I never understood why so many people hated this movie

Rating: 10/10 (4 March 2002)

The Rocky movies have all been good. Some however have been better than others. Rocky IV will always be the best in my opinion, mainly because of the excellent casting job. Another excelent quality was the performance by Dolph Lundgren as Ivan Drago.
So going into this movie I had my worries, I couldn't grasp how they possibly could have complimented the series by making one where rocky isn't the "Great White Hope". I was wrong.
I think Stallone did an excellent job on the writing. This was a true rocky move, where as all the other films in the series were fun and exciting, this one went back to the basics of the original Rocky and stole back some of it's charm. Rocky is supposed to be about having the heart of a champion and the faith in ones self to pull through, this carries that same, seemingly forgotten, message.
I did think some of the story was a bit over the top. I also felt the "back to basics" attitude, with Rocky being nothing of what he once had been, was rediculous at time. But I feel that overall the story was well written and well told.
I exspecially apreciated the casting of Sage Stallone playing Rocky Jr. Who could have been better to play this role than Rocky's own son.I liked the fact that they kept all of the original actors, in some way or another, and that they allowed him to have a final moment of victory at the end.

I must mention though that I hope this will be Stallones final effort in the Rocky franchise. He is getting a bit old for the role and I think they should leave it alone with him retiring on top.