Arguably the second best Rocky film

Rating: 8/10 (30 December 2007)

You know, when I was a kid growing up this was actually my favourite Rocky film. Now as time's gone by and I'm older and wiser, it is of course the original which stands apart from the others. The symbolism and meaning that old all the plaudits are in the first film, but this one is still my next favourite.
This film has Rocky as a successful heavyweight champ whose world comes crashing down when he finds out that his subsequent title defences weren't what he thought they were. Faced with a viscous challenger Rocky has to come to terms with facing his own fear of losing everything he's worked hard to build and remember exactly what it was that made him everyone's favourite underdog.
True it is not in the league of dramatic brilliance of the first film and it is corny as hell, but that takes nothing away from one simple truth and that is that this film is fun. From the moment of the opening montage or Rocky's successful title defences through to the end painting of Apollo and Rock in the ring it's a rip-roaring enjoyable punch fest and the truth is that there's nothing wrong with that. I, like a lot of people thought little of this film due to Rocky 4 and 5, but what I would say is treat this as it should be treated, as the third part of the first Rocky Trilogy.
Fantastic!