Rocky III Reviews

This was my FAVORITE of the Rocky Sequels! There would have NOT Been a Wrestlemania or WWF without this Movie happening FIRST! It was interesting to watch how a person CAN Be On Top of the World and in an instant...DROP to the bottom! Who didn't know Rocky would NOT win the re-match, but that doesn't hurt the movie at all!

It has been a while since I watched this flick and I thought it was time for a re-watch, this time, with Nick my step-son. Honestly, it is not really a good movie and again a step down compared to its predecessor and even more from the classic first installment. The big difference, in my opinion, was in the tone. Indeed, the first movies were actually dramas with a very few fighting scenes. Here, the focus was much more on the action scenes. As a result, for the kids, it is actually a more enjoyable installment. Indeed, the running time was shorter, there was the usual training montage and with 3 fighting scenes, there was barely anytime for any drama or character development (I'm pretty sure it is so far my step-son favorite installment). For example, even though Mr. T looked physically competent, his character was barely developed and was more a cartoon figure. Since I'm not a kid anymore, I can't say I really enjoyed this flick though. I mean, from the inspiring and uplifting drama provided by the classic first installment, this franchise became more and more oriented towards standard and pedestrian action. To conclude, it is far from being an awful movie but it was still pretty average and even though it was a success when it was released, I don't think it is really worth a look, except if you really love this franchise.

In many ways, I really wasn't sure what to expect out of this third Rocky film seeing as the first one is an absolute masterpiece and the sequel is almost as outstanding as its predecessor. However, even though I do think that the series should have ended at the end of the second film, I did really like this one. I mean, at the start of the film, this could have perhaps just ended as a trilogy but unfortunately as the ending of it progressed, it ended like there was going to be another sequel to this one. I think the main flaw that Rocky III has is that the dialogue could have actually made two films so it sort of felt crammed and rushed and the dialogue of Rocky IV could have been half of the dialogue in this one instead.


Boxer Rocky Balboa enjoys the wealth he has as world-champion. He only fights against opponents "hand-picked" by his manager Mickey Goldmill. Then he is challenged by the arrogant Clubber Lang. Rocky accepts the challenge to prove once more that there is only one world-champion. But Lang wins and becomes the new champion. Nobody believes in Rocky anymore, except for one man: former world-champion Apollo Creed. As Creed tries to stimulate his fighting spirit and get Rocky back in top-form, it is now up to Rocky to get his edge back. Will he win?


For the third time, Sylvester Stallone plays the infamous boxing champion Rocky Balboa but this time, he has an enemy who is rougher and tougher than he is. As far as the performance from Sylvester Stallone is concerned, he didn't really impress me as much as the first two films as Rocky this time although he was still decent. In terms of how the character was in the film in the ring, Rocky took some wise strategies in this one and shows that it isn't all about the fast punches like you want to get a quick knockout. Talia Shire didn't greatly impress me either as Adrian Balboa although throughout most of the scenes she was in, she was either comforting Rocky or tending to their son. Burt Young was great again as Paulie and I liked Carl Weathers too as Apollo Creed who becomes a companion and friend to Rocky despite they have fought against each other twice but think it is mostly because they both hate arrogant boxer Clubber Lang. Lawrence Tureaud aka Mr. T as Clubber Lang was absolutely badass! I loved his character and he is a strong character like Rocky is. I really liked the appearance of former WWE/WWF wrestling legend Terry Gene Bollea aka Hulk Hogan as Thunderlips. Up until I watched Rocky III and watched the WWF/WWE as a kid, I forgot how huge Hulk Hogan really is especially next to Sylvester Stallone and he is quite a big guy himself.


Sylvester Stallone, you really can direct a boxing film well when it is in the ring but outside the ring, I have to admit that you really need to work harder on that. It is still quite impressive how a guy can be both director and leading actor at the same time. Oh and screenwriter so I guess I cannot be too harsh on him. The screenplay was pretty cool, to be fair, but there wasn't really anything new in changes of the series such as plot twists or gob-smackers so to speak. It was decent enough, though, overall.


Overall, Rocky III is another great film where the great Rocky films end from here until Rocky Balboa aka Rocky VI 24 years later. I didn't quite love this one as much as the first two films but I was pleasantly surprised with how good this one really turned out to be. Although a lot of people perhaps won't agree with me saying but I think it is another really good film in the franchise that does have its flaws but deserves its rightful place as a film that needn't be missed.

