Rocky V

Name: Rocky V

Genre: Drama/Sports

Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Tommy Morrison, John G. Avildson (Director)

Synopsis: Rocky after the fight with Drago when went into the dressing room wasn’t in the normal condition. His whole body was shivering and he could stop that. Rocky asks for his wife Adrian and his wife said that nothing will going to happen him and let’s go home. Rocky when reached US was greeted by his son Robert at the airport. When Rocky was addressing a press conference at the airport, a boxing promoter George Washington Duke tried to persuade Rocky to accept the challenge for heavyweight title by the number one contender Union Cane in Tokyo but Rocky refuses that as it was not the time to asks such things which was also condemned by media. On returning home Rocky came to know that Paulie not knowingly signed a power of attorney to Rocky’s accountant who has wasted all the money on real estate and other deals which have gone bad. Also he hasn’t paid Rocky’s taxes from the last six years. Rocky file the bankruptcy and sold his mansion and other belongings and what remained with him is Mickey’s old gym which before death have willed to Rocky’s son. Rocky wants to take up the fight with Cane for earning money but after the medical checkup and physical evaluation of his health, he came to know that he has sustained significant brain damage and if he continues fighting further he is putting his life at risk. Rocky vacates championship wish Cane gets by rule and move back to his old Philadelphian neighborhood. Rocky starts training boxers at Mickey’s gym.

After some time Rocky and Paulie meet a young boxer full of passion and hunger for boxing from Oklahoma named Tommy Gunn. Gunn wants Rocky to train him so that he could become a better boxer and after some events Rocky accepts his request to train him and Rocky also cherishes the same and starts training him. But this results his distraction from home and especially from his son Robert. Robert in school has some fight with school kids and begins to act strangely and started to stay away from home. Tommy as being trained by Balboa himself beginning to moved up the ladder to become number one contender. Duke sees that and persuaded Tommy that he will give him the shot at heavyweight title of Cane as Rocky doesn’t have any interest in him to make the championship match happen. When Tommy asked Rocky that he should go for the championship match with Cane to which Balboa said that it’s not the right time and when it comes we will go for the match. Duke on other hand has brainwashed Tommy to leave him and come with him as he will give him the title shot. As Rocky tries to talk to Tommy, he didn’t listen to him leaves Rocky and moved ahead. Balboa was fully frustrated and what motive in life he finds in Tommy it has now again taken. Adrian tries to talk to Rocky that Tommy was never the man and he doesn’t have that heart and will that Rocky has and he has to move ahead with his family along. After listening this he realized the same and started to live peacefully with his family. He also said sorry to his son for not giving him proper attention and from now on he will take care of the relationship.

On New Year’s Day, Tommy beat Cane in the first round and won the heavyweight title but was booed by the crowd as they called Cane just a “paper champion” which actually never won the championship from Balboa it was just handed over to him. Hearing this Tommy was very upset and furious about these remarks. Duke seeing this asks Tommy that people will see him under his shadow and if has to come out of this he has to take down Rocky himself to be the best. Tommy went for Rocky in a bar and challenges him to a fight but Rocky refuses that. Being angry Tommy hits Paulie with a punch but this infuriated Rocky and he challenges Tommy to have a street fight right now. Duke wants to fight only in the ring but as Tommy was angry of being called him a paper champion accepts Balboa’s challenges. Initially Rocky goes hard on Tommy but Tommy being in better shape knocked down Rocky. Soon Rocky hears the Visions and sounds of Mickey and hellish punches of Drago to get back up and fight. Rocky gets up again for a second round and with his knowledge of street fighting and boxing champion skills knocks down Tommy for sure. Tommy was taken by the police and Duke threatens Rocky that he will sue him if he touches what Rocky hits him a punch which knocks him down too and said “sue for what?” The very next day Rocky and Robert were at Philadelphia Museum of Art and Rocky gives Robert the Marciano cuff link which was a gift given to him by Mickey. Rocky’s statue was looking at Philadelphia in the end.

Review: As the next sequel in Rocky series a much was expected from it but it wasn’t able to deliver that much as the rest of its prequels. Story somewhere lost its core idea what Rocky series was all about. Fighting sequences were not that much effective at all. Standards which Rocky series had set previously were fallen very low in this part. Sylvester Stallone’s performance was good and so does of Talia Shire. Rest of the cast performed reasonably well. Direction of the movie wasn’t effective at all and may be bringing back Avildsen as director wasn’t proved a good idea at all. Also the energy and freshness what Mr. T and Dolph brought in Rocky 3 and 4, Tommy wasn’t able to bring it in Rocky which was a major setback to this part of Rocky series. Overall a decent movie to be watched but didn’t live and rose to the standards set by Rocky series prequels.

Stars given: 2 out of 5.