"You know what you gotta do. Do it."

Rating: 7/10 (16 April 2012)

Pound for pound (as they say), this has to be the most cliché dialoged film I've ever seen. The one in my summary line came from Rocky's trainer Duke (Tony Burton) in his conversation with the champ in Russia, and other examples abound. There's the bedtime chat with Rocky's son - "We can't change what we are" and the 'no matter what' conversation with Adrian (Talia Shire) prior to the big bout in Moscow. Along with the generous helping of flashback scenes from the first three Rocky films, this picture took the lazy way out with no pretense of offering a compelling narrative built on character development or effective story telling.
That's not to say the picture didn't have it's moments. Probably the best sequence of the film had those juxtaposed scenes of Rocky and Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) immersed in their training regimen; Rocky battling the elements in the harsh Russian countryside, Drago pumping up with the latest technologically advanced equipment and monitored to the max for ultimate physical output and endurance. The intended effect was palpable, the manufactured athlete would prove superior to the natural one.
Ultimately though, I can't get that excited about this installment in the franchise. Just about everything in the film screamed copycat for it's imitation of the first three films, from the flashback scenes to Apollo Creed's (Carl Weathers) impersonation of Muhammad Ali, to the physical impossibility of each man absorbing so much punishment in the ring and still standing. I know, it's just a movie, but this one created an unnecessary low in the series. I mean really, how can you take it seriously when Paulie (Burt Young) comes out with a line like "Blast this guys teeth out!"