I liked Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky III, and Rocky Balboa. What I like is the main character, and I am fascinated by boxing. I really do not like the idea of "going the distance," however. If a boxer is hurt and he knows he cannot win he should quit before he becomes permanently injured. I perceived of Rocky IV as anti-Soviet propaganda, but it ended with a plea for detente.
I like them all except for V. For entertainment, III and IV are the best, because those two focus the most on the boxing and training, where as the other ones are more about the story and characters, with the boxing taking a back seat. Actually I think Rocky I and II are pretty boring films, saw them again recently, not much happens, but the actual training scenes and boxing were awesome, still better than anything they've tried to recreate in hollywood up until now. The first training scene in Rocky was ahead of it's time. As for going the distance, there's nothing I can criticize about that, it's the most important theme of the Rocky series, because Rocky is suppose to be a horrible fighter, yet he wins because he just doesn't give up, he wants to prove to himself that he's not just another bum from the street, and that's what's so inspirational about the movies.
I like them all, I didn't like rocky 5 or 2 very much though. Rocky 2 is boring until adrian wakes up from the coma, and rocky 5 has way to much useless dialog with stallone haveing some really stoopid lines
How can you not like Rocky II? That was the ultimate rematch in motion picture history. The choreographed fight is the creme de la creme of the genre, and the training/running scene is the one of the most inspirational scenes in any movie.
I liked Rocky 1-4,even though Rocky 4 was almost like a cartoon.Rocky 5 was terrible.--One thing though Sylvester Stallone copied and got many of his ideas for the first Rocky from the film Somebody Up There Likes Me with Paul Newman playing the real fighter Rocky Graziano.Stallone copied how Newman spoke,how Newmans character was a likeable underdog living in a poor neighborhood,even the relationship aspect in the Newman film,he got involved with a shy girl who believed in him etc. etc. etc.Heck even the name Rocky was copied.
Rocky 3 and 4 were about the boxing, they were like the campy rocky movies, very entertaining though. rocky 1, 2 and 6 were al about the character though, with the boxing just being a metaphor for his life.
The thing i dont like about rocky two is the all the bullshit before adrian finally wakes up, then its good but up till then its just boreing! Adrian that nagging bitch, let the bastard fight! She fucking brought that coma on herself too working while she was pregnant. Rocky has a good soundtrack too!
