![]() There are traces of it present in the theatrical cut - most notably Apollo’s speech when pleading for Rocky to support him in fighting the newcomer, Dolph Lundgren’s Drago (in a scene that features Stallone’s best writing since the first film: “Without some challenge, without some damn war to fight, then the warriors might as well be dead, Stallion”). The triumph of Stallone’s director’s cut - with a pin-sharp focus on Apollo and Rocky’s relationship and its ruthless removal of anything which distracts - is that it not only nails the central message of the film, but the very point of it existing at all (montages aside). ![]() Oh yeah, and Soviet Russia being dreadful. Though to what exactly wasn’t entirely clear: something about getting older, something about being a warrior and something about the Cold War. T) under Rocky’s belt, the stakes had changed. And the message? It was clearly trying to, had to, evolve: nine years in, a defeat of Apollo Creed ( Carl Weathers) and Clubber Lang (Mr. The editing and soundtracking had been MTV-ified, with the full-fat franchise chasing the box-office dollars (it remains the most commercially successful Rocky film). By the time we reached Rocky IV in 1985, much had changed: Rocky, now World Champion, had moved from the streets to a gated mansion, crease-free sweaters and respectability as part of the poshing-up package deal. To prove in the ring, and in life, that he wasn’t just a bum (copyright Mickey Goldmill). The message of 1976’s Oscar-winning Rocky was that for some men, for this man Rocky Balboa ( Sylvester Stallone), it was enough simply to go the distance. It's only an hour-and-a-half and story literally flies by.Let’s jump straight to the question that is burning a hole in your brain, 14 words in: with 40 minutes of the theatrical version cut (and 42 minutes of new footage added), have the montages – well, okay, one long montage stitched together by a bit of pretty intense acting - survived? Yes, they have! (Some things are worth fighting for! Some feelings never die!) 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. He's "indestructable" (and on steroids, too, and unlike some baseball slugger, he admits it!). T.," we now have "Ivan Drago,"(Dolph Lundgren) a giant Russian who is more like a machine. Here's another low-brained but very entertaining "Rocky" movie with one more interesting villain.
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