Rocky Again, Now with Spicier Subtext

Rating: 9/10 (18 March 2019)

On the film's own merits this is an entertaining balls to the wall boxing film. The action is faintly absurd and the jingoism is little bit embarrassing today. Nonetheless, it has an underdog American winning against a soulless communist. Given the franchise fixation on exploring the American dream and general Americana Rocky IV was a natural extension to the concept. Drago is a great foil for Rocky and on the basic level he is entertaining. Apollo's death is touching. The film does suffer from being the 3rd sequel and moreover there's a lot of weird plot elements. The less said about the robot the better.
The film is greatly enhanced by Creed II existing. Returning to this text now Drago has some depth-note how he says "I must break you" not "I will break you"-and given the plot developments in Creed II he comes across as more of an antagonist, not villain, now. The film has a surprising complexity post-Creed II that make it at once an effective piece of propaganda and a self-aware drama about the human cost of dehumanization. This text combined with a Creed II really demands a Drago film gets made.
The film, like all of the later sequels, lacks the earnest blue collar feel of the the first film. A slightly more restrained direction would have made the film even better. This just screams the 1980's as result of the hyped up action.
Of the various extensions of the Rocky mythos this is best one and really set the stage for the Creed franchise. Good film.