Thoughts on Rocky IV

 

via IMDB

"The National Board of Education's 'Write the Script to Rocky IV Before You See the Movie" contest had to be cancelled this week when 1,752 entries tied for first place, correctly duplicating the written screenplay right down to the last comma." -- Dennis Miller, SNL, 1985

In this corner, weighing in at three-quarters of a pound and representing my enthusiasm for Rocky IV, is my heart. And in this corner, weighing in at three pounds and representing my misgivings for Rocky IV, is my brain. Like I did with Rocky III, I'm relying on the cheap gimmick of structuring my review as a boxing match.

Round 1

Written and directed by star Sylvester Stallone, Rocky IV is the shortest film in the currently eight-film series, a mere 91 minutes. I've got no proof, but part of me wonders if it was deliberately kept short to allow for more screenings per day at movie theaters. I see that a director's cut in in the works, with the loss of SICO the robot and both more fight footage and dialogue for Drago (Dolph Lundgren). I'm most concerned about that last part. I'm hoping that Drago/Lundgren's imposing quality isn't lost with the re-edit. Dolph did so much with so little, in particular his reactions during the "Living In America" sequence.

Round 2

Rocky IV, like Rambo: First Blood Part II, has clear act-ending moments. Approximately one-third into Rocky, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) dies after receiving too much punishment in the ring from Drago. At the two-thirds mark, it's confirmed that Drago is receiving steroids while Rocky has succeeded at getting back into shape. As usual, Rocky is also way ahead when it comes to relationships. Adrian (Talia Shire) has gotten over her misgivings about his facing Drago, Paulie (Burt Young) admits how much he cares ... even Duke (Tony Burton) has transferred his paternal-like feelings for Apollo over to Rocky. 

Round 3

Everyone's affection for the Italian Stallion contrasts with people's attitudes toward The Soviet Express. I'll admit that Rocky IV is the farthest I've gotten in the series. I do know that Drago and his then-wife, Ludmilla (Brigitte Nielsen), returned for Creed II. I also know that Nielsen and Stallone were a couple during Rocky IV. What I find interesting and telling is that the movie appears to have no time for romance. Apollo leaves a widow (Sylvia Meals), Rocky and Adrian celebrate an early anniversary and eventually reaffirm their togetherness and the Dragos might as well be brother and sister. Honestly, Paulie and SICO were the only pair with something approaching passion. 

"You call him a killer. He's a professional fighter, not a killer. We are getting death threats. We are not involved in politics. All I want is for my husband to be safe, and to be treated fairly. You have this belief that you are better than us. You have this belief that this country is so very good and we are so very bad. You have this belief that you are so fair and we are so very cruel."

"It's all lies and false propaganda to support this antagonistic and violent government."

"Whoa. Violent? Hey, we don't keep our people behind a wall with machine guns."

"Who are you?"

"Who am I? I'm the unsilent majority, bigmouth."

Round 4

It seems obvious that there's only room for one political statement in Rocky IV, the one about America. It's being made by and about Rocky. I mention this because I was struck by how Rocky IV ignores race. From a 2020 perspective, it's unbelievable that the Apollo vs. Drago match is only presented as an older man vs. a younger man. That's an idea with resonance, but it feels as old school as those Richard Nixon buzzwords Paulie uses. Then again, Trump used them too this year, so ... For what it's worth, I have to give Stallone credit for his performance in the scene when Rocky takes in the Moscow boxing arena. It matches well with Lundgren's performance during "Living In America." 

Round 5

Rocky IV deserves special recognition as being the thinnest entry in the series. On the one hand, you have Lundgren's performance. Seriously, he's better than you remember. On the other hand, it feels like they were straining to fill the length of a movie. There's the recap of Rocky III, James Brown himself showing up to sing "Living In America" (I know I'm talking a lot about that one sequence, but for better or for worse, it kinda embodies the spirit of the movie), the flashback montage (including stuff that happened just a few minutes before!) and the training montage. A commenter at The Dissolve estimated that if all the excess was cut, you'd have a 22-minute movie. I wonder what the length of Stallone's cut will be?

