MovieChat Forums > Rocky V (1990) Discussion > Why is ROCKY V More Hated Than ROCKY IV?

Why is ROCKY V More Hated Than ROCKY IV?

posted 12 years ago by TMC-4
33 replies | jump to latest

The fourth movie is incidentally, the most successful box office wise of the six movies. I mean lets put it this way:
*Out of the six movies Rocky IV feels the most dated because of the Cold War/Soviet Union angle.

*Rocky Balboa perhaps, came across more like a superhero type character having to conquer the big bad comic book like monster (a la Darkseid or Thanos) in Ivan Drago than a regular guy (you can argue that that same happened w/ John McClane in the fourth Die Hard movie). In a way, the Rocky series were already going down the one-dimensional, over-the-top "monster of the week" path w/ Clubber Lang in the third movie. Hell, Rocky IV its really just a glorified MTV music video/propaganda piece when you get right down to it.

*Rocky wouldn't have gotten brain damage in the first place had a rusty, past-his-prime Apollo Creed not been so jingoistic, cocky and stubborn (even Rocky told him that he didn't think that it was that good of an idea to be fighting Drago) to challenge Drago to a fight (thus get literally beaten to death and cause Rocky to challenge Drago himself as means of avenging Apollo's death).

[–] jefgg 11 years ago

I usually prefer the odd numbered Rocky movies over the evens. V is the exception.

[–] jorgito2001 11 years ago

I'm rewatching the entire Saga on Blu Ray and doing part V now (just finished IV a bit ago), I admit, V has its heart in the right place...its not bad at all. IV, though dated came out at the right time, but as someone already said, after II it became kinda "comic book franchise-ish"...Clubber Lang & then Drago for 4 & 5 respectively)...I expected Rocky fight a ROBOT for the nextone!

V was indeed refreshing. And next to II's "Adrian, we did it!" moment, V's Mick flashback scene nearly had me in tears.

Just sayin'...

--
I'm your average ordinary everyday, jorgeegeetooo!

[–] jsl_99 10 years ago

While Rocky V has its problems I do like it more than Rocky IV. Rocky IV was definitely a film of it's time and Stallone really threw out any plausible drama with that film. Rocky IV is the only one in the series that I look at as more of an action film than boxing drama.

[–] JackKillianKJCM 10 years ago

I love Rocky IV, but it doesn't feel like a Rocky movie.

[–] jefgg 9 years ago

"Rocky IV" should have been called "Rocky Montages".

[–] ThresholdDweller 9 years ago

Perfect!

[–] tyrexden 9 years ago

All the Rocky movie follow a formula, and even the formula got refined with subsequent films. I'd say Rocky IV was the pinnacle of that particular formula.

Introducing a diabolically indestructable opponent
Tying things into the opponent that make it even more important (Cold War, death of Apollo)
Making Rocky the underdog, and dealing with personal demons (Apollo death, age, Russian venue)
Training sequences (there were two)
Epic fight to conclude the film, where everything is left in the ring.

Maybe today, it might seem a little cartoony, but Rocky IV was exactly the type of movie that era of American culture and that point in the franchise required. It was 100% fulfilling. I saw it twice in the theater.

Then, by the same token, Rocky 5 got panned because it broke the formula. Rocky is no longer the one training. There is no epic ring fight to conclude the film. Rocky's financial success being built in the other films is all gone. But, taken apart from the context of the other films, i think it stands on its own pretty well.

[–] ryan-r 9 years ago

Because Rocky 4 was exciting as hell. Rocky 5 was painfully dull

[–] Strazdamonas 9 years ago

I did not like either 4 of 5 much, but for different reasons. The 4 was a clear cold war propaganda fuel, which i rarepy like, but that also explains its success in box Office (good propaganda is successful first of all). The 5 was a step in the right direction, but the entire kid sub-plot dragged the movie down.

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Applied Science? All science is applied. Eventually.

[–] jane_bront 9 years ago

Rocky V was more of a drama than IV which was as you said "cold war propaganda fuel" and very dated. I liked the fact that Rocky's big fight in V was right in the street. I didn't mind Robert's sub-plot.

[–] TMC-4 9 years ago

http://officialfan.proboards.com/thread/532483/sequels-spinoffs-kind-taint-original?page=5

Post by blackoutcreature on 54 minutes ago
The problem with Rocky IV is that it dropped all the pretense of the Rocky movies being serious and realistic dramas about character growth and what-have-you and gave us a standard 80's action/sports flick. It was entertaining in its own right, but compared to the first three movies you just can't help but watch it and go "WTF?".

[–] jsl_99 9 years ago

Rocky V has its problems but for the most part I think it's a better film than Rocky IV. Rocky V's two biggest flaws were always the way Rocky goes broke and Rocky's son aging rapidly. He seemed to be maybe 8 or 9 at best in Rocky IV and when they return from Russia he's like 13. Rocky was such a big celebrity that there were ways that he could've made big money without going back in the ring. But I realize Stallone just wanted to get him back in the old neighborhood. And as far as Rocky's son goes Stallone just wanted to act with his real life son and probably never even thought about the age difference.

I still say if Rocky V had concluded with Rocky getting back in the ring and whupping Tommy it would've been better received. Fans didn't like it because Rocky beat Tommy in the streetfight but didn't really gain much. But I guess the message Stallone was trying to get across was that family means more than the glory and money to Rocky.