In defense of this movie...

Rating: 10/10 (29 March 2005)

This comment is in defense of Rocky IV, which upon my first viewing was regarded as propagandizing trash.
First, this is an excellent movie to contribute to the rocky mythos because of its capturing of the chronological change in a professional fighter's life. Sly Stallone (Rocky) does an excellent job in writing this movie in that he takes into account the monetary aspect of a successful fighters life, the world-weary syndrome of 'losing your edge', and finally redemption of a *personal* ideal.
Rocky in this movie is a man who is *societally* successful-- he has a loving supportive wife, a maldisformed child, enough money to need everything he may want, and a supportive friends structure. He is quite possibly beyond his prime, and now all he has to do is look back on the old days nostalgically.
This is when we have the introduction of the Russian-- this otherworldly modernly trained fighter who seems manufactures by our modern culture (yes, its the 80's) but nevertheless, manufactured. His old buddy is defeated at the hands of the modern fighter-- but leaves Rocky with an important message: To never forget who he is, and his killer instinct. This is when "Rocky IV" collides with Tennyson's "Ulysses". Two men-- grasping for their past, but never forgetting who they are. It is a story of personal redemption and gratification as much as a political statement about the change in society and the loss of the self. where fabrication overrides self worth.
To all that think this is propaganda: This movie is simply NOT propaganda. If you watch the movie, you realize that when the Russian crowd 'turns' on Drago and roots for Rocky-- that they too change. Rocky in his non-eloquent way basically states that the battle between two men in a ring, is analogous to 20 million fighting on battlefield. Why must we fight, and kill-- when we can discuss-- have two ideals battle for the victor. And according to Rocky IV the victor is the self-- the human spirit-- Drago claims to fight for himself-- not for his manufacturers.
Finally-- a side note--- Russian s look stereotyped-- but are not. Rusiia is shown in wintertime because the fight is on December 25th-- to us in the northern hemisphere Rusiia has winter too. And on their 'lack of emotion'-- they turn and support rocky in the end-- how is that lacking emotion? Thus i give this movie a 10/10. It accomplishes what it needs to-- triumphantly-- and is commonly overlooked because of its relative 'outdatedness'.
(PS forgive grammatical/spelling errors)