Rocky IV - 1985
Quick Summary
Rocky Balboa is the heavyweight boxing champion of the world, but he faces a new challenger: Drago, a fighter with the backing of the Soviet Union. Rocky prepares for an intense fight, in which he must not only defend himself, but also his country's honor!
My Thoughts
"Rocky IV", the fourth instalment in the cult saga, is admittedly less exciting than the others, but entertaining all the same.
We're stuck with the classic Rocky schema, i.e. training followed by the final fight - nothing really new here. A Manichean battle has also been added, the conflict between the Americans and the Russians, although the film was shot at the height of the Cold War.
Even so, the change of scenery to Russia is a nice change of scenery. The music is nice and fits the mood of the film, even if it's not as powerful as in previous episodes.
Sylvester Stallone excels in the role of Rocky Balboa, as always, just as Dolph Lungren excels as Ivan Drago, the charismatic Russian killing machine. The role suits him perfectly.
The final fight between Rocky and Drago is excellent and spectacular. The training is also nice. Apart from that, the rest is a bit long.
To Watch or Not to Watch
This opus is worth watching, especially for its final fight, and much less for the rest, which is very classic.