1985 - The Year Of Stallone. Stallone's Peak As An Action Star

Rating: Null/10 (10 July 2003)

***POSSIBLE SPOILERS*****
Semi retired Rocky Balboa is finally enjoying life after winning his title back from Clubber Lang, he is now best of friends with Apollo Creed and has enough money to live a wealthy life and buy Lamboughini's and cheesy 80's robots for Rocky jnr to play with. When a rookie boxer Ivan Drago nicknamed `The Siberian Express' arrives from Russia and dares anyone to defeat him, Apollo takes up the offer to the protests of Rocky and organises an exhibition fight against him. Innevitably Apollo gets his ass whipped and tragically dies in the ring, after hearing the Russian declare "If he dies , he dies", Rocky vows to beat Drago in the ring but insists that it be in Russia in front of Drago's own people and the president of Russia.
Rocky is perhaps the most entertaining although most unrealistic of all the Rocky films, Stallone looks in the best shape of his life here and there is not an inch of fat on him, acting wise he puts in his usual Rocky performance which is fine. There are people who say the Rocky Balboa seems like a different character in Rocky III and IV to that of 1 and 2 but remember that in the first 2 films he was illiterate and Adrian taught him how to read, so in 3 and 4 he's older and has been exposed to the high life. Dolph Lundgren, although not having to do all that much is great as Ivan Drago, he brings the perfect blend of menace and athleticism. Burt Young's role as Paulie has become more and more detailed over the films and here we see him more as Rocky's friend than whining brother in-law. Talia Shire as Adrian is more or less no different from Rocky III providing the mother figure for Rocky to turn to. The Music is one of the highlights of the film, in many ways it is the definitive 80's soundtrack with tracks like `Hearts On Fire'. This makes the training scenes all that more compelling, who doesn't get a shiver down their spine when Rocky is lifting the cart with Adrian and Tony in it. It makes you want to start training yourself. The end fight scene is very entertaining but throws any bit of realism out of the window. Lennox Lewis or Evander Holyfield must cringe when they watch these scenes because Rocky must take about 100 clear shots to the face but still comes back, in reality the ref would have stop the fight in the 3rd round and declared Drago the winner.
In 1985 Sylvester Stallone was arguably the most famous man on the planet, having Rocky IV and Rambo - First Blood Part II come out in the same year. This was also the peak of Stallone's career, no one can deny he was box office gold. Everything he did from here was relatively dissappointing. A few exceptions like Rambo III, Demolition Man, Cop Land but mostly he made rot like Stop Or My Mom Will Shoot or his latest flops like Driven and D-Tox. My advice to Sly to get back on track is play a villain. Yeah I know he's a villain in Spy Kids 3 but come on that doesn't really count. I say that he should look out for a good script from a good young director. In a future Tarantino film perhaps. I'm sure Quentin could get the best out of him.
**** out of 5
Brilliant