Round 6

We come full circle to Stallone himself. I can't really appraise his acting, writing and directing separately. They all support each other. As to be expected, the best directed sequences are the boxing matches, but I also didn't mind the "Heart's On Fire" montage. It served its purpose well in bringing down the curtain on Act Two. Acting-wise, Stallone was better in Rocky IV than First Blood Part II. I'm no scholar on his work, but I guess it makes the difference when he plays a winner rather than troubled. The writing's as mannered as it's always going to be. You either go with it or don't. I just wish Stallone had resisted once again ending a movie with a painfully on the nose speech.

"During this fight, I've seen a lot of changing, in the way you feel about me, and in the way I feel about you. In here, there were two guys killing each other, but I guess that's better than 20 million. ... I guess what I'm trying to say, is that if I can change, and you can change, everybody can change!"

*Everybody, including someone who may or may not be Mikhail Gorbachev, cheers*

Recommended with reservations.

Thoughts:
-- "I'm with you no matter what." "No matter what?" "No matter what."
-- Box Office: Grossing nearly $127.9 million domestically on a $28 million budget, this opened at No. 1, held the title for six weekends and came in at No. 3 for 1985. Factoring in international markets, it grossed $300.4 million, tying with Rambo: First Blood Part II, but well behind Back to the Future.

-- Critic's Corner: "Almost all of the human emotions have been drained out of the series, and what's left is technology," Roger Ebert wrote. He also hated the "Living In America" sequence. "It represents almost everything that the original 1976 Rocky Balboa would have found repellent." "A mercenary ripoff, assembling the bare minimum of elements thought to be necessary for a Rocky sequel, then adding a robot and old footage to run out the clock," Jesse Hassenger wrote in 2015 at The A.V. Club. "If you've seen Rocky III and a couple of Ronald Reagan speeches, you've already seen Rocky IV," Matt Singer wrote in 2013 at The Dissolve.

-- Awards Watch: The Sixth Golden Raspberry Awards were something of a referendum on Stallone. Rocky IV received nine nominations, followed by Rambo's seven. Stallone won Worst Actor for both movies. Rambo beat out Rocky for Worst Picture and Worst Screenplay (Stallone's only win to date in the latter category). Rocky, however, scored wins for Worst Supporting Actress (Nielsen over, among others, Shire and Julie Nickson-Soul for Rambo), Worst Director (Stallone over George Cosmatos for Rambo; again, Stallone's only win to date in the category), Worst New Star (Nielsen for both Rocky and Red Sonja over Nickson-Soul) and Worst Musical Score (Vince DiCola). Young lost Worst Supporting Actor to Rob Lowe for St. Elmo's Fire, while Nielsen was a Worst Actress nominee for Sonja. While the Razzies have recognized Stallone movies before and after 1985 (he holds the record for most Worst Actor nominations, 15, including nine from 1984-1992; he also has nine Worst Screenplay nominations, two Worst Director nominations, three Worst Screen Combo nominations), he's never again dominated the event. In fact, Creed earned Stallone the Razzie Redeemer Award for 2015. And then Rambo: Last Blood scored eight nominations and two wins for 2019, so go figure.

-- Memorable Music: The score is 55-44, with points for "Living In America" (which, as I noted in the last entry, is a friggin' Grammy winner), "No Easy Way Out," "Burning Heart" and "Heart's On Fire." What can I say? I like cheese.

-- Today in Parody: "It may be some comfort to realize that while life is full of surprises, Rocky films are not!" MAD observed in the lead-in to Rockhead IV. One character doubts that the movie will be as popular as the others because "In this one he beats up a white guy!" Speaking of race, Rockhead learns he's taking on "A man who things America is a country of hypocrites, that our Constitution is a sham, and that our values are worthless!" "Gee, you mean I'm fighting Louis Farrakhan?" The choicest bit of social commentary comes after the declaration that only in America is there freedom and equal opportunity. "I don't think those Russians will believe that stuff!" "I'm afraid a lot of Americans won't, either!" Meanwhile, Bawly's paying attention to the rising number of deceased characters, wondering who'll get it in the next movie. Finally, Rockhead is honored by being part of a new Mount Rushmore including Rambo, Clint Eastwood and Charles Bronson.

-- "I'm gonna have her wires tied when I get back."

-- Next: One Magic Christmas and Santa Claus: The Movie. On deck: Spies Like Us and Young Sherlock Holmes. Coming soon: Clue.