The perfect combination of training, fighting and flashbacks

Rating: 10/10 (20 March 2005)

The Rocky formula was never worked to complete perfection like it was in Rocky IV. Narrowing the film down to its most essential elements, Rocky IV is comprised almost entirely of flashbacks, training montages, and brutal fights. The flashbacks help catch the uninitiated viewer up to speed, yet are not a hindrance to the seasoned Rocky vet. The knowledge of the scenes shown in the flashbacks enhances the emotional charge of the film. The training sequences are top notch, and some of the longest to be found in the entire Rocky franchise. Not only that, but they involve some of Rocky's most unconventional techniques. He does sit ups hanging off of a barn loft, lifts wooden carts in place of weights, and runs up and down mountains instead of on a treadmill. Perhaps nothing is as entertaining as the chicken chasing found in Rocky III, but it comes dangerously close. The fights scenes are appropriately brutal. Specifically, the death of Apollo Creed is one of the most shocking moments in sports movie history, as only a man with a heart of stone will fail to be moved by Rocky holding his dear companion's dying body in his arms. The final fight is one of the best in the Rocky repertoire. It goes the full 15, giving each boxer ample time to land enough punches to kill 3 fighters. Finally, and this is not to be overlooked, Rocky IV includes some of the greatest unintentional comedy found in any movie of any genre. Every time a Russian speaks is a cause for laughter. Ivan Drago is one of the most unbelievable movie characters of all time, delivering such lines as "If he dies, he dies" without the slightest hint of humanity. The last scene, in which Rocky triumphantly declares, "If I can change, and you can change, then EVERYBODY CAN CHANGE!" would be hilarious enough for it words. But the fact that this asinine dribble wins over the hostile Russian crowd is what places this scene atop the pantheon of unintentionally comedic moments. All in all, with its perfect combination of classic Rocky elements and its ability to create comedy in the most unexpected places, Rocky IV is the perfect Rocky movie, and a crowning achievement for all of mankind.