Directed by: John G. Avildsen
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Tommy Morrison, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Richard Gant, Sage Stallone
Rocky V tries in vain to recreate the magic of the original. It even has the same director as the first Rocky. After his brutal fight with Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, he learns he suffered irreversible brain damage and must retire from the ring. His accountants bilk him for every cent he has because his brother-in-law Paulie (Young) unwittingly signed over power of attorney to them. Broke, he returns to live in a row home with his family in Philly after years of living high on the hog as heavyweight champion. Rocky even speaks like he did in the first film after consecutive films in which Rocky seemed to get smarter with every beating.
Although Rocky is beloved in the old neighborhood, his son Robert (Sage Stallone) is bullied at his new school. Adrian takes a part-time job at the old pet store where she worked when she met Rocky. Paulie continues to be soused, although it would've been satisfying to see Rocky punch him at least once for his stupid mistake. Rocky runs the gym left to him by his former trainer Mickey when he died. Rock soon crosses paths with a hulking young boxer named Tommy Gunn (Morrison-a real life boxer) who begs Rocky to train him. Rocky obliges and it's kind of funny to hear him tell Tommy during a sparring session, "It's not against the law to duck." Gunn has raw punching power, but lacks guidance which Rocky provides at the expense of his family. Soon enough, Gunn runs his pro boxing record up to 22-0 and catches the eye of promoter George Washington Duke (Gant). Duke tried in vain to lure Rocky out of retirement and drives a wedge between he and Gunn in order to get Rocky back in the ring.
Of course, a showdown between Gunn and Rocky is the only way the movie could end, but it's done in the form of a street fight rather than in the ring. More on that in a minute. Until that point, Rocky V is a superficial attempt to return to ground better covered in the initial Rocky. The geography is the same, but the characters have been through three movies in between and no longer have their originality. In Rocky III, IV, and V, Adrian serves no other purpose except to watch as her husband puts himself or his family at risk and then cures everything with one lecture. Rocky V is the first of the movies to feature son Robert in a larger role. He is bullied, learns to fight back without the help of his father (who is busy training Gunn), and bitterly resents his father for paying more attention to Gunn. Strangely, even though the actors are real life father and son, the scenes lack juice. Morrison handles himself well as the wide-eyed young boxer with a mean streak who falls under the spell of Duke and his promises of riches. Duke is a dead ringer for Don King except he doesn't have a gray afro. He even says "Only In America" a few times in case we didn't remember who he was modeled after.
Rocky and Gunn duke it out in a streetfight in which both are bloodied and hit each other so many times that they both should've been out cold long before the fight ended. The fight is quickly put on television apparently as a breaking news story, but curiously no police show up until the end, when Gunn is taken into custody after being knocked out. Why is Gunn the only one arrested? Wasn't Rocky the other half of the fight? I understand the fight isn't meant to be seen realistically, but I actually wouldn't have minded seeing Rocky get in the ring one more time. Rocky V has some enjoyable moments, but it never gains much traction. Instead, I was left wanting more of what made Rocky so special. Five films have diluted the power of these characters.
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