Why The Disrespect For The Magnificent Rocky IV?
There are not many movies you can look at and walk away from and say “it was perfect” As great as the Bond movies are, those are not perfect. Hell, you can go back in time to Casablanca and find flaws. That brings us to an article I stumbled across on Screenrant that mentioned Rocky IV was not the best overall of the Rocky Series.
I disagree.
With the Director’s Cut of Rocky IV set to be released in theaters on November 11th, fans will get the extended cut of what many still consider to be a classic film. Those two words there “classic film” is what separates Rocky IV and the others.
What exactly were the issues with Rocky IV? All Rocky movies had that feeling of being a bit over the top. We knew the good guy was going to walk away victorious in the end. While it did not happen in the first film, it was to prove that Rocky had the heart to go the distance with the champ. But Rocky IV offered fans of the series a more in-depth look at what it takes to be a champ.
By the time Ivan Drago hit the boxing scene, Rocky and Apollo Creed were retired. But Apollo wanted to prove a point that he still had it and took a big risk getting in the ring with the Russian bruiser. What was supposed to be a friendly exhibition bout turned deadly.
It was at that moment with Apollo laying dead in Rocky’s arms that the Rocky series changed. That look he gave Drago just hit differently than any most dramatic moments in the other movies. It was no longer about heart, fame, money, or respect. This was personal between Rocky and Drago.
Related: Creed 3: If There’s A Trilogy, Do We Really Need Rocky Balboa?
Rocky was in more than a fight for his life. He wanted revenge. The death of Mickey hit Rocky hard and he wanted to crush Clubber Lang. But what happened to Apollo was equally soul-crushing.
This is where Rocky had to dig deeper than he has any other fight. While it was a fight between him and Drago, the media made it about the USA vs Russia. The retired boxer coming out of retirement was now fighting for his friend and his country.
While Drago was being hit with steroids, Rocky was doing his training the old-fashioned way. The visual shots were unique, the scenes were set up perfectly with shots of Rocky’s training one second then a flash to Drago’s training the next. The director was setting this up better than a promo for the next Marvel movie.
Another reason Rocky IV sets itself apart from the previous ones is the focus of those in his corner. Yes, in Rocky V, he lost it all but his family was always by his side. However, in Rocky IV, the one person that Rocky always counted on was not. For the majority of the film, his wife Adrian was not in his corner. In fact, Adriane went as far as telling Rocky he can’t win.
Talk about a knife in the back. Rocky, focused as ever, had no choice to brush that off and handle business.
I’m sorry, Rich Stevenson but Rocky IV was about as perfect of a boxing film that we will ever get. Rocky IV was not about the glitz and glam of boxing. It was the ultimate movie about determination. Rocky was already rich, already a champion, and already a legend. Those family feel-good moments in the previous films were gone. The accolades and status he was chasing in the other films were gone. This was the introduction to the darker side of the franchise.
No movie is perfect but Rocky IV came dame close to perfection. Especially, considering where the franchise started from. As you stated, the boxing was top notch so there is no need to argue that point. But in terms of a story, Rocky IV is by far the best of the bunch.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
