Rocky IV
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Rocky Balboa holds the world heavyweight championship, but a new challenger has stepped forward: Drago, a six-foot-four, 261-pound fighter who has the backing of the Soviet Union. This time, Rocky's training regimen takes him to Siberia, where he prepares for a globally televised match in the heart of Moscow. But nothing can truly prepare him for what he's about to face – a fight to the finish, in which he must defend not only himself, but also the honor of his country!
What critics thought
DivisiveRocky IV landed with a thud among most critics on release, who found it a hollow, mechanical retread that swapped story and character for spectacle and montage. Opinion was split, though: a minority found genuine crowd-pleasing energy in the Drago matchup. Stallone's later director's cut won more measured approval by leaning into the Apollo-Rocky friendship and trimming the excess, though even admirers conceded the plot problems never fully went away.
“Rocky IV is a last gasp, a film so predictable that viewing it is like watching one of those old sitcoms where the characters never change and the same situations turn up again and again.”
Roger Ebert·rogerebert.com
“the [film] where the Rocky series threw in the towel on the credibility.”
Ian Nathan·Empire
“[Stallone] creates credible villains worthy of his heroic character.”
Gene Siskel·Chicago Tribune
“The triumph of Stallone's director's cut—with a pin-sharp focus on Apollo and Rocky's relationship and its ruthless removal of anything which distracts—is that it not only nails the central message of the film, but the very point of it existing at all (montages aside).”
Jeremy Smith·Polygon
Genres
Drama
Cast & Crew
Sylvester StalloneDirectorSylvester StalloneRobert "Rocky" Balboa
Dolph LundgrenIvan Drago
Carl WeathersApollo Creed
Talia ShireAdrianna "Adrian" Balboa
Burt YoungPaulie Pennino
Brigitte NielsenLudmilla Vobet Drago
Tony BurtonTony "Duke" Evers
Michael PatakiNicoli Koloff
Stu NahanCommentator #1
R.J. AdamsSports Announcer
Al BandieroAmerican Commentator #2
Dominic BartoRussian Government Official
Vince DiColaComposer
Wilmer ButlerCinematographyRocky IV
Rocky Balboa holds the world heavyweight championship, but a new challenger has stepped forward: Drago, a six-foot-four, 261-pound fighter who has the backing of the Soviet Union. This time, Rocky's training regimen takes him to Siberia, where he prepares for a globally televised match in the heart of Moscow. But nothing can truly prepare him for what he's about to face – a fight to the finish, in which he must defend not only himself, but also the honor of his country!
What critics thought
DivisiveRocky IV landed with a thud among most critics on release, who found it a hollow, mechanical retread that swapped story and character for spectacle and montage. Opinion was split, though: a minority found genuine crowd-pleasing energy in the Drago matchup. Stallone's later director's cut won more measured approval by leaning into the Apollo-Rocky friendship and trimming the excess, though even admirers conceded the plot problems never fully went away.
“Rocky IV is a last gasp, a film so predictable that viewing it is like watching one of those old sitcoms where the characters never change and the same situations turn up again and again.”
Roger Ebert·rogerebert.com
“the [film] where the Rocky series threw in the towel on the credibility.”
Ian Nathan·Empire
“[Stallone] creates credible villains worthy of his heroic character.”
Gene Siskel·Chicago Tribune
“The triumph of Stallone's director's cut—with a pin-sharp focus on Apollo and Rocky's relationship and its ruthless removal of anything which distracts—is that it not only nails the central message of the film, but the very point of it existing at all (montages aside).”
Jeremy Smith·Polygon
Genres
Drama
Cast & Crew
Sylvester StalloneDirectorSylvester StalloneRobert "Rocky" BalboaDolph LundgrenIvan DragoCarl WeathersApollo CreedTalia ShireAdrianna "Adrian" BalboaBurt YoungPaulie PenninoBrigitte NielsenLudmilla Vobet DragoTony BurtonTony "Duke" EversMichael PatakiNicoli KoloffStu NahanCommentator #1R.J. AdamsSports AnnouncerAl BandieroAmerican Commentator #2Dominic BartoRussian Government OfficialVince DiColaComposerWilmer ButlerCinematographyStream
Rent & Buy