Rocky IV (1985)

Director: Sylvester Stallone
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young

Synopsis:
Rocky answers the challenge of a Soviet superman who has come to the US to make his debut as a professional boxer.

Impressions:
I mentioned in my review of Rocky III how you could get a real sense of the 80s in it. Well, this one really plays the 80s-ness to the hilt. If you like 80s cheese with a Rocky face, then this is the movie for you. It's a lot goofier than the previous entries and that may alienate some fans. If you don't mind, though, this is pretty enjoyable. I particularly like Apollo Creed's character development. The grand show in the exhibition fight, featuring frickin' James Brown, is amazing and ironically kinda feels like it's making the Soviets' case for them. Honestly, I find myself kinda feeling sorry for Drago, but getting into that seems like material for a supplemental post. Anyway, while this is perhaps the shallowest entries in the franchise, it's still entertaining and maybe that'll be enough for you. It was for me.

Rating:
Watch It