Review of Rocky V (1990) by Andrew M — 15 May 2017

The Rocky series comes full circle with the fifth installment. John G. Avildsen takes the directorial reigns fourteen years after the film that won him an Oscar. Sylvester Stallone once more does double duty, starring and writing the installment, the latter job letting him take Balboa back to the blue-collar roots of the character. Gone is the glitz and glamour of the past few films that felt so opposed to what Rocky stands for: in its place, an emotional tale of familial strife and aging as boxing truly takes its toll on Rocky. Rocky V should work, which makes it all the more baffling that it never does.

Avildsen and Stallone introduce all of these subplots that work in theory, but are either never given enough development to have any real impact, or get caught up in awkward, and all around not so great execution. Rocky's brain damage sustained from his fight with Ivan Dragon is glossed over much too quickly: asidr from a couple of migranes/flashbacks, the effects of it that are shown throughout the movie are watered down to Stallone hamming it up. The interactions between Rocky and his son (played by Stallone's real-life son Sage) start out fine enough but slowly become more and more awkward as Sage just simply isn't quite up to par with the material (or maybe vice versa). The most heavily dealt with side of the plot, involving Rocky taking up Mick's mantle by training a reckless young fighter (in another real-life parallel, played by actual boxer Tommy Morrison), makes for an interesting angle as a potential passing of the torch, but is too predictable to ever pack the punch a (seemingly) final franchise film deserves.

The franchise would go on to find its comeback some sixteen years later, but it's no surprise Rocky V served as the catalyst to the series hanging up the gloves. The film harps on the idea of boxing being 10% muscle and the rest heart, but that heart just isn't beating the same way it was in '76.