This Truly Speaking, Is The Best In The Rocky Series.

Rating: 10/10 (8 December 2010)

What's up with the negative reviews. If you saw all the other ones 1,2,3,4 and then think deeply about it, this ones the best, because it shows us the never before seen side of Rocky's life.
He is growing old and he must accept that fact. He thinks often of his past in the film. We see the sort of relationship he has with his son (played by his real son Sage Stallone). And this time for once in his life he listens to what Adrian has to say.
After the fight in U.S.S.R. Rocky, Adrian, and Adrian's brother Paulie return from to their lavish Philadelphia home to find out that Paulie had Rocky unknowingly sign 'power of attorney' over to Balboa's accountant, who had, in turn, squandered all of Rocky's money on bad business deals and disappeared.
He quits from the professional boxing scene due to an injury he suffered in the match against Drago, despite his grim financial situation.
Rocky is humiliatingly forced to sell his house and watch all of his expensive belongings be auctioned off to the highest bidder. The only thing Rocky doesn't lose is Mickey's gym, which Mickey had willed to Rocky's son, Robert.
We see him cry as he remembers the time spent training with Mick. It is really heartfelt. The old gym in which he used to train with Mick now becomes his only source of income and the only purpose of his life.
Rocky's son is exposed for the first time to poverty. He is savagely bullied at school for the first time, but he perseveres and overcomes this. He does not get enough attention from his father and this creates a rift.
Tommy Morrison plays the role of an ambitious boxer wanting to be trained by the legendary Rocky Balboa. He sweet-talks his way into Rocky's heart. As Rocky cannot box due to the injury he sustained to the head during the fight with Drago, he sees the success of Tommy as himself being back in the ring.
Enter the ruthless boxing promoter: a parody of Don King. He calls himself George Washington Duke, and he has a catch phrase "Only in America." Duke tries (unsuccessfully) to arrange a boxing match between the current heavyweight champion Eugene Cain and Rocky in Tokyo. Adrian promptly intervenes and puts a stop to this.
Once again Duke tries to tempt Rocky. Rocky now wants to lift his family back up to a lavish life, but Adrian again comes to save him in the nick of time.
Tommy's impressive rise through the ranks catches the eye of Duke, who uses the promise of a title shot against Cane and Tommy's own resentment at being compared to his trainer to lure him away from Rocky. Duke pulls up outside the Balboa house with Tommy in tow, who has now been deceived into thinking that Rocky doesn't have his best interests in mind. When Rocky tries to convince his friend otherwise, an ungrateful Tommy drives off in a huff, leaving Rocky for good.
Tommy wins the heavyweight title by knocking out Union Cane in the first round, but is booed by spectators throughout the fight and hounded by reporters afterward. They insist that Cane was nothing but a "paper champion", because Cane didn't win the title from Balboa. Therefore, the public would never consider Tommy the real champion unless he fights a worthy opponent. With Tommy enraged by the press's reaction, Duke, sensing an opportunity, tells Tommy that he needs to fight Rocky man to man, and settle once and for all who is the best.
Duke and Tommy show up at a local bar to goad Rocky into accepting a fight; Rocky initially declines but after Tommy hits Paulie, Rocky agrees, but instead challenges Tommy to a street fight on the spot. Despite Duke's warnings to keep the fight in the ring, Tommy accepts the challenge.
Despite gaining the upper hand early in the fight, Rocky is eventually beaten down by Tommy and is seemingly out for the count. His head once again pounds with hellish visions of the fight with Drago and Mickey's funeral. He then hears his old mentor's voice urging him to get back in the fight, to go just "one more round". Rocky gets back up and, with his family and the entire neighborhood cheering him on, utilizes his vast street fighting knowledge to defeat Tommy, knocking him into the grill of a bus with his final blow. After the fight, Duke commends Rocky and tries to appeal to him, but Rocky has heard enough. Duke threatens to sue if Rocky touches him, but after a brief hesitation, Rocky punches him in the gut anyway, knocking him onto the hood of a car. The crowd cheers as the bankrupt Rocky shrugs and quips, "Sue me for what?".
Superb acting by Sage Stallone, also a special appearance by Oliver Burgess Meredith was very moving. Richard Gant is phenomenal as the boxing promoter George Washington Duke. Tommy Morrison puts in a convincing performance as Rocky's hot prospect Tommy Gunn. Burt Young is superb as always playing his familiar role as Paulie.
Buy this superb film directed by none other than the legendary John G. Avildsen. You won't regret it.
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