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Rocky week on AMC

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by printdust, Feb 9, 2011.

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Which Rocky stands out atop your list?

  1. Rocky I

    14 vote(s)
    50.0%
  2. Rocky II

    3 vote(s)
    10.7%
  3. Rocky III

    5 vote(s)
    17.9%
  4. Rocky IV

    5 vote(s)
    17.9%
  5. Rocky V

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  6. Rocky VI

    1 vote(s)
    3.6%
  1. printdust

    printdust New Member

    The production is somewhat arcane with the times but there was a reason Rocky I won an Academy Award. I'd say that was the best, but my favorite had to be III. Lang was the punk most of us have faced at one time or another. IV? It was all good ol' fashioned us vs. them and Apollo was always my favorite character, so him getting killed was a bummer. But after a while, it becomes a little cheesy. Drago in real life would have killed Rocky, and in some respects, did anyway. Rocky V: Brain damaged explains why.

    What say you?
     
  2. BYH

    BYH Active Member

    "After a while, it becomes a little cheesy" is being very generous. The series became a parody/caricature at III. In Stallone's defense, he's never cared about anything other than a buck, so taking an Academy Award-winning film and turning it into a factory of cheese is to be expected and almost admirable.

    I really liked VI. It was as self-referential as anything this side of a Wes Craven flick, but it kind of reconnected with the spirit of the original and was an endearing and quietly affecting film. Heaven help us, hopefully he won't bring Rocky back to team up with Rambo to beat the Tailban.
     
  3. imjustagirl

    imjustagirl Active Member

    Poor AMC. Sorry to hear it had a rough time.
     
  4. Petrie

    Petrie Guest

    I totally started watching these a few days ago (bought all 6 on Blu-Ray for like $40). I've gotten through III, and I think all are great sports films. I know IV is cheesy (V too)...maybe that's why I've put off watching them for a couple days.
     
  5. Sam Mills 51

    Sam Mills 51 Well-Known Member

    Now this thread is Gonna Fly Now.
     
  6. printdust

    printdust New Member

    The one thing that almost lost it for me with Rocky III is the bumbling when Mickey had his chest pains. "Mr. Balboa we must hurry. Time is of the essence." Huh? Did they have to get Rocky's OK to call an EMS which you'd think, being a boxing match, would have one in the arena anyway? Shit.
     
  7. Herbert Anchovy

    Herbert Anchovy Active Member

    Rocky IV is a bouillon cube of the '80s. Loosely connected music videos correct for the period and with a Cold War pretext that was far from subtle -- even at the time.

    We've been watching them every night. Even the cat seems to like them.
     
  8. Double J

    Double J Active Member

    I agree with this post in its entirety.
     
  9. Colton

    Colton Active Member

    The bout in Rocky II was epic. I remember watching it in a packed theater with almost 1,000 others.

    In the 15th round, when Apollo and Rocky were trading haymakers, everyone in the theater was standing and cheering, as if we were actually at the fight. Almost felt like a Rocky Horror participation deal.

    Never seen anything like it since.
     
  10. Shoeless Joe

    Shoeless Joe Active Member

    "I" was the best film. "IV" was the best movie. "III" was good, and then there were the rest.

    I'll watch IV every day. It's my favorite: Us beating the Soviets, Brigitte Neilsen, James Brown.

    I do hate to find out that 25 years later Rocky and Drago wind up working together on a mercenary team. Of course, they do have a falling out where Rocky has to shoot him before they make up once again.
     
  11. I watched 2 and 3 last night, and for the life of my, I have no idea why people like 3 over, say, 2. Rocky 1, while slow at times because it had to introduce all of the characters carefully, was just wonderful, but I always thought you could make a case for 2 being the best because they could just move along with the storyline. Kind of going back to what Colton said . . . I always thought that fight scene in 2 was the best ever made, btu that's just my opinion. There was a moment toward the end of the fight, when Rocky took a couple of Creed bombs, then wound up for a shot of his own, they let the crowd burst more get more audible, and it kind of makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck. The phasing in of Pauly, the loneshark and even Adrianne after both fighters fall was pretty powerful. The speech at the end fell flat for me, but you can't have it all.

    I just thought three was where the comic book started
     
  12. mustangj17

    mustangj17 Active Member

    I really thought the last one was good but only because I expected it to be the worst movie ever from the start. When it just turned out to be mediocre, I was impressed.
     
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