In part one of this definitive ranking of the storied Rocky franchise, we covered the bottom three of the bunch. This time, we're taking on the final three films in this truly gripping and moving series!
3) Rocky II
In quite possibly one of the most demanded and anticipated sequels of all-time, Rocky Balboa returns to take on the still-reigning heavyweight champion of the world Apollo Creed. Following their fight in the previous film, both Apollo and Rocky are taken to the same hospital to be treated for injuries sustained during the bout. In the ensuing media frenzy, Creed passionately demands a rematch out of the Italian Stallion, wanting to prove that Rocky’s ability to take Apollo the distance was no fluke, with Rocky responding that he has no intention of fighting Creed again and is going to retire from boxing altogether. Adrian and Rocky’s doctors support this decision as Rocky suffered a detached retina during his fight with Apollo, which could lead to permanent blindness in his right eye if he damages it any further.
With new-found wealth from the fight, Rocky proposes to Adrian, who happily accepts, and soon after reveals that she is pregnant. While the Balboa’s are living the good life, Creed is an angry, distraught champion, determined to get Rocky out of retirement and back into the ring after receiving countless pieces of hate mail regarding their fight. After a vicious smear campaign by Creed, Rocky changes his mind and begins training with Mick to prepare for the rematch of the century, a decision Adrian does not approve of or support. Paulie confronts Adrian over her refusal to support Rocky, and during the exchange she faints and is rushed to the hospital, where she goes into labor prematurely. With his wife in a coma, Rocky stops training and instead spends every day and night at Adrian’s bedside. When she wakes up and the couple meet their new baby boy, Adrian tells Rocky he can do only one thing for her now: “Win.” Renewed by his wife’s support and the birth of their child, Rocky trains harder than ever and finds himself back in the ring with Apollo, who he takes the distance once again. But this time, after both fighters falling to the canvas after a vicious exchange in the 15th and final round, Rocky gets up one second before the referee reaches ten, while Apollo is counted out and loses his first match as a professional fighter. Now the reigning heavyweight champion of the world, Rocky raises his championship belt and proudly declares: “Yo Adrian, I did it!” to thunderous cheers and roaring applause.
Following one of the most popular and greatest movies of all time is no easy task, but this first of soon-to-be many sequels, much like its titular character, did not back down in the face of a challenge. Rocky II keeps to the same basic formula as its predecessor, and all the characters, Adrian specifically, are portrayed with a bit more flair and uncaged personality than in the original. But the film’s major problem, in my opinion, is that the majority of the movie is fairly dull, and littered with several disparaging scenes. One scene I found to be particularly brutal is when Rocky is cast in a cologne commercial, where it is revealed that Rocky cannot read. Upon this discovery, the producer of the would-be commercial viciously and mercilessly berates the Italian Stallion. Additionally, Adrian is a constant source of conflict in the Balboa household, stewing in her disapproval of the rematch. It is really only until after Adrian comes out of her coma and Rocky renews his training regimen that the movie starts to click, but by then there’s only one major event in the film left: the rematch itself. And whereas the first movie could have ended with either Rocky or Creed as reigning heavyweight champion of the world, the result of the fight in this installment could have been seen a thousand miles away. That all said, the film is a truly incredible, unforgettable experience for any movie-goer, and Rocky’s post-fight victory speech still gives goosebumps.
2) Rocky IV
Truthfully, no film in the storied history of cinema is more historically, contextually, and geopolitically important than the fourth installment of the Rocky franchise. Filmed in the midst of the Cold War, Rocky IV is by far the most politically charged of any film in the series, and takes several jabs, some obvious and others more nuanced, at the Soviet Union. In this installment, super-Soviet Ivan Drago comes to town and is challenged to an exhibition bout by retired former champion Apollo Creed. The exhibition takes place in Las Vegas, and Creed arrives in almost comically over-the-top patriotic style with James Brown preforming “Living in America” as his entrance tune. At the start of the fight, Creed is able to land some solid hits on Drago, who responds mercilessly and with tremendous power never before seen in the history of the ring. Someway into the second round, with Drago continuing to viciously pummel Creed, Rocky attempts to throw in the towel, but Creed sees this and tells him no from inside the ring. Moments later, Drago lands one final, absolutely devastating punch that sends Creed to the floor, killing him. In the ensuing spectator and media frenzy, Drago shows no remorse, coldly saying “if he dies, he dies.” Determined to avenge Apollo, Rocky agrees to fight Drago in an unsanctioned 15-round bout on Christmas Day in Moscow. With Apollo’s trainer Duke and best friend Paulie in tow, Rocky begins his vigorous, all-natural training in the cold Russian mountains. Drago, on the other hand, trains uses extremely high-tech equipment, performance enhancing drugs, and a team of highly qualified experts and doctors monitoring and optimizing his every move. The day of the fight, Drago is introduced with an elaborate, patriotic ceremony that puts the Moscow crowd, with the Soviet General Secretary in attendance, squarely on Drago's side and against the Italian Stallion. In contrast to his exhibition with Apollo, Drago immediately comes out punching and Rocky takes a fierce, brutal pounding. Toward the end of the second round; a right hook from Rocky inflicts a cut below Drago's left eye that silences the crowd and prompts Rocky to not let up on Drago even after the bell rings. This moment reminds Rocky and his corner that Drago is not a machine, he’s just a man, while Drago comments to his corner that Rocky is not a man, but a piece of iron. The two fighters engage in the most ridiculously over-the-top, explosive, and physically devastating boxing match in the history of the ring. By the fifteenth round, the Moscow crowd is now pro-Rocky, probably the biggest stretch of them all, with the majority turning on Drago and cheering for Rocky. Rocky finally puts Drago on the canvas with a brutal left hook, and the super-Soviet is unable to meet the referee’s countdown. With his friend avenged and Drago defeated, Rocky ends the film by wishing his son way back home a Merry Christmas and the credits roll.
