Rocky V (1990)

Don't Believe the Hype

Beautiful, moving film.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

.Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

There were a lot of things about this Rocky that just didn't work. For one thing Rocky really sounds like he's got brain damage in this one, however in fairness he did just takes some extremely hard shots from Ivan Drago....Although I'm glad that Rocky's character didn't die at the end as was the original intention, it's the very reason that the final street brawl didn't work. It does show a lot of heart and sensitivity from Stallone however. It's not so much a movie about boxing as it is a story about a father and a son facing the crises of life together and thereby becoming closer. I found the George "Washington" Duke character very annoying and Tommy Morrison not the greatest actor. It is still the weakest in the series

In 1972, Stallone couldn't even be an extra in "The Godfather". In 1976, he wrote and starred in the year's Best Picture, classic underdog story and franchise starter "Rocky". And Roger Ebert saw in him a new Brando.The 80's didn't exactly prove Ebert right but they consolidated his star-status. 1982 was his peak with the success of "Rocky III" and the release of "First Blood" that introduced another landmark of American cinema: John Rambo. The rest of the decade had its share of ups-and-downs making Sly actor and/or director a punching ball for the Razzies. His "Rocky IV", while the most successful sport-movie of all time wasn't exactly a critical success, even among the fans.So 1990 wasn't exactly Sly's finest hour with his starlight fading in favor of rivals like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis. That convinced him to approach Rocky with the same angle. There's always a parallel between Rocky and Stallone's story and the idea of taking Rocky back to his roots, to simpler values like family and friends was actually good. The 80's were over, the iron curtain was open, and Gordon Gekko in jail. But from Stallone's own admittance, he made the film out of greed and rated it a zero. So maybe what lacked in "Rocky V" was a sincere approach to a material that looked good on the paper.Taking Rocky back to the blue-collar streets of Philadelphia was only viable if there was a good story-line to justify it. Unfortunately, "Rocky V" while not a mediocre film never really fulfills its potential, despite many touching moments, it often gets lost in the realms of cheap predictable made-for-TV stuff. Stallone is wrong when he gives the film a 'zero', he's a good actor, passable director, great writer when he puts his heart in but not much of a critic. Some scenes in "V" belong to the best of the franchise and make it even better than "Rocky IV", which was build on a predictable 'death-followed-by-revenge' plot, the story-line of every 80's sports movie.But I love the way "Rocky V" puts you in the Drago match' immediate aftermath, with Rocky shaking and trembling like a frail puppy, asking Adrian to take him home, you could tell he was tired of this 'nonsense'. But then the press conference back in America features so many cringe-worthy moments every hope in cinematic excellence had definitely vanished. I couldn't believe journalists would ask Rocky for a come-back the minute he set his feet on the American ground, I wanted him to pull a Tony Montana and shout "What was the Drago hit- a game of dominoes or something?". So many things belonged to the 'Idiot Script' formula, when you wait for one line to be said, but it doesn't come because you've got to wait for the most dramatic instant.Rocky could tell the journalists that he was suffering from brain damage and the case was rested. The film even involves a subplot with the growing father-and-son relationship between Rocky as a mentor and Tommy "Machine" Gun, making his son Rocky Jr. jealous, but instead of talking to his father, Jr. becomes more and more rebellious until we get to the obligatory confrontation where they come to terms. And the moment where Rocky makes up with his son is conveniently the same where Tommy turns into a one-dimensional ungrateful villain, it's not exactly the kind of smooth transition we're getting used to. It took Rocky, Adrian and Paulie three, four movies to evolve, Rocky Jr. and Tommy one hour.This is the same kind of flaw that undermined "Rocky IV", when characters start to behave according to a script rather than a realistic arc, just like Apollo when he was teasing and mocking a Russian giant who was obviously in better shape, as if his defeats with Rocky didn't humble him a bit. It's a shame that Stallone didn't rewrite the script, because Rocky Jr. and Tommy were interesting characters, and well played by the two deceased actors Sage Stallone and Tommy Morrison but it seems like the purpose of their presence was to highlight some need from Rocky to pass the torch, to be the Mickey of someone. Fair enough, but I hated the way relationships always worked on the kind of binary "On/Off" level that damaged the film's credibility.But the biggest flaw of all was that poor man's Don King played by Richard Grant, he chewed the script every time he was in, and was like the most irritating presence, where was this guy in the previous Rocky? Who the hell was this Union Cane? They even went as far as calling him George Washington Duke while there's another Duke in the film, to add to the confusion. The film is set in 1985 but it is obvious we're in 1990, if new boxing figures were to come, if Rocky had to lose money and get poor again, and last but not least, if Robert 'Rocky' Jr. was supposed to be 14, then just set the film five years after the fourth, and at least, you'll gain a few points in credibility and not have one of the most inexplicable goofs ever.The film, directed by the late John G. Avidsen featured some really powerful scenes, including a flashback with Mickey, allowing us to see Burgess Meredith one last time, a great confrontation between Rocky and Adrian, and an interesting ending showing how Tommy was more of a mislead guy than a villain but "Rocky V" tangles way too much between mediocrity and excellence. Well, let's call it uneven despite good intentions.Or maybe we should be thankful it flopped, since it allowed Rocky to make his great "Rocky Balboa" which revitalized the franchise and allowed "Creed" and a second Oscar nomination to happen. In 1990, the franchise was over… but you know what Rocky says about things being over, right?

He finally gave up on 4 times repeated pattern and made completely different story. This is not story of a boxer who has to fight bigger and bigger opponent in every sequel any more, this is emotional drama of a man who started from nothing, reached the stars and hit the bottom once again. Movie about being able to distinguish true values in life from current goals that blur the mind. Movie is not excellent in any aspect, but the story is the most interesting so far. Rocky's son is portrayed by Stalone's son which gives this father-son relationship more credibility. Music is not bad, but it can not be compared with prequels, except for fantastic "The Measure of a Man" by Alan Menken, performed by Elthon John. Definitely worth watching.7,5/10

I think that this 5th movie in the franchise is less appreciated than the others because it marks the beginning of a new era : Bye- bye the electric 80s and welcome to the gritty 90s : now rock hits or glorious soundtrack become rap music ; Downtown Philadelphia looks like Haiti ! Money perverts sports and violence becomes the way to deal personal problems. In that light, there's no reason that Rocky would be different. It's true that when i saw it on screen back in 1990, i was not very convinced. Today, i don't really mind because the soap stories are rather interesting and offer us to enjoy for the last time Talia and for sure Stallone's kid. According to his late fate, his difficult but close relationship with his father is rather moving. If the movie has less punch than before, it's also because Rocky loses a lot : the mansion, his son, his pupil, his health… But the scene in which he fights in front of his TV is rather inspired. Honestly, the alternative ending fight doesn't bring much and don't change the conclusion. If i reviewed Rocky 6, i still haven't watched Rocky 7 and i'm not really motivated as for me Adrian was half of the soul of the saga so without her, things are not what they used to be ! NB : To add something funny, we can also notice that the Russian airspace has an gate for an alternative earth as coming back from there, Rocky finds a older son and a totally new mansion !