Rocky IV (1985)
70%RT Audience Score: 77%
Awards & Nominations: 9 wins & 5 nominations
Rocky IV inflates the action to absurd heights, but it ultimately rings hollow thanks to a story that hits the same basic beats as the first three entries in the franchise
Rocky IV is a movie that’s so bad, it’s good. It’s like a cheesy ’80s music video with boxing gloves. The training montages are endless, the villains are cartoonishly evil, and the robot butler is just plain weird. But somehow, it all comes together to create a movie that’s entertaining in its own ridiculous way. Plus, who can resist the classic Rocky theme song? It’s a movie that’s perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon when you just want to turn off your brain and enjoy some mindless fun.
Production Company(ies)
Shinchosha Company, Studio Ghibli,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for violent sports action and brief strong language (director’s cut)
Year of Release
1985
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):English, Russian
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Feb 8, 2005
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Brigitte Nielsen, Tony Burton, Dolph Lundgren, directed by Sylvester Stallone, written by Sylvester Stallone, produced by Robert Chartoff, Irwin Winkler, drama, PG, box office gross $125.4M, reviewed by Paul Attanasio, Jason Bailey, Richard Schickel, Gene Siskel, Sheila Benson, Jay Boyar, Jeffrey M Anderson, Fico Cangiano, Matt Brunson, Zaki Hasan, Brian Grubb, Brian Costello, Rocky, boxing, training, underdog, Cold War, Russia, revenge, exhibition match, intense match, Christmas Day fight, hulking Russian newcomer, Apollo Creed, mercilessly beaten to death, payback, different training methods, soundtrack-blasting Product, mid-’80s studio filmmaking, soulless, flag-waving, absurd heights, same basic beats, franchise, quintessential artifact, self-abuse, clips from earlier Rocky pictures, primitive suspense, crude capacity to release underdog emotions, credible villains, heroic character, grim and witless storytelling, chemical trace, ludicrous elements, Paulie’s robot, Brigitte Nielsen, even less expressive than the robot, about a thousand music-video-styled montages, Lundgren’s delivery of Drago’s deadly dialogue
Worldwide gross: $300,473,716
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $848,686,468
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 132
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 92,550,324
US/Canada gross: $127,873,716
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $361,178,654
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 145
US/Canada opening weekend: $19,991,537
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $56,465,994
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 198
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $30,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $84,734,846
Production budget ranking: 494
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $45,629,715
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $718,321,907
ROI to date (est.): 551%
ROI ranking: 233
Talia Shire – Adrian
Burt Young – Paulie
Carl Weathers – Apollo Creed
Brigitte Nielsen – Ludmilla
Tony Burton – Duke
Director(s)
Sylvester Stallone
Writer(s)
Sylvester Stallone
Producer(s)
Robert Chartoff, Irwin Winkler
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
9 wins & 5 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (49) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (18) | Rotten (31)
Say what you like about the original Rocky, at least it was about something — a sweet pug up against the system, and in love with a dowd. Rocky IV appears to be an epic about Sylvester Stallone’s penchant for self-abuse.
December 3, 2018
Paul Attanasio
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
‘Rocky IV’ still stands, not as a highlight of the series (certainly not that) but as a quintessential artifact of mid-’80s studio filmmaking: soulless, flag-waving, soundtrack-blasting Product.
April 30, 2016
Jason Bailey
Flavorwire
TOP CRITIC
Padded with clips from earlier Rocky pictures, adding nothing to his mythic, let alone human dimensions, it lacks even the primitive suspense and crude capacity to release underdog emotions that permitted its predecessors to conquer one’s better judgment.
May 13, 2015
Richard Schickel
TIME Magazine
TOP CRITIC
[Stallone] creates credible villains worthy of his heroic character.
May 13, 2015 | Rating: 3.5/4
Gene Siskel
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
This is grim and witless storytelling, and what makes it so depressing is that it hasn’t improved by so much as a chemical trace since the days of the first Rocky.
May 13, 2015
Sheila Benson
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
The new film’s narrative is stripped down to essentials, which gives it an emblematic quality.
May 13, 2015
Jay Boyar
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
Moves straight into the 1980s, with a slicker look and many training montages as well as a few flat-out music videos.
March 28, 2022 | Rating: 2.5/4
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
Bombastic, exaggerated and one-third musical montage, this Rocky sequel is definitely not a good. [Full review in Spanish]
December 17, 2021 | Rating: 2/5
Fico Cangiano
CineXpress Podcast
There are simply too many ludicrous elements to ignore: Paulie’s robot; Brigitte Nielsen, even less expressive than the robot; about a thousand music-video-styled montages; Lundgren’s delivery of Drago’s deadly dialogue; etc.
July 14, 2019 | Rating: 2/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
It’s a bad movie, no doubt, but at the same time, and somewhat paradoxically, it’s also a great movie. Figure that one out.
February 4, 2019
Zaki Hasan
Zaki’s Corner
It’s ridiculous in a lot of ways… But hot d—- is this ever a fun, rewatchable movie.
December 6, 2018
Brian Grubb
Uproxx
Dated Cold War-themed boxing sequel has violence.
May 8, 2018 | Rating: 2/5
Brian Costello
Common Sense Media…
Plot
Rocky Balboa accompanies his friend Apollo Creed to the ring in a boxing match against a Russian Boxer named Ivan Drago. Drago is too strong for Creed, and unfortunately kills him in his match. Balboa blames himself for Creed’s death and is determined to defeat Drago in a boxing match. He gains the help of Creed’s former manager, Duke and travels to U.S.S.R. to take on Drago.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The critic reviews for Rocky IV are mixed, with some calling it a soulless, flag-waving product and others finding it fun and rewatchable despite its ridiculous elements.
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