In unprecedented physical condition, Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren masterfully portray two of the most symbolic characters in the entire franchise. Lundgren is especially cold, reserved, and decidedly menacing as Ivan Drago, while Stallone returns as the classic Rocky we all know and love. Most of the supporting cast is overshadowed by Lundgren's performance, but do well enough to not take anything from the film. The action in this one is most outrageous, and ridiculously unrealistic in the entire series by a fairly wide margin. Ivan Drago having enough raw punching power to kill Creed in two short rounds is a bit of a stretch as is, but what miracle manages to take Rocky, just as equally fleshy and human as Apollo, a full fifteen-round fight? But I will thank whatever allowed that to happen as with his friend’s death avenged and the super-Soviet counted out by the referee after an overwhelming combination, the Italian Stallion delivers the speech to end all speeches. In just a handful of sentences Rocky did what years of geopolitical maneuvering and tactful diplomacy could not, and through his quintessential “If I can change, then you can change…” speech, single-handedly ended, once and for all, the Cold War. Between the incredibly cheesy and memorable montages, the outrageously explosive and titanic final battle, and the indelible layers of political connotation, Rocky IV is an absolute must-watch.
1) Rocky
It seems too obvious to put the original as the all-time best, but it is simply the finest and easily the most iconic film in the entire franchise. Written entirely by Sylvester Stallone over the course of three days, Rocky took the world by storm and it never looked back. The film as we know and love it today it is noticeably different than Stallone's original vision, however. For instance, in the original draft of the film, Rocky throws the fight against Creed after realizing he doesn't want to be a part of the professional boxing world, Paulie was intended to be Adrian's mother rather than her brother, and Mick was a bitter, inflammatory racist and bigot.
The story is a simple one. Rocky Balboa is a hard-working but failing prize fighter in the great fighting city of Philadelphia. Between fights, he works as an enforcer for loan shark Anthony Gazzo and frequently hangs out with best friend Paulie Pennino. The heavyweight champion of the world Apollo Creed is holding a match in Philadelphia for the United States' upcoming bicentennial, and decides that choosing a local fighter would make for a fantastic spectacle. Upon hearing the nickname "Italian Stallion," Creed picks Rocky as his opponent. Although initially reluctant and feeling he isn't a contender worthy of facing Creed, Rocky meets with promoter Miles Jergen and agrees to fight. Disenfranchised by his former trainer Mickey Goldmill, Rocky spends his days hitting frozen beef carcasses in the freezer at Paulie's job. Eventually Mick and Rocky reconcile, and begin training together for the upcoming match. At the same time, Rocky begins a relationship with Paulie's sister Adrian, a timid, soft-spoken employee at a local pet store. Their budding relationship and Rocky's growing popularity does not sit well at Paulie. On Thanksgiving day, in one of the more infamous scenes of the movie, Paulie throws the turkey Adrian had spent all day preparing out into the alleyway, accusing her of being deflowered by Rocky, along with smashing several objects in the house with a baseball bat. The trio make amends as the fight approaches, with Rocky's mind continually filled with doubt and uncertainty. The night before the match, in what Sylvester Stallone has commonly referred to as his favorite scene in the entire franchise, Rocky confesses to Adrian that he does not expect to beat Creed, but is determined to go the distance and prove to everyone that he's not "just another bum from the neighborhood."
It's New Years Day, and Creed arrives to the match dressed as George Washington and then Uncle Sam in the most over-the-top, extravagantly patriotic and grandiose entrance ever seen in the sport of boxing, at least until his fateful fight against Drago in the fourth movie. Creed also boasts the most ridiculous fighting names of any character in the series, such as the King of Sting, the Master of Disaster, the Count of Monte Fisto, and the Dancing Destroyer, to name a few. In the first round, Rocky takes advantage of Creed's overconfidence and knocks him down for the first time in his professional career, prompting the champion to take his challenger more seriously. Through fifteen hard-fought rounds, Creed's incredible skill and poise are matched by Rocky's unwavering determination and impressive ability to absorb any and all punches the champion throws at him. As the final bell sounds, the two fighters embrace and promise to each other there will be no rematch. It should be noted that this pivotal exchange made Rocky II just a bit uncomfortable. As the spectators and surrounding media go wild, fight promoter Miles Jergen announces over the loudspeaker the match was "the greatest exhibition of guts and stamina in the history of the ring." In the ensuing frenzy, Rocky repeatedly calls out to Adrian, who eventually finds him in the ring with a little help from Paulie. As Jergen declares Creed the winner by split decision and still the reigning heavyweight champion of the world, Rocky and Adrian profess their love for each other and the credits roll.
To conclude this definitive ranking of this incredible series of films, I will simply say that this franchise, and the original in particular, has had a profound effect on me as both a lover of cinema and the sport of boxing. I find the character of Rocky Balboa to be, despite his admitted simplicity, one of the most gripping and enthralling in the history of film, with each film adding layers of complexity and growth while maintaining his sincerely warming appeal. The plot is simple enough to be understood by even the most "punchy" viewer, while being flexible enough to allow for some serious, thematic depth in storytelling. Every movie is teeming with memorable quote after memorable quote, and contain some considerably inspirational scenes and moving exchanges between some of the most beloved or despised characters in film. While some installments have aged better than others, their re-watchability and timeless appeal has not waned.
Simply put, it would be a tall order to find a more quintessential, gripping, and extraordinary franchise. Every installment is, in my opinion, an absolutely required viewing. Well, except for Rocky V. You can skip that one.
