Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Plustown A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

Janis One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Isbel A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

jordanthomas_2009-346-914758 Rocky 4 Review 3/5Rocky 4 or (Rocky IV) see's Rocky Balboa coming out of retirement to go up against the steroid addicted Ivan Drago (and the whole of Russia) For the most part, it's poorly acted and the actors just look bored. It's clear Stallone has lost enthusiasm for the franchise writing a cliché script that just copies the best bits from the previous films whilst throwing in cheesy moments of its own. It has got to the stage now where it's in goofy guilty pleasure territory. The Rocky films were so much more than this and evidently should have ended by the third entry. The performances are wooden all round especially from Sly Stallone and Brigitte Neilson. However the last act is where the film sort of redeems itself. It's a real crowd pleaser from the training sequence to the final fight. Thankfully Rocky 5 and 6 put the franchise back on track by abandoning the silliness of this. It's not the best film in the series but it's certainly the most enjoyably stupid, cheesiest fun you'll probably have.

tommywhite-29528 Rocky 4 is one of those films that is over he top and so engrossed in the 80's that despite it not being the best it is almost a good film. This is due to the comedy element included with Pauline and the robot of course. However Stallone clearly lost it after the original film and has made this almost a parody of the original film. I believe that this film is great for a 10 year old who will believe in a boxing match ending the Cold War (like I did when I was younger) However it clearly does not have the same character depth and plot that makes it a compelling and serious story.

emilyroseirvine I'd like to consider this film the black sheep of the Rocky series. Our rags to riches streetwise boxer is now surrounded by all the luxuries life has to offer while still holding on strong to the world title, and has now turned his once greatest foe, Apollo Creed, to his greatest friend. However, Apollo is keen to restore his name when the Soviet Union enters the boxing scene, presenting the 6'5" punching machine; Ivan Drago. In the ring Drago unleashes a killer punch on Creed, demonising the remorseless Russian. Rocky is left distressed by the sudden death and vows to fight Drago in Moscow to not just avenge Creed, but also to put a stop to this soviet scheme. In traditional Rocky fashion, he wins.The politics in this film reflect the time and send a clear message: America Good, Russia Bad. There are many details that make this film unconvincing, but the main point, in simple terms, is that Rocky is fighting a man who is funded by the government to destroy Americans. His opponent has no personality. He is a robot. Rocky has also lost his likable characteristics in his wealth and vanity. Say what you will about Rocky V, but Rocky is best when he returns to his roots.This film lacks the motivational kick that the other Rocky films have. All the other Rocky films I have finished in one sitting, but this one had to be stretched out over the course of three days. Sometimes I asked myself if I really needed to watch it until the end because I knew he was going to win anyway, but as a Rocky fanatic I felt the need to consume all the media I could find in the fear that I'd miss a slight detail affecting the rest of the series. The only thing you need to know is that Apollo is now dead. If you don't particularly care for the Rocky series, give this a skip. If you're a Rocky fan you have a 50/50 chance of liking this film. The film deserved an extra star because it still has the mildly well-choreographed fight scenes and entertaining training montage, but nothing that stands out compared to the others. Sly, we know commies are bad. We didn't need a Rocky film about it.

zkonedog In the pantheon of Rocky films, this fourth installment has received both high praise and much malignment. It seems as if you either love it or hate it, with no middle ground. To me, this film not only succeeds, but succeeds on two different levels: Cold War analogy, and present-day boxing environment.For a basic plot summary, "Rocky IV" sees former champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) trying to make a comeback against the freakishly large Russian newcomer Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren). When Creed fails in the attempt to win the East-West battle, the task falls to Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone).The first level this film succeeds on is the Cold War analogy. This theme obviously played much better in 1985, but it still resonates to this day. It works because, on only one occasion (in Rocky's final speech), does it descend into sappiness. Otherwise, it tries not to make too much of a political statement.However, if you don't buy into the Cold War angle, this movie still holds up well as a mirror of the current boxing culture. With the Klitschko brothers ruling the heavyweight division with their powerful blows that mask their glass chins (just like Drago), they have booted any American challengers from the top spots. This is probably just a lucky coincidence on director Stallone's part, but perhaps he can be given some credit for a bit of foresight.Overall, this is a film that CAN be enjoyed, despite the objections of many. It takes a bit more suspension of reality than its predecessors to enjoy, but if you can buy in to the drama and spectacle, you will be cheering when the credits roll.