You Can (and Never Should) Go Home Again (Spoilers Ahead)

Rating: Null/10 (4 August 2001)

It's a well known fact that when a movie reaches it's fourth sequel it's either a slasher film or...well, a slasher film. But despite this, the latest sequel to "Rocky" is a retread of the very first and/or second film without the essential part of a Rocky film--the climax.
I get the feeling that this movie was made in the ghettos of Philly because it was cheap enough. The overall plot makes little sense (his fortune is gone, so he has to automatically move back to the ghetto?) as Rocky, not the brightest light, starts as a manager? This alone makes the movie quite a different animal then the earlier ones and that's what hurts it the most. It knows it can't be a retread of the second or third sequel and that's where the creators of the film should have passed and left the series alone.
Anyway, the climax that isn't there involves a streetfight. While trying to be inspirational (and how can you top the Dolph Lundgren one?) it ends up being quite a downer. So Rocky beats up the Don King Impersonator...so? So he's one of the 'ordinary' people now? Are we talking about the same guy who won a fight and spent 2/5ths of the whole freaking series living in A MANSION??? Needless to say, the underlying currents of this film are not very clear and....well, screwed up. And it doesn't help that the character of Tommy Gunn is given lines not even a WWF Wrestler would refuse to say on the basis that it's too vague and cliche.
Finally, the film is ugly to look at. Even in the first three movies the background scenery and dreariness of the Ghetto life was broken by scenes elsewhere. Instead, this film treats us to a nonstop look at the most depressing sight of a built up rundown city in the middle of winter. This wouldn't be bad if the story was up to snuff but it's not. It doesn't work on any real level.
I won't mention the nepotism in the role of the son. Sorry, real actors are trained for a reason.
So, in short, the movie is ugly and dark and doesn't even know how to be a true Rocky sequel because after Four there was no reason to have a Rocky 5 except to boost a lot of sagging careers. You can never go home again. It's just not the same.
It's the Halloween 3 of the Rocky movies. Try to enjoy.