Cheating death and ending the Cold War, just another day for Rocky

Rating: 2/10 (13 April 2020)

The fourth instalment of Rocky is by far the worst of the lot. This is one of those movies that is so bad it's almost comical. It is so ridiculously corny that it actually starts to feel like a parody of the first 3 films.
The plot is as predictable as ever with the cheesy workout montages coming thick and fast. At one point we see Rocky doing real-life versions of Drago's hi-tec gym regime with the implicit message that good old-fashioned US work ethic will overcome Soviet scientific advances. The final fight is horrifically unrealistic and once again, we see Rocky endure a beating that would kill any mortal human being multiple times.
For some unknown reason, the whole movie seems to be an attempt at a political message, culminating in a truly dreadful ending where Rocky's 'progressive' victory speech appears to instantly diffuse decades of East-West tension. The portrayal of Russians throughout this movie is lazy and offensive, particularly the politicians.
Balboa, who looked at his physical peak in Rocky III, now looks like a heavy steroid user. Dolph Lungdren looks great but his dialogue is so atrocious he may as well be a cartoon character. 'I must destroy you' and 'If he dies, he dies' are some of his personal highlights. Even Talia Shire is dragged down by this film, morphing into one of those trite sporting wives who just bleats clichés from the sidelines.
An absolute disaster of a movie, only to be enjoyed ironically.