Even more of the same - formulaic

Rating: 4/10 (12 April 2015)

Rocky is one of the most overrated movies of all time. Implausible plot, often dull and with some of the worst performances you'll see in a movie: from the over-the-top acting of Burgess Meredith to the monosyllabic, IQ-reducing grunts of Sylvester Stallone. Only Talia Shire was convincing.
Only thing that made it watchable was the occasional humour, the introductory scenes and the final fight scene.
Rocky II was more of the same. Human drama for 90% of the film, followed by an intense fight scene. This time, however, the human drama side is more realistic and engaging and the movie flows better for it. Still not great, as it all feels kind of predictable, but it is less dull than the first movie.
Rocky III pretty much just follows the same formula. Change the guy Rocky has to fight, rinse and repeat. Only difference here is that we have two fights - one in mid-movie, one at the end.
I like the idea of a serialized account of Rocky's life, but this doesn't really add anything original to the series.