A Look Back: Rocky V
I’m such a big fan of Rocky V (1990), even though it’s considered the weakest instalment in the franchise – even by creator and writer Sylvester Stallone himself. The first movie – Rocky (1976) – remains a masterpiece, and is one of the best sporting movies ever made. Rocky II (1979) avoids the mistake a lot of sequels make in rehashing the events of its predecessor. Even though the story is based around a championship rematch, Rocky, as a person, continues to grow. He marries, he becomes a father, he has to deal with financial responsibilities – this is not the same oblivious loanshark enforcer he was in the first…
Rating the Rocky Movies: Part II
Every artform is open to interpretation. We all like different things. So I’m sure there are people who disagree with my bottom four choices. That’s okay. I understand why people love the other Rocky movies; or if they even prefer one of the Creed movies, which are slick and well-made. I look at them from the point of view that I want them to be true to the original universe. Rocky III and Rocky IV feel as if they stray, trading substance for glitz. The Creed movies feel like they’re hitting the same beats but (for me) not generating the same emotion. They play like remakes trying to again capture…