Rocky IV

Nostalgia’s a bitch. I loved this movie when I was little; an irresistibly naive echo of the Cold War. It's impossible not to root for an American who has to lift a log and run across a snowy landscape to train, as opposed to a Russian who is groomed by a team of physiotherapists in top-notch conditions. I almost felt like pulling out the American flag and cheering Sly on at the top of my lungs :) (09/28/2003)

"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. (01/04/2016)

Despite operating on an ideological level that is adorably banal and ultimately extreme in its pathos, it works in an unbelievable way. Dolph Lundgren only says about 10 words total throughout the entire film, yet his portrayal of the (not-so-)bad guy is absolutely iconic (the most divine is when he throws the comrade out of the ring). Without a doubt one of the highlights of the entire franchise. [85%] (11/29/2021)

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” (12/24/2005)

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. (04/21/2022)