Wins by decision

Rating: 6/10 (24 August 2016)

Plot; After the death of his manager and the loss of his title, boxer Rocky Balboa finds an unlikely ally in his quest to regain the belt in former foe Apollo Creed.
Over the years, it's been easy to laugh off the ever growing and increasingly implausible Rocky series. But then Stallone makes Rocky Balboa, not exactly a classic, but a return to basics filled with genuine pathos that brings the character and his saga satisfyingly full circle. This is followed a full decade later by Creed, an almost beat for beat remake of the original Rocky that sees Stallone play the mentor and give what may be the finest performance of his career. It's a fascinating franchise that acts both as a mirror of the times in which they were made and of the soul of its star. Stallone is, for all intents and purposes, Rocky Balboa. The original film essentially ports Stallone's own Hollywood struggles into the ring. The sequel shows how Rocky, and by extension Stallone, dealt with the swift and meteoric rise to fame. This third film too mirrors Stallone's life, as Rocky struggles with maintaining his edge after achieving his dreams. It also is a reflection of its era, replacing the gritty look and tone of its 70s-based predecessors with a slicker, faster approach befitting the dawn of the 80s.
As a sequel, Rocky III works reasonably well, taking the next logical step in a story that very well might have been better served stopping after one film. If the basic framework is the same (challenge, train, fight, win), the character motivations are different enough for it to be interesting. Stallone realizes the story, while serviceable, is somewhat thin, and therefore trims about a half hour from the runtime compared to its predecessors. If there's no meat on its bones, there's also precious little fat. Stallone's Rocky feels very different than the one we meet in the original. He's smarter, more sophisticated. A product of his success? Maybe, but it's a jarring evolution until you get used to it. Adrian is now more or less Rocky's lucky rabbit's foot, reduced to cheerleader, which is a shame, but also an organic part of the series' evolution. The real stars here are Carl Weathers as Apollo, now stepping in as Rocky's trainer, and Mr. T as the villain, Clubber Lang. Weathers feels very much like the Apollo we know, but we get to scratch a bit beneath the surface. He's a charming, energetic breath of fresh air when he arrives in the film's second half. Unlike Apollo in the first two films, Clubber Lang is a true villain cut from a very one dimensional mold. Despite this, Mr. T manages to make for a compelling and daunting baddie and lifts the entire film.
Rocky III isn't a particularly good film, but thanks in no small part to the good will we feel for the titular character because of the previous two films, it does hold together just enough dramatically to allow its slicker, 80s-tinged elements, to deliver a moderate crowd pleaser.