"I don't hate Balboa. I pity the fool, and I will destroy any man who tries to take what I got!"

Against all odds, 1976’s Rocky garnered three Oscars and earned in excess of $100 million at the domestic box office from a $1 million budget. Three years later, Rocky II grossed over $200 million worldwide from a similarly small budget. Considering the immense success of these movies, a third Rocky flick was inevitable. Unfortunately, though, Rocky III - similar to the titular protagonist - was the point where the franchise became more civilised, trim and glamorous. With a shorter runtime, the character-based drama of prior Rocky movies was diminished here in favour of action and cartoonish fight scenes (just listen to the embellished sound effects). To be sure, Rocky III is enjoyable if merely perceived as a cheesy '80s action movie, but it's not exactly a worthy follow-up to the Oscar-winning 1976 original.

Like Rocky II, this third Rocky picture kicks off with a brief recap of the climax of its immediate predecessor; reminding us that Rocky Balboa (Stallone) has defeated Apollo Creed (Weathers) and earned the title of Heavyweight Champion of the World. Following this recap, a brisk montage illustrates the next few years of Rocky's boxing career as he defends his title and basks in the trappings of fame, wealth and success. At the top of his profession, Rocky decides to retire from the ring. However, an aggressive, arrogant up-and-coming boxer named Clubber Lang (Mr. T) possesses a genuine hunger for the title, and begins bullying Balboa into agreeing to fight him. Pride and complacency leads to a boxing match between Lang and Rocky, but Rocky ends up losing the match to his merciless competitor. With the title lost and his trainer Mickey (Meredith) dead, Rocky is depressed, humiliated and has lost his passion for boxing. However, Apollo Creed soon steps into the picture and offers to train Rocky for a rematch against Lang.

During the three-year gap between Rocky II and Rocky III, Sylvester Stallone slimmed down his body and built up a lot of muscle to turn himself into a lean, mean fighting machine. It would seem that the star applied a similar philosophy to this movie, which he again scripted. Rocky III is a lean movie - it's twenty minutes shorter than its two predecessors, and the focus is more on boxing action and confrontations. Elements such as character progression, dramatic growth and insightful dialogue were kept to a minimum here. Furthermore, by this point in the series Stallone was happy to follow the same old boring formula, and in the process neglected the heart and soul that allowed the first two movies to belie their formulaic nature. For lack of better word, Rocky III is a commercial vehicle which situates the trademark Rocky characters within a simplistic revenge tale. It almost goes without saying that character behaviour in the film is predictable to the point of being groan-worthy, and the outcome of the climactic boxing match can be figured out long before it occurs.

On the upside, Rocky III benefits immensely by the presence of Mr. T and Hulk Hogan. The boxing/wrestling crossover which constitutes Hogan's cameo is absurd, but it's fun and enjoyable nevertheless. Meanwhile, the Mr. T vs. Rocky battles are entertaining, well-crafted and fist-pumping. Not to mention, Mr. T is the true highlight of this feature. With his mohawk and feather earrings, Mr. T is a brutal beast to behold, and, though his performance is single-note, his presence affords the film a touch of personality. After all, Mr. T's role is more convincing as a boxer than Carl Weathers' Apollo Creed who was more of a showman. And it was here where Mr. T first uttered the immortal line "I pity the fool". Added to this, Rocky III was produced before Mr. T shot to fame as the popular B.A. Baracus in The A-Team, and thus it's interesting to watch this film in an historical sense. Another of the movie's greatest assets is the famous Survivor song Eye of the Tiger, which subsequently became a radio staple and was catapulted to the top of the charts. The song remains a widespread favourite to this day.

While Mr. T is a fun villain, the depiction of Rocky Balboa is unfortunately lacking in this particular instalment. As presented here, Rocky has lost a degree of his lovable edge. Not to mention, Stallone's performance is lazy and, at times, utterly naff. For an example of this, witness Stallone moping over Mickey's corpse - it's almost painful to see acting that woeful. Despite this - and despite the film's cheesiness, simplicity and lack of human drama, as well as its adherence to a painfully familiar formula - Rocky III still delivers a number of the pleasures associated with the series. It's slick, polished, fun to watch, overflowing with testosterone, and it will motivate you to go out and exercise.

6.2/10