Rocky V

From II to III they changed the emphasis away from Rocky's family and friends and the characters and moved it into straight boxing, but it was still inspirational, it was still fun.

Here I don't know what they did. It was like they changed the focus back on the characters but somehow butchered it in the process. The result was just horrible.

It wasn't the lack of Rocky fighting or the fact that Tommy Gun was kind of an evil traitorous friend that used him and then walked away... it was how they handled it.

It could have been the start of a good story of Rocky as a trainer, but it ended up just being awful. The dramatic family dynamic was shot and it turned into a mess with a convoluted story that hinted at being decent, but always ...

At the heart of Rocky V, there is a really intimate story about living in the past and being blinded to your present, but unfortunately that gets muddled with its somewhat convoluted screenplay.

The decision to take away Rockys wealth with a cheap plot device is one that was not needed. Rocky has already hit rock bottom in his life, and ripping away all of his accomplishments makes his story feel like its going backwards. The entire plot could have been just as effective if he was still at the top of the world.

I think the decision to focus on Rockys age and sudden loss of relevance is what really intrigued me with this installment. Rocky is no longer in fighting shape, and the one thing that made him Rocky was this fighting backgroun...