need a montage? look no further

Rating: 6/10 (26 July 2009)

Rocky IV represents a time in American cinema that doesn't exist anymore. Even with the recent years bringing America's "War on Terror", nothing really comes close to America's years of US vs the Russians propaganda. While John Wayne was still in his grave in 1985, Sylvester Stallone took up the mantel with two films that year that, to him at least, were created to galvanize the good ol' American spirit of kicking ass in foreign territory. Indeed, there isn't too much of a line of subtle difference to draw between Rambo: First Blood Part II and Rocky IV. Both feature Stallone's quintessential TOUGH stars, who have lots of conflict but, save for the first film in their respective franchises, aren't really very large and looming. But if you'd rather not have the rabid onslaught of senseless murder in Rambo, just go for the onslaught of senseless training montage and all-Americana vs *very* scary Russian imagery.
Oh, this is such slanted stuff, the kind of material that is like the last flailing erection of an America reigned by the Regan administration. But why not have some fun with it? Rocky IV is so silly that it somehow is able to top the adrenaline-reigning montages of Rocky III (and that had "Eye of the Tiger" so you know what you're getting into), and its silliness with Mr. T and Hulk Hogan, two non-boxers fighting in the ring. Rocky IV is all about the supposedly unstoppable Russian, propped up by a Russian government and society that looks to be the cinematic expression of one of those PSA's from the 1950s. And to compound this America vs Russia 'thing', at first Apollo Creed decides to fight Drago, only to tumble to his doom, under the limelight of James Brown's "Living in America" no less!
You'll be one of two audiences with Rocky IV: you'll either be, somehow, actually pumped up by all of this brawn vs brawn stuff, with Stallone's very unlikely run up a mountain (yes, a frigging mountain) contrasted with the kind of training regiment for Lundgren's big giant that it would make the Terminator wince, or you'll have a lot of laughs and bewildered exchanges with your friends or loved ones. I fall into the latter, but it doesn't necessarily make Rocky IV a "bad" movie. It's sense of montage and hilariously stupid 80s songs are shoddy at times, specifically the first of many as Stallone drives in the car and sees clips of ALL of the past movies. But its heart is strong and fierce, and its sense of its one-sided stance of Americana (which even includes things like rich Americans having the right to have funny robots) turns into a guilty pleasure that's hard to ignore, if you're in the right mood.
Then again, it is a good thing things like this aren't around really anymore... much. Even Stallone kept Rocky Balboa (2006's "final" Rocky) more squared on the character and history than on politics, and even 2008's Rambo was more centered on a conflict in Burma that seemed ideal for a disillusioned outcast like old Rambo. But as a time capsule, it could be a lot worse. It could be Rocky V! And, thankfully, it is not.