Rocky Balboa was here…

Rocky II (1979)

-Never give up

Rocky has made money from boxing after his bout against the world champion Apollo Creed and is enjoying his success.

He marries the ‘love of his life’, Adrian (Talia Shire).

Meanwhile, world champ Apollo Creed makes a stir in the media to lure Rocