Rocky IV

The clash of East and West in a thrilling performance. Dolph Lundgren is truly demonic and hardly anyone could have done this role better. Of course, there's no shortage of ideology, revenge on a friend, and the fact that an honest workout is worth twenty steroid injections. Rocky IV is an immortal classic and a brilliant example of 1980s cinema, where we didn't mind a simple, even plain, story. With the passing of the years, we can reminisce with nostalgia and let ourselves be carried away by the haunting atmosphere and incredible feeling that this film has without a doubt...... “to beat me he's gonna have to kill me” (24/12/2005)

With the fourth installment, the series of Rocky Balboa films has moved from films that bypass me thematically to the category of films that, pardon my French, piss me off. It is rare to see this sort of stupid propagandistic film. There are propagandistic works that have quality directing, polished screenplays, and excellent casts and performances, but Rocky IV has none of that. If I had to look at this matter objectively, I would have to be squatting on Jupiter. Overall impression: 10% (for Gorbachev with the large red spot on his head). (25/02/2009)

"I see three of him." - "Cut the one in the middle!" Many people consider this one of the best, while for me it's the first one I don't give a full rating to. Something is missing (Conti's music especially), something remains (the robot, the horribly long flashback montage before Rocky's departure). Otherwise, it is a perfect spectacle with a killer Dolph Lundgren and a determined-to-death Stallone, who gets a standing ovation from the politburo members at the end. The training part of "modern technology versus barn and nature" is still overwhelming. (04/01/2016)

One of the best Rocky movies, primarily because it features five fights like in the third installment, but this time they are brilliantly balanced with human stories. The change in Rocky's relationship with Apollo reached its peak here, but the star of this film is simply the great Dolph Lundgren, who begins his career with a truly significant role. An unforgettable installment with a great finale and a message that might sound silly today but had its justification at the time. (18/03/2014)

The only quality episode, with the exception of the first movie. Although we see the same thing here for the fourth time, it’s only the second time it’s worked. But if this wasn’t enough for movie-goers in the Czech Republic, we get extra delight in the form of Czech dubbing that rightly has a cult following. The Czech language voice-over of “No Easy Way Out" is particularly satisfying! A hot candidate for the worldwide most laughable dubbing award. As an added bonus we get “artsy" editing and the seriously excellent training sequence. But don’t go looking for any logic in Rocky VI. It’s simply a cult movie and a perfect guilty pleasure. One of my most favorite ever. (21/04/2022)