For my first Director’s Cut Review in well over a year I felt it best fitting I tackle this one as I have over the past year finally caught up on every single Rocky Movie. I can’t help but relate to these films. You feel inspired by Rocky Balboa because you feel if someone coming from a humble beginning can do it then so can you. Rocky’s relatability & arc has made him one of the most well-liked underdog favorites on the big screen.
Even the weakest of the films, Rocky V, there’s a nuance to the idea of fighting with nothing left to lose. For a film series of the life of someone who just loved boxing & as someone who isn’t the biggest sports movie fan in the world, I take great pride in being a fan of these movies. That’s some commentary right there. If people who don’t even care for sports can care for a sports movie that’s saying a lot.
Rocky IV seems to generally be seen as the middle to lower tier of the Rocky films & that’s with or without the Creed Duology. Some think it’s better than Rocky III. The Critics seem to view it as the 2nd worst one. For me, the Rocky films feel like a singular linear story so much so that it’s incredibly difficult to rank them. If I did it would be Rocky I & II tied then Creed 1 & 2 tied then Rocky Balboa then III & IV tied then all the way at the bottom is Rocky V.
The fact that we have to wait years, sometimes decades, to see what he’s been up to & for me it’s no different with Rocky IV. Granted it is a very goofy movie at times & I think living in an aesthetic like the 1980s you can kind of see a lot of films becoming more silly. This was the decade that had Jaws 3-D for goodness sake. Rocky III seemed to also be heading into that 80’s camp direction but it still had some semblance of a Raw story to tell. Clubber Lang was a different type of underdog. One that people would probably relate to even more today.
With this Director’s Cut, it almost feels like it came from an Alternate reality where Rocky III came off as too campy for the fans & Stallone had to make a follow-up that followed the tone better with the first two installments. The slightest of changes can make a movie all the more different for it. We recently had 2 high profile Director’s Cuts this past year with Zack Snyder’s Justice League & Godfather: The Death Of Michael Corleone (both of these films are the next Cuts I’ll review by the way) & the latest versions are far more dramatic in tone & with a lot of more substance. This is very much like that. What they change makes it a very different movie.
The biggest one is the Happy Birthday Paulie Robot is gone. One of, if not, the biggest hurdles the more serious Critics & Cinephiles lambasted the movie over. You take out that Robot it really does feel like the Rocky story we’re used to. I didn’t mind the Robot. Again, it was the 80s the decade of go big or go home. I’m sure the intent of the scene originally was to show how wealthy Rocky has become over the course of three movies but really it didn’t need it. The dude has fancy cars, & a big mansion just like Creed. We don’t need to showcase how rich Balboa has become. Honestly, if I replaced Rocky IV Theatrical with this Cut I am tempted to tie it up or at the very least put it second on my list below the tied Rocky I & II. Again I did like the original movie but I admit the silly stuff didn’t need to be there.
The other big thing they cut 90% out of was Rocky Jr. he’s only in it for one scene. I believe there was some criticism of the kid being in it for too long in the original but I never got the impression he was chewing the scenery. It does make the film feel a bit less bloated cutting out of his scenes cause I’ll be honest his appearances didn’t add a whole lot to the original film.
The tone cutting out the fat from really does feel like a natural continuation of the tone the first two films had set up. Ivan Drago no longer feels like Rocky is going up against Cain Marko/Juggernaut but more like going up against a 1985 Brock Lesnar (Or maybe since he’s Russian Colossus, but without the metal skin). At least this feels more realistic in how he’s portrayed. When Drago took Apollo’s life in the theatrical it made Drago a bit OP. When he fights both him & Rocky in this version it looks like there’s a bit of a struggle. He sweats more & looks like he at least had an intense workout fighting both.
There aren’t really a lot of other changes made. They do extend the highlights of the previous film a lot more. Solidifying the friendship of Rocky & Apollo a lot better. It gives the final fight more grandeur stakes to it.
I really do like these changes. It is interesting to think that regardless of which film happened over the other I think things would still play out as they did.
One disappointing thing I felt would have been intriguing to have seen what Drago’s family life was like during that time, especially after having seen Creed II. If they had done something with the Dragos it would have given their divorce, even more, acrimoniously & played into an unintentional foreshadowing but as is the film is really solid. Also in contrast to the original film is Rocky & Adrian’s relationship. It doesn’t feel rehashed & they have a stronger connection & fear within them than ever before. It was a lot more genuine & realistic how they handle this fight.
As a general rule, I don’t typically like to Rank Extended Cuts with canonical films since it typically confuses the average filmgoer but I am always happy to put it in as an honorable mention & where I would rank it HAD it been eligible for a list. I call it the Expansion Pack list whenever I do end up making lists like this. Right now this is probably the 3rd best Rocky film in the Franchise if this was the direction Sly went with. I think a fair grade would be 4/5 Stars from me.
It’s better no doubt & this is coming from a guy that liked the original movie. If you are looking for more organic storytelling this would be the better option. If you loved it for its 80s cheesiness then I honestly don’t know if I can recommend this. I’d say yes but with caution.