Fighting for America

Rating: 8/10 (29 July 2019)

This was one prescient movie. A Russian heavyweight (see Klitschko brothers) and a Russian doping scandal (Russia was banned from the Olympics for state sponsored doping).
When Ivan Drago comes to America to fight against whoever the U.S. has to offer Apollo Creed is all to anxious to get into the ring. He is older, fiver years removed from boxing, and no longer on top but he can't help but challenge the Russian.
That was the fight before the fight. Every Rocky movie has the fight before the fight: a fight against self, a fight against doubt, a fight against family--something. In this part Apollo had to fight against those who were telling him it wasn't worth it. Once Apollo was killed in the ring by the hulking Drago, Rocky had to fight against the objections of his wife, Adrian.
There was no deterring Rocky from fighting Drago. He was fighting for Apollo Creed, he was fighting for America. For me, this was one of, if not the most patriotic movies I've ever watched. They made the Russians such monsters that I was rooting for Rocky like I'd root for my favorite sports team. I was all in. I was emotionally invested in seeing Rocky destroy the Russian.
Rocky IV, I think, was a bounce back movie. One was a classic, two was good, three fell off IMO, and four was a reclamation of greatness. That's a rare feat that probably has not been accomplished in film. Usually, if a third movie is a stinker there is no fourth, or if there is a fourth it's just as bad if not worse. Rocky IV is the most memorable Rocky for me after the first.