"It's suicide. You've seen him, you know how strong he is. You can't win."

Rating: 6/10 (20 February 2007)

First of all, let us get the obvious out of the way: 'Rocky IV' is not a great film. Even naming it as a good film would be a decidedly generous assessment. There is extremely little character development. Adrian (Talia Shire) and Paulie (Burt Young), unlike in the first two films (and to a certain extent, the third one), are given very little to do, and the film never attempts to further explore their relationship with Rocky. In fact, Paulie is basically relegated to a clichéd comic-relief character.
However, I really am surprised to find myself saying that 'Rocky IV' does contain a few fine moments, most particularly Rocky's training montage in Russia, intercut with the arduous exercise routine of his opponent. It appears that, in order to emerge victorious, Rocky has returned to nature. Whilst Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) runs on a treadmill in a stuffy training studio, Rocky jogs through the open air of the Russian wilderness; whilst Drago lifts a hefty weights bar, Rocky lifts a wagon; whilst Drago pumps himself full of steroids, Rocky shovels down spoonfuls of spinach. This montage, set to the inspirational tune of a Survivor song I can't remember, culminates in a genuinely spectacular aerial shot of Rocky standing victorious at the peak of a snowy mountain, the glorious sun beaming behind him as he shouts his opponent's name in readiness.
The final boxing match is cartoonish, over-the-top and ultimately everything we've come to expect from a 'Rocky' film. It is also somewhat amusing to witness how Rocky manages to single-handedly win over a stadium full of fiercely patriotic Russian communists through his remarkable American courage and dogged determination. From the moment the fight begins, we already know that Rocky is going to win, but that is beside the point. We just want to be there to cheer him on.