Rocky III (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (1982)

Back then when we were kids and watched this movie over and over again all I can remember is the great fighting scenes along with great soundtrack. I just watched this movie tonight again on DVD for the first time for good old times sake. I gotta tell you I really enjoyed it. Today I am 31 and when I am watching a movie I always try to get a good message out of it for me. Ofcourse that does not work always. And before watching Rocky III tonight I did not expect anything more than just a good old Sly movie. However I realized by the middle of the movie that Stallone is in fact a real Artist (in case you dont know he is also the director of the movie). A man's world can collapse if he does NOT believe in himself. And that is a fact. Most men experience that probably more than once through their lives. The fear of failing stops most men of what they have to do in order to achieve what they want. One of Stallone's messages with Rocky III is that each person in case of fear should always consider the worst scenario that can happen in case one fails the challenge. Once you think of the worst then as an human being we always think in the back of the head the of a solution to that. After picturing that a man does not have any fear to face any challenge.

On the other hand this movie does to its audience what it is supposed to do. Whenever I watch this movie I am completely motivated. Ready for any challenge. It really pumps you up for the tough world out there. Honestly, after so many years it still works for me very well.

The only reason why I cannot give this movie a 5 star review is that the DVD does not have any special features. It is obvious that they did not have any "The making of" special feature back then. However a recent interview with Stallone today would have been awesome on this DVD. At least I was hoping to watch the "Eye of the tiger" music video which was ofcourse NOT available on the DVD either. The picture quality is not that great. But you will get the widescreen and the full screen version if you flip the disc.

Other than that if you can buy this DVD for a low price (as long as they do not do a digital transfer, gosh even old Hitchcock's movies have better picture quality but why not Rocky III?)it is a great recommendation. Specially if you are a fan of Mr.T. as big bad Cluber Lang (No more Mr. Nice guy, so dont expect a friendly Mr. T like his character from "The A-Team")

By the way the paintings of Rocky in the movie and in the end credits were created by Stallone himself. I bet you did not know that.

The above 'plot synopsis' is incorrect.

"Plot Synopsis: Having defeated boxer Apollo Creed twice, Rocky now finds himself . . ."

Rocky didn't beat Creed twice. He only beat him once.

Nitpicking aside, Rocky III is a very good movie, as long as you know what to expect. This is when the Rocky franchise went from well-acted drama to vapid action movie. As long as you knew the difference before you see the movies, you won't be disappointed.

Rocky III is FULL of quotables, most of them from the perfectly casted Mr. T as Clubber Lang. As far as movies in the franchise go, this is the second in the list of must ownership, right after the original Rocky.

Buy Rocky III (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (1982) Now

Recall what it was that appealed to you about "Rocky", the original motion picture. If you are like me, it was the down and out tough guy Rocky, with a heart of pure gold, who finds true love with Adrian, and who gets a one in a million chance and makes the most of it. It is the courage and heart of Rocky that make you want to stand up and cheer for the guy. We love him because we see so much of him in all of us. Unfortunately, the side of Rocky we love so much is gone in Rocky III.

In Rocky III, Rocky loses himself to fame and glory. The guy with the heart of gold who cracks corny jokes is replaced by a successful well-dressed, well-housed, cultured man, who has transformed himself into a man-of-the-world through his successes. He is no longer the man we fell in love with in the original. He has changed. (I suspect this story is a treatise of the personal life of Sylvester Stallone, as his is a rags to riches overnight success story as well).

The theme of the movie is that success spoils (and changes) a person, as it takes away the inner drive to push forward and strive to be the best. In Rocky's case, he loses his title (to the fearsome Clubber Lang, whose personality and style resemble Mike Tyson) and manager (Mickey heart attack) in one felled swoop, and is lost in a sea of fear and indecision. Coming to the rescue is none other than Apollo Creed, the man Rocky took the title from originally. Creed takes over for the deceased Mickey Goldmill, and tries to transform Rocky from a crude slugger to a svelt polished boxer. He meets with limited success, as the real problem is that for the first time in his life, Rocky is afraid to face his opponent. A confrontation on the beach between wife Adrian and Rocky is the turning point of the film. It is very well done by the way. Talia Shire (Adrian) is often overlooked as just being Rocky's wife, but her scenes in all the films are some of the best scenes of all, and give the films the heart and soul that make the series so enjoyable. As the moral compass of his life, Adrian gets to the heart of the matter and sets her man back on the right path. This sets the stage for the rematch, where we already know what the outcome is going to be.

Rocky overcomes his fear, uses his new polished boxing skills gleaned from Apollo Creed, and trounces the feared Clubber. For me, it is too formulaic to work. The fight scenes with Clubber are pure baloney (my gosh, does either fighter know that it is legal to block a punch?). The fight is meant to demonstrate that Rocky has overcome his fear of Clubber, but the "boxing" is so contrived, it is hard to take seriously.

Hulk Hogan plays a minor role that lends some comic diversion to the story. Hogan is impressive and realistic in playing his wrestling personna.

Mr. T plays the fearsome Clubber Lang. Lang is very much like the real-life Mike Tyson we have come to despise. Stallone developed the character of Clubber Lang 3 years before Tyson came on the boxing scene, so Tyson cannot be the inspiration for the personality of Clubber. In any event, Clubber is an animal (he has the "eye of the tiger") who trains himself in primitive surroundings and will stop at nothing to

become the champion. Mr. T is to be congratulated for his over-the-top performance.

