Definitely More Enjoyable & Entertaining Than Rocky II & Rocky III

Rating: Null/10 (24 September 2015)

The most commercially successful film in Rocky franchise that utilises the tension between US & USSR to its advantage, there is no denying that Rocky IV brims with a strong dose of patriotism from start to finish but apart from that and a truly intimidating antagonist, there is nothing impressive about it for the story is only as good as the previous two chapters.
The fourth instalment in the Rocky series, Rocky IV continues the journey of Rocky Balboa as the reigning world heavyweight champion challenges a virtually invincible opponent from the Soviet Union for a match in Moscow in order to avenge the death of Apollo Creed, who was mercilessly beaten to death by the Russian in an exhibition match, and to also defend the honour of his country.
Written & directed by Sylvester Stallone, Rocky IV continues to milk the franchise for all its worth but it does manage to offer a few interesting moments over the course of its runtime. The shortcomings that were evident in the direction & writing aspects of Rocky II & Rocky III continue here as well, the action segments range from impressive to absurd, and the drama is once again a weak element.
The technical aspects are more refined, Bill Conti's absence from the music department is felt at times, and watching Apollo Creed getting beaten to a pulp after such an exaggerated entrance of his is no doubt hilarious as hell. The reprising cast has been in stealth mode since the first movie and nothing much changes here. Dolph Lundgren however does well with what he's given and makes his character of Ivan Drago truly frightening to an extent.
On an overall scale, Rocky IV is definitely more enjoyable, entertaining & rewarding than the previous two entries and the final fight also manages to live up to its hype to finish the story on a rousing high but the inconsistency in its storytelling department and shallow work from its cast never really allow this sequel to lift from the ground and even with more budget & bigger ambitions, it fails to emulate the overall success of the original. Nevertheless, Rocky IV is worth a shot.