano from United Kingdom

Its the foundations to who I am today. Had I never scene it I would of never been inspired to pick up the weights & become a World champion bodybuilder! This is my personal favourite but not the best movie of the series.I am undecided between Rocky 1 & 2. Sly Stallone's life has just as been inspiring as his legendary character. He's had many ups & downs in his career & always prevailed. When he fist wrote Rocky he wanted to play the character & the studios laughed & Sly proved them wrong. Then 30 years later he wanted to finish the series with Rocky Balboa & the studios laughed at him again especially at 60! Sly proved them wrong again. We all need a modern day hero & Rocky is one of them. Sly has inspired people in the 70's, 80's, 90's & now the millennium. What other actor has done that? I'm sure he will do the same again with John Rambo!

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39 out of 71 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the greatest movies ever made!, 25 October 2005

Author: Jay Adkins (jaythegame@hotmail.com) from Southend-on-Sea, England

I can remember seeing this before it was released in England, as a friend managed to get a copy from America. I'd always been a fan of the Rocky series so I was really looking forward to this & I wasn't disappointed! I must have seen the film about 10 times before it was released in Endland, then it was about 3 or 4 times seeing it at the cinema (back when this was released I would only have been about 6, so my parents must have been annoyed at taking me to the same film!). As soon as it was released on video I managed to obtain a copy, which probably lasted about 6 months. I also purchased the album, which contains one of the best montage songs ever ("No Easy Way Out") and still have it to this day! I must have been through at least 10 copies on video & one DVD.

Obviously, the death of Apollo was heartbreaking to me, but Drago just seemed like a monster and I was eagerly awaiting the East Meets West clash in Russia, as Rocky avenges his friends death.

Such an amazing film and way better than Rocky 5 (and, in my opinion, the other films as well) so please check this out - I don't think it's dated well, but to those around in the 80's you should definitely watch this film as soon as possible!

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7 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Dolph is the highlight, 4 November 2006

Author: peter-925 from Canberra, Australia

The sheer effort Dolph (Ivan Drago), Sylvester (Rocky Balboa) and Carl (Apollo Creed) must have gone into training for this film must have been truly awesome. They all look amazingly fit and sculptured. I think more so than any current modern day boxer.

Kudos to Dolph who in almost his first major feature film (his first was View to a Kill) made, at least for me, a major impact. Despite his lack of dialog "I must break you" is right up there with Schwarzenegger's "I'll be back". He looked amazingly strong - a freak almost - just as the plot intended. Scary. He looked even taller than the 6 inch difference between him and Stallone (Lundgren 6'4", Stallone 5'10").

I would think that difference in height/reach would make him nigh on impossible to defeat if this were REAL. Of course it is a movie. Dolph is the highlight and was sad to see Apollo's demise (but at least it shut him up). The writers must have based Apollo's character on Muhammed Ali surely! Am currently watching Rocky V and is interesting so far!

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11 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
My favorite sequel in the series as it's truly a knockout!, with an incredible fight between Rocky And Drago, and wonderful performances!, 4 January 2006

Author: (callanvass@hotmail.com) from victoria b.c canada

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This is my favorite sequel in the series as it truly is a knockout, with an incredible fight between Rocky and Drago and wonderful performances!. All the characters are fantastic, and the story is really excellent, plus Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren are simply amazing in this!. I really wish they didn't kill of Apollo, because he was an awesome character, and the training scenes are just awesome!, plus the music is just wonderful once again, even if the regular Rocky score wasn't there. This is most definitely the most underrated sequel in the series, and I liked how they set the main fight in the Soviet Union, as it made it look more menacing, plus Sly had wonderful chemistry with Talia Shire once again!. Dolph is most definitely the best Rocky villain in the series as he was so cold and ruthless ("if he dies he dies"), and the little robot Rocky got for Paulie's birthday was quite cool, plus I loved how they gave Rocky Jr a lot more to do this time around. It's extremely well made and written, and every time Dolph threw a punch it made me cringe because his punches were so powerful, plus it was also really cool how the Soviet Union crowd started chanting for Rocky later on in the match.

Tony Burton gives his best performance in the series here as Duke (The trainer), and while Burt Young and Talia Shire have hardly anything to do in this one there presence was still clearly felt, plus I would love to see a rematch between Rocky and Drago as I think that would be really cool!. This should be much higher then 5.2 in my opinion, and i thought the ending was just awesome, and very heartfelt, plus I was glad Adrian stuck by Rocky's side once again, even though she didn't want to!. Carl Weathers is wonderful in his screen time as Apollo, and Brigitte Nielsen made a good impression here as Ivan Drago's girlfriend in my opinion, plus I found the dialog to be just great!. This has to be the most intense film in the series, and while Burgess Meredith's presence is clearly missing, Tony Burton did a very admirable job, plus it had some cool flashback scenes as well. This is my favorite sequel in the series, as it truly is a knockout, with an incredible fight between Rocky and Drago and wonderful performances!, and I say Go see it right this instant, you shouldn't regret it if your a Rocky fan.

The Direction is outstanding!. Sylvester Stallone does an outstanding job her, with wonderful camera work, awesome angles and keeping the film at an extremely fast pace.

The Acting is wonderful!. Sylvester Stallone is amazing as always, and is amazing here, he is extremely likable, charming, had wonderful chemistry with Talia Shire, had a great emotional scene with Weathers, and he can do this role in his sleep by now, however he always manages to keep the character of Rocky interesting!, he was amazing! (Stallone Rules!!!!!!!). Talia Shire is wonderful here with what she had to do which wasn't much, however her presence was clearly felt and she had fantastic chemistry with Stallone!. Dolph Lundgren is amazing here as Ivan Drago, he was just so cold and ruthless, and while he may have lacked personality, he didn't really need it as he was better of this way, as he truly frightened me here with his incredibly powerful punches, and gave a very memorable performance! (Dolph Rules!!!!!!!). Burt Young is good here as Paulie once again, but barely had anything to do I still liked him though. Carl Weathers is wonderful as Apollo, and it was a shame he got killed off, as I was really beginning to enjoy the bond him and Rocky had. Brigitte Nielsen does what she has to do well, nothing groundbreaking, but made a good enough impression. Tony Burton is awesome as Duke here and was glad they gave him a lot more to do. Rest of the cast do fine.

Overall Go see it right this instant!. ***** out of 5

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