BroadcastChic Excellent, a Must See

Lidia Draper Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Philippa All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Raymond Sierra The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

enzolopergolo This movies is not as bad as you think. Its better then Rocky IV and the directors cut of this movie is amazing!

mamadomasr Rocky spirit is an inspiration to me. I loved all the rocky sequel but when I was younger I didn't like this one and I used to think this is the worst Rocky movie. but today I've grown old, I'm 37 years old father when I saw this movie today I've seen myself in the mirror of Rocky the father and old fighter. this magnificent movie is very very underrated. I gave it than 10 stars and it deserves more.

2karl- 1hr44mins 242reviews I gave it 7/10 as its good but not great dirJohn G. Avildsen eluctantly retired from boxing, and back from riches to rags, Rocky takes on a new protege who betrays him, as the champ's son must adjust to his family's new life after bankruptcy Rocky Balboa is forced to retire after having permanent damage inflicted on him in the ring by the Russian boxer Ivan Drago. Returning home after the Drago bout, Balboa discovers that the fortune that he had acquired as heavyweight champ has been stolen and lost on the stockmarket by his accountant. His boxing days over, Rocky begins to coach an up-and-coming fighter named Tommy Gunn. Rocky cannot compete, however, with the high salaraies and glittering prizes being offered to Gunn by other managers in town. Sometimes it gets annoying to me how critical people are of the Rocky series. It's like they feel like they have to say terrible things about it, probably because people can be so negative that they can't find it in themselves to believe that a 'less than intelligent' person with heart, drive and passion can move mountains and achieve success. I personally thought this, and every other Rocky movie, was fabulous. I thought Sage Stallone was amazing in his debut as Rocky's son. Also, this movie showed a more real side of boxing, the business side, with exploitative agents and corrupt business tactics. Some may think the Rocky series is an unrealistic saga, but Rocky IV proves it isn't. The person we saw struggle, fight, and grow rich is now back to square one.. .minus all the money but still with the heart.

zkonedog The legend of Rocky Balboa grew out of the harsh streets of Philadelphia, and in this "final" (at the time) installment, that is exactly the place where the tale winds down.For a basic plot summary, "Rocky V" finds the title character (Sylvester Stallone) having sustained irreversible brain damage after the Drago fight and thus forced into retirement. When Paulie (Burt Young) makes a financial snaffu, the Balboa family loses their fortune and must return to their old living quarters in Philly. While there, Rocky begins training a young, hungry fighter named Tommy Gunn (Tommy Morrison), while Rocky Jr. (Sage Stallone) struggled to cope with his new environment.Likely due to a change in direction (Stallone hands the reins back to John Avildson), this film is more like the original than any of the other sequels, from the tone of the drama to the actual locations. This turns out to be a smart move for the franchise, as it allows for a bit of closure (coming full circle) to the overall narrative. It never ceases to amaze me that Stallone was able to keep the Rocky Balboa character so fresh, considering how most of his other film "icons" are anything but.There are two very hokey situations that you must first get over in order to enjoy this movie:1. The aging of Rocky Jr. When Rocky leaves for Russia in the fourth film, his son isn't more than 8-9 years old. When Rocky comes back, still sporting the bruises from Drago, his kid is in roughly late middle school. This is a huge continuity issue in order to make other portions of the movie make sense dramatically.2. Paulie losing all of Rocky's money. Couldn't director Avildson have come up with anything better than that for why the Balboa's have to move back to Philadelphia?If you can put those concerns in the rear view mirror, though, than there are plenty of themes/moments in this film that will entertain you:-The Don King clone, which was (is?!) a real issue in boxing during the 1980s and 90s. -The Rocky/Tommy relationship, which is fated for failure right from the get-go but still makes you feel for Rocky since he can no longer physically enter the ring. -The son angle. Rocky tries to "do for" his family to make up for the lost fortune, but eventually realizes that all he needs to do is "do with" them in order to preserve the family unit. -A touching scene at the old gym in which Rocky reminisces about former trainer Mick (Burgess Meredith). Perhaps the greatest single scene in the entire franchise. -Of course, what would a Rocky film be without a fight scene, but in this case it takes place on the streets, not within a squared circle. The drama is palpable in those final minutes.To me, this film was a fitting end for the Rocky franchise (until, of course, it wasn't once Stallone resurrected the franchise this millennium). A few things don't jive, but by-and-large it still provides the character development and high drama that the Rocky series has come to be known for. For whatever reason, Sly Stallone himself has pretty much stricken this movie from the Rocky "anthology" because of his deep hatred for it, but I don't see the reasoning. I enjoyed it through and through.