I Pity The Fool Who Green-Lighted It!

Rating: Null/10 (24 September 2015)

The third instalment in the Rocky series, the story of Rocky III is set 4 years after the events of the previous chapter and follows Rocky Balboa who, after many successful title defences & his ever increasing fame, is strongly considering retirement but falls into depression after losing the title to a rookie boxer and turns to a former enemy to get himself back in the ring.
Written & directed by Sylvester Stallone, Rocky III is a mediocre sequel that takes the series into a different direction and features a more campy tone that soon becomes very annoying. The screenplay isn't good at all for the plot wastes time on sequences that don't even play any relevant role in the final outcome, not much is added to reprising characters while the new ones are instantly forgettable.
There isn't much to talk about its technical aspects for none of the elements have anything new to offer and while its reduced runtime is a welcome change, the final fight this film was building itself to ends up sooner than expected and on that scale, it's disappointing. As far as performances go, everyone fails to make their mark while Mr. T leaves no stone unturned to make his character one of the lamest ever to step into the ring.
On an overall scale, Rocky III might be fun for those who had a good time with Rocky II but it marks a departure from what the first film was all about. There are a couple of interesting moments in the picture but most of it is forgettable. Stallone's input both in front & behind the camera continues its downfall, the dialogues are pretty much garbage, the finale fails to live up to its hype, and although Bill Conti's score feels repetitive, it's the only element that fares as per expectations. I pity the fool who green-lighted it.