The scene where trainer Mickey dies is a tear-jerking one, and it is well-done. Where Adrian is Rocky's moral compass, Mick is Rocky's professional compass, enabling and inspiring Rocky to be more than he can be. Mick gives Rocky confidence and success because Rocky knows Mick believes in him (and he respects Mick). Burgess Meredith was the quintessential boxing trainer, all full of spit, grit, and vinegar. I will miss him.

While the film deals with a crisis of courage and heart in Rocky, (a serious theme indeed), it somewhat lacks the inspiring emotional punch that was so evident in the original film. It tries to recapture this in the training sequences with Apollo, but falls a bit short (can we seriously believe that Rocky can outrun Apollo Creed? Again, too contrived for my liking). But what the heck, this is the second sequel, so how much can we ask of a sequel?

The film is certainly entertaining, but it is not the picture of the year that "Rocky" was in 1976.

Jim "Konedog" Koenig

Read Best Reviews of Rocky III (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (1982) Here

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)Rocky III may be the Rocky Sequel that time forgot, but it's not that far off from other Rocky sequels in terms of quality and emotion.

Rocky movies usually have a moral overtone, and this one is no different. Rocky get's complacent and loses his championship as a result. He also has to deal with loss in the characteristic Rocky formula when Micky dies. In the end, as usual, he trains hard and comes back to overcome his opponent.

Throw in a few appearances by Hulk Hogan and Mr. T and you have yourself an 80s movie.

It's hard to know how to feel about this movie. Then again it's hard to know how to feel about Rocky in general. On the one hand, the fight scenes are totally unrealistic. But Stallone pulls you in with his emotional and pityful character. The acting is never bad. But the writing is meant to be more soap opera than serious drama. If you were to see this movie on it's own, it's pretty cheesy. But in the context of Rocky films in general, it's actually not that bad.

Mr. T actually gives one of the best performances of this movie. He is very believable as the bitter and cruel Clubber Lang (try to ignore the ridiculous names of characters like these). Tony Burton doesn't get as much face time as "Duke" in this picture, but in my humble opinion he is the best actor out of the entire cast. As for Burgess Meredith, Carl Weathers, Burt Young, and Talia Shire, they all give their consistent decent performances.

Stallone really makes you feel for him, truly mastering the "gentle giant" character. It is heart wrenching watching him get his face beat in, even if the fighting is totally unrealistic.

Overall, this is a typical Rocky movie. Nothing compares to the raw emotion of the original Rocky, but if you like the series and you have a few hours to kill, this is an entertaining movie.

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This -THIS -is the perfect film to show someone [with a respectable level of intelligence] who find themselves dogging Stallone. Trust me -the opportunity arises around every corner, if you talk movies with any range of people. Who, then, would even imagine that 'Rocky III' is perhaps the finest cinematic accomplishment of Stallone's career, and a true testament to the fact that Stallone is actually a hugely talented man, rather than a hammy action star of B-grade flicks?

So why 'Rocky III' amidst the vast Stallone catalog? Because it's an impeccably crafted film that does just about everything right. It is perfectly paced, features great nuance, acting, and most importantly, directing. Ahhh yes, Stallone the director. Never in my life would I imagine the guy had such skill to craft something so exceptional. I mean, really, exceptional; certain films strike me as good films, some have great individual elements, technically, and others I just downright like; 'Rocky III' is one of those films that just screams "exquisite direction" to me. Funny, too, given it's Stallone the director we're talking about, huh?

Most everything works phenomenally. The editing is tight and pristinely timed. Conti's score hits all the right notes (his cue for the final fight is superb). The acting is passionate and naturalistic -Burgess Meredith as Mickey and Carl Weathers' Apollo Creed both stand out, amongst the consistently solid Stallone. Oh yes, Mr. T! It's funny, because people think 'Rocky III' and little more than a humored "Oh the one where he fights Mr. T" comes to mind. This is terribly unfortunate, for not only does it bypass what truly is a great film, but, surprisingly, Mr. T's performance is riveting; he is entirely consumed with his character. More than a balls-to-the-wall animal, his acting displays evocative subtleties -the entire final fight (boxing aside), his character drips of doubt amongst his facade as he realizes Rocky is prepared and as confident as he is; when he begins to get tumbled by Rocky, he reveals a near catatonic sense of emotion at the temporary defeat he's just been subjected to, seemingly unable to cope. Really, it's downright impressive.

It just feels like Stallone really injected all he had into this sequel. Not ever scene works, but most do. You've got the anxiety that goes with seeing a high-and-mighty Rocky go down in two rounds. Later on, a montage of Rocky training (to inspirational Conti greatness) packs a wallop with its perfectly trimmed self. The fight scenes themselves, while perhaps not technically accurate, are entertaining as all, with ravishing cinematography and, again, editing. The directing and editing, more than anything, give 'Rocky III' an entitled sense of rhythm that is so unique; the film dances. What a dance.

It's not perfect, but I really do find this film great. It's beautifully shot, at the very least; boxing never looked so lush. I don't care that it's the third film in a series; it doesn't destroy 'Rocky III''s sense of accomplishment one bit.

Stallone, as evidenced in this film, is a brilliant filmmaker with a slew of punches to throw out. 'Rocky IV', unfortunately, saw him revel in his own excess (and I love the movie for that very reason, despite the fact that it's a --huge-drop in quality on a --film-level), but even there it was obvious the man possessed boatloads of style. Here, style only accentuates the piercing substance, and it's a lovely thing.

Long live 'Rocky III'. Four and a half stars.

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