This one wasn't NEARLY as bad as I'd feared, but a 6th would be beyond the pale...

Rating: 6/10 (21 February 2005)

... He already tried to pass the torch over, and even a stalwart like Rocky's gotta stop punching above his weight sometime. Just because "Tommy Gunn" is an unbelievably cack name, doesn't mark this as a total washout, though! Maybe series fans yearned to see Rocky back in the ring, but credit Stallone for trying to go in a different direction. One particular chap making the mistake of complaining about a payoff line is WAY off-base; "Sue me for what?!" - Well, 'assault', yes; but this completely ignores the relevant point that at this stage there is virtually nothing left of the Balboa estate that is worth going after! This is a film that I believe to be much maligned, as it seems to be very much in keeping with the rest of the series, and serves both as a competent progression and a fitting swansong. However, my words about the prospect of another installment: "Time's up on this last round, Rock - I just heard the bell!"