Rocky III (1982)
73%RT Audience Score:
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
3 wins & 8 nominations total
It’s noticeably subject to the law of diminishing returns, but Rocky III still has enough brawny spectacle to stand in the ring with the franchise’s better entries
Rocky III is the perfect movie for anyone who loves a good underdog story, but also wants to see some epic fight scenes and a whole lot of ’80s flair. Stallone may not be the greatest director out there, but he knows how to keep things moving and keep the audience engaged. Plus, who can resist the iconic duo of Mr. T and Hulk Hogan? It’s a little cheesy, a little over-the-top, but it’s all in good fun. So grab some popcorn, turn up the volume, and get ready to root for Rocky Balboa once again.
Production Company(ies)
Scion Films, Canana Films, Creando Films,
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Santa Monica Beach, Santa Monica, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
PG
Year of Release
1982
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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:1h 39m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): May 28, 1982 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 8, 2005
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Sylvester Stallone, Mr T, Talia Shire, Carl Weathers, Burt Young, Burgess Meredith, directed by Sylvester Stallone, written by Sylvester Stallone, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Derek Malcolm, David Robinson, Nigel Andrews, Gary Arnold, Bruce McCabe, Variety Staff, Stephen Silver, Jeffrey M Anderson, Peter Stack, F.X Feeney, Diego Galán, PG, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Robert Chartoff, Irwin Winkler, boxing, underdog, championship, fame, riches, trainer, father figure, opponent, exhibition match, charity, homo-erotic, montage, workout, action, glory, sequel, franchise, Rocky Balboa, Clubber Lang, Apollo Creed, Mickey Goldmill
Worldwide gross: $125,052,686
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $395,380,594
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 389
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 43,116,750
US/Canada gross: $125,049,125
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $395,369,335
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 122
US/Canada opening weekend: $12,431,486
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $39,304,780
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 322
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $17,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $53,749,106
Production budget ranking: 744
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $28,943,894
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $312,687,594
ROI to date (est.): 378%
ROI ranking: 357
Mr. T – Clubber Lang
Talia Shire – Adrian
Carl Weathers – Apollo Creed
Burt Young – Paulie
Burgess Meredith – Mickey Goldmill
Director(s)
Sylvester Stallone
Writer(s)
Sylvester Stallone
Producer(s)
Robert Chartoff, Irwin Winkler
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
3 wins & 8 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (42) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (28) | Rotten (14)
It would be true to say that Stallone has improved as a director, delivering a short, almost staccato movie which zips through the whole fable fast enough to prevent familiarity breeding contempt.
November 11, 2021
Derek Malcolm
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Stallone is distinctly at his best when the film takes off into almost abstract montages of ;music or images, or in the nifty choreography of the fights.
September 24, 2020
David Robinson
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Rocky was a right hook that hit satisfying home: Rocky II was a good follow-up left: Rocky III is a redundant flurry of fisticuffs long after the match has been won and the referee has raised the victor’s arm.
September 24, 2020
Nigel Andrews
Financial Times
TOP CRITIC
Rocky III is an engaging exercise in discreet, incisive and good-humored hokum.
April 27, 2018
Gary Arnold
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
In Rocky III, Rocky Balboa achieves a peace and contentment with both his strengths and weaknesses that he hasn’t shown before. He’s still growing.
April 27, 2018
Bruce McCabe
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
The real question with Rocky III was how Sylvester Stallone could twist the plot to make an interesting difference. He manages.
July 6, 2010
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Very much a film of the ’80s. Not only did it co-star 1980s icons like Mr. T and Hulk Hogan, but it made Rocky a bit more musclebound than he’d been earlier, in line with the G.I. Joe aesthetics of the time. (40th anniversary)
May 27, 2022 | Rating: B+
Stephen Silver
Tilt Magazine
Working behind the camera again, Sylvester Stallone keeps things going in an effective way, expanding on the familiar characters and hitting all the right beats.
March 28, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
This is the stuff of comic books and corny American movies; credible, colorful entertainment, seemingly meat-headed but maybe meatier than we thought.
November 11, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Peter Stack
San Francisco Examiner
Give Sylvester Stallone credit: this picture so totally recycles the first two Rockys that — in a just universe — it would be practically nonexistent; but the finished product is nonetheless a huge crowd pleaser.
November 10, 2021
F.X. Feeney
L.A. Weekly
The fight scenes are brilliantly shot, but there’s a total absence of talent. [Full Review in Spanish]
August 23, 2019
Diego Galán
El Pais (Spain)
Rocky III marks the point where the series starts to get silly, but the end result is so enjoyable that it’s hard to carp too much.
July 14, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy…
Plot
Sylvester Stallone returns to the character which made him famous in this wildly successful sequel. Rocky III starts with the Italian Stallion so famous that his likeness is everywhere, including pinball machines. Fame and complacency soon cause Balboa to lose his title to young thug Clubber Lang ( Mr. T ), who inadvertently causes the death of Rocky’s beloved trainer, Mickey (Burgess Meredith), before their first championship bout. After sinking into a depression, Balboa must regain the love and support of his family, as well as the elusive “eye of the tiger,” the hungry need to beat the opponent which former foe Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) teaches him during this film’s training sequence. In the end, Balboa faces off against Lang for a second time.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film Rocky III on Fresh Kernels.
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