Good Thing There Was Rocky Balboa

Rating: 6/10 (23 October 2011)

It was touted upon its release to be the final installment of the Rocky movie franchise.It reunites star Sylvester Stallone with John G. Avildsen, director of the Oscar-winning Rocky.
Rocky V is the fifth film in the series.It stars Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire,Burt Young,Burgess Meredith,Tony Burton, Stallone's real life son Sage Stallone, and real life boxer Tommy Morrison as boxer Tommy Gunn, a talented yet raw boxer.The movie explores the relationship between Rocky and his son,Rocky Jr.
The story has Rocky Balboa, suffering from career-ending brain damage as a result of his punishing bout with Ivan Drago at the finale of the Rocky IV,the previous film. Upon their return to Philadelphia, Rocky and his wife, Adrian,discover they are broke, their fortune squandered by an incompetent accountant. Forced to move back to their working-class neighborhood, Rocky finds that his only asset is the run-down gym willed to him by Mickey. Resisting big money offered to him by Don King-like boxing promoter George Washington Duke, Rocky becomes a trainer and finds a talented comer in Tommy Gunn.
Rocky's son feels neglected by his father, who lavishes attention on his protégé, but Tommy ultimately turns his back on his mentor to sign a more lucrative deal with Duke, leading to a street-fight showdown - which was a bad way to end the franchise.
A lot of Rocky fans just hated this film.Even Sylvester Stallone rated it a zero.The star practically disowns this film.Well,the film just lost the underdog theme.The fact that the Balboas return to their old Philadelphia neighborhood is the only thing new in this film.Although it tries to recapture the original Rocky spirit with this,it failed in its purpose miserably.One reason I have said is that the underdog theme which has kept the franchise afloat and is definitely missing in it.The Rocky-Tommy Gunn relationship fails as well considering that fans would rather see Rocky fighting inside the ring as an underdog rather than the development of the protégé just as he is portraying the role of Mick,his trainer.Finally,the last street-fight boxing match just looked out of place.
The performances were okay in this film.Nothing worth mentioning and nothing worth criticizing either.The film just looked completely lost from the series.The flashbacks and the return to Balboa's roots were the only ones linking it to the Rocky franchise.Nothing more.Overall,just like Rocky die-hards,I think that this is the worst installment of the series behind Rocky,Rocky Balboa,Rocky II,Rocky III and Rocky IV.
Good thing that Rocky Balboa or Rocky VI was made to make up for Rocky V - which I believe is the great conclusion and proper way to end the series.