Welcome to round 15, you have made it to the final post of this series, lasting the distance just like the Italian Stallion! In this post we will be exploring the final two movies in the series, "Rocky V" (1990) and "Rocky Balboa" (2006). These two films did not have as much success as the four proceeding films, but are definitely still worth analyzing.
Rocky V: A Personal Battle Beyond the Ring
The fifth film in the series highlights Sylvester Stallone's personal life struggles between him and his father. Fans and critics were disappointed in this film and often refer to it as the worst film in the series. Although it may not be my personal favorite, I believe the film deserves more respect than it's given.
"Rocky V" takes a step away from the typical ring-centered action in the first films. Rocky has retired from fighting, but remains an active mentor in the boxing community. Rocky connects with an upcoming fighter, Tommy Gunn (Tommy Morrison) and takes him under his wing to train him. Meanwhile, Rocky and Adrian discover they are broke after Paulie was fooled into signing a "power of attorney" over to Rocky's accountant, who lost all of his money on real estate deals gone south and failed to pay Rocky's taxes over the previous six years. This leads to Rocky falling from grace once again and facing yet another challenge in life. His financial downfall provides a compelling backdrop, mimicking Stallone's own real-life struggles. Stallone's personal touch, however, did not have the same broad popularity as the series' previous triumphs.
Summary and Standout Scene
As time passes, Rocky's protege gains popularity and goes on a nice winning streak to eventually win the Paper Championship. The combination of recent popularity and success leads to Tommy becoming very arrogant and greedy. Furthermore, the media was pinning all of Tommy's success to Rocky and would label Tommy as "the guy living under Rocky's shadow" Tommy would go onto leave Rocky and join the arrogant boxing promoter George Washington Duke (Richard Gant) who exploits up-and-coming boxers by keeping the majority of profits from their fights for himself.
My favorite scene in the franchise occurs as Rocky returns to his old training grounds at "Mighty Micks." As he walks into the abandoned gym, he reflects on the memories he made with Micky in his younger days. This scene means a lot to me as it reminds me of my grandma who passed away when I was younger as she fought through her personal health struggles to attend my Bar Mitzvah and always encouraged me to continue to be myself even when times get hard.
The most memorable scene from the film occurs outside of a local bar Rocky likes to spend time at. As Rocky is enjoying a beverage with his friends, Tommy and Duke walk in and cause commotion by bringing in the press and challenging Rocky to a fight. Having been retired for years, Rocky had not interest in fighting a much younger Tommy Gunn. Paulie begins to tell Tommy how disrespectful and ungrateful he has been to Rocky and then Tommy strikes him. This lights a fire under Rocky as he challenges Tommy to knock him down instead. Duke begs Tommy to fight in the ring, but Rocky challenges Tommy to his "ring" referring to right outside the bar for a street fight.
Rocky Balboa: Saying Goodbye to the Italian Stallion
Fast forwarding 16 years since the last film, "Rocky Balboa" beautifully captures the Italian Stallion's life after Adrian, running a restaurant and mourning the absence of his beloved wife. Stallone's portrayal of an older Rocky reflects the character's wisdom and enduring spirit that he developed over the course of the franchise.
Furthermore, "Rocky Balboa" provides my favorite quote in all of cinema when Rocky is attempting to motivate his son to get through life's struggles as Rocky states...
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!"
-Rocky Balboa
The climactic moment in Rocky Balboa occurs as the Italian Stallion steps into the ring for a final time against Mason "the Line" Dixon, the reigning heavyweight champion. This match was prompted by the media criticizing Dixon despite his 33-0 record. The media claimed that his victories came against weak competition, which led to simulations of Dixon VS Rocky in a fictional dream match. In the simulation, Rocky defeats Dixon and this prompts Dixon to challenge a 60 year old Rocky to one final match. In the match, Rocky yet again shocks the world by defying all odds and going the distance. Watch the final round of Rocky's life here. The movie also offers an alternative ending where Rocky wins the match, but the conclusion that was chosen was the correct finale to an amazing franchise. The final film of the franchise brings Rocky's story full circle. Despite not clinching victory, Rocky's pride in enduring the fight echoes the core theme of the series: the resilience to keep moving forward, no matter the punches life throws.
With that, we conclude this series of Rocky posts. I encourage all my readers to go watch the films and analyze them through your own lens. I also suggest watching the "Creed" franchise which features the rise of Apollo Creed's son Adonis. It is a great spinoff/continuation of the story set by Rocky. Thank you all for reading and remember to keep moving forward!
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