Rocky V

Rating: 3/10 (3 April 2011)

Until the return in 2006 most people probably thought this fifth instalment in the series would be the last one, and if it was going to be, it would have been a terrible way to go, from first film Razzie nominated director John G. Avildsen (The Karate Kid), the star directed the other three. Basically Rocky Balboa (Razzie nominated Sylvester Stallone) has defeated the big shots and fearsome opponents, the now dead Apollo Creed, Clubber Lang and most recently Ivan Drago, who inflicted permanent damage during their fight. Because of this brain damage caused, Rocky is forced to retire from boxing on medical grounds, but he is glad to be spending more time at home with wife Adrian (Razzie nominated Talia Shire) and son Rocky Jr. (Sage Stallone, Sly's real life son). More trouble comes however when it is discovered that his fortune made from fighting, which he entrusted with Adrian's brother Paulie (Razzie nominated Burt Young), has been squandered by an incompetent accountant. After being forced to sell many possessions and the mansion, Rocky was tempted back into the ring by promoter George Washington Duke (Richard Gant) who wanted to see him defend hi World Champion title, but Adrian stops him. But then he is approached by Tommy 'Machine' Gunn (Tommy Morrison) who idolises and wants to be trained by him, therefore Rocky becomes his trainer at the gym run by his old and now dead trainer Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith), seen through flashback. While Rocky Jr. is being bullied at school, his father is neglecting him to train and manage Tommy, he manages to get him some fights, which he wins all off, and they are both on a high. Duke comes back to the scene with a deceptive tactic to work around Rocky, he tells Tommy many things to turn him arrogant and go against his manager, until eventually he bursts out that he isn't getting him any high profile matches and moves on. With Duke as Tommy's new manager, this at least gives Rocky time to put things straight with his son, but then he sees his ex-student boxer win the golden belt, but his arrogance still gets boos from the audience. Duke tells him that the only way to gain better respect is to beat Rocky one-on-one, and this comes too life in a bar where an argument turns into a street fight, but of course Rocky wins in the end. Also starring Tony Burton as Tony Duke, Jimmy Gambina as Jimmy, Delia Sheppard as Karen and Mike Girard Sheehan as Merlin Sheets. Stallone is okay, Shire isn't on as much, Morrison is a bit over the top, Gant is alright, and Meredith appearing in a new flashback doesn't do much, the montage sequences are now just a bit silly, with new music especially, and the fact that the only matches in the film come from the new young arrogant character is ridiculous, as is the final fight not in the ring, a daft boxing drama sequel. It was nominated the Razzie for Worst Picture, Worst Original Song for Sir Elton John's "The Measure of a Man" and Worst Screenplay. Adequate!