Review of Rocky V

Sly took a big chance with this one. After IV it was considered over, the Rocky saga ended with illustrious flag-waving camp and post-fight moronic platitudes about political allegiances. I will say though that I did like IV very much, the ending was just a little ridiculous though. Extending the Rocky tale meant an audience was going start off with one question- "Now what?" Rocky Balboa is hands down one of my favorite fictional heroes. He's likable, funny, strong, full of integrity. I really wanted to like this movie. It has problems, though, serious problems. First, the guy loses everything? All the money is gone and he's back on the street? That was a little hard to swallow. Next he decided to train some stalker and mold him into his own image to the detriment of his relationship with his only son? It was a little hard to grasp but I did see where he was going with that. Rocky knew he couldn't, or shouldn't, fight anymore so he lives vicariously and by extension through Tommy Gunn; with Rocky assuming himself as a young "Mickey in the making". It was alluring, to the exclusion of all else. But what I did find very appealing about this movie was the running commentary about the dark side of professional boxing. There was a reason he included a Don Kingish promoter to personify all that is seedy and wrong with the sport. You wanted to kill this guy by the end.

What saves this film is the street fight at the end. I don't think it was the best fight scene of the Rockys but it was damn good and damn intense. Rocky is almost out and we see flashbacks of his earlier defeats as the birdies circle his battered head. Then, in an MTVish style Mickey returns in smoke and strobes and berates him to get on his feet. "You're the champ! He's not a machine! Get up, get on your feet you son of a bitch! Cuz Mickey loves you.." Now THAT was just really cool.