Not pitiful.

Rating: 7/10 (11 February 2020)

Sylvester Stallone said that Rocky isn't really about boxing, he just happens to box, it's really about the journey.
But this movie is about boxing. It is made for those who really fetishize this fascinating sport and have an interest in those athletes who gain great success but are then only impeded by their fame and hubris.
The most appealing this in this movie are the viscous, masculine performances from Mr T and Carl Weathers. The testosterone levels in this movie are through the rough and if you're into manly men, I dare say you'll find something to like.
I wonder if the first act had basically found the conclusions of Rocky II and then the rest of the movie was the first act of this movie, then we'd really have an epic journey, albeit one with a downer ending. But as intelligent as it is on its depiction of how the mighty can fall in modern sports, the movie doesn't really have anywhere to go except by becoming and cutesy bromance than ends with...well, I'm not going to spoil it but if you can't guess how this resolves then...well I'm not sure what to say.
Thee are plenty of incidental fun along the way: a fight with Hulk Hogan, "I pity the fool", Eye of the Tiger, Rocky's hubris in various way...it's not a high prestige movie but if you're into what it's selling, it's a fun one.