There's a lot to cover in this review of my Rocky III rewatch, with a view to the arc of the character as a whole across the 8 movies.

Let's get to it...

- Stallone looks great. The chiseled body now that he was famous, wealthy and able to train with Franco Columbu - not to mention some fairly extensive plastic surgery and perhaps some training 'juice'. The way they explain it away is hilarious - and again when he looks like he'd struggle to weigh more than a light middleweight never mind a heavyweight.

- Mr T does an incredible job of portraying a frighteningly brutal opponent. And for perhaps the only time, he looks muscular not chubby. The fact Clubber Lang is long remembered means his performance was excellent.

- The choreography and camerawork in the final fight is fantastic. Kudos to Stallone for making some fantastic shots. The use of big cat roars for Clubber's noises made the whole thing intense. And the nods to real boxing matches and real-world thrown punches are excellent. (Think rope-a-dope. Hagler's comments about silk pyjamas.)

- However, this is the start of cartoon fight sequences. Whilst the first two films had over-the-top 15 rounders, these fights are homicide if they took place in reality!

- The plot and pacing for this one are a step up. You'll never recreate the gritty magic of the first film. The second proved that. But this one jams a load of plot in and fires at it really quickly.

- The acting ability of Talia Shire starts to creek. The beach scene is one-sided to Stallone for quality and believability.

Overall this is excellent though.

It's the start of Rocky the superhero and tellingly the first of the 80s Rockys... But it uses montages and flashbacks so well that it gets away with it. The emotions it pulls out of the viewer means it's one of the most rewatchable and effect instalments in the canon.

The Rocky saga mirrors Stallone's own life and its clear to see the parallels here. This is peak Rocky and peak Stallone. The good of the 80s was just beginning, not yet weighed down by the excesses of that decade.

Final note - the believers who question why Rocky gets smart in 3 and 4 and is thick in all the others, look again. He has a nice haircut here but his verbal abilities are no different to the first 2. It's just a guy exposed to more of the world and more comfortable operating in it.


7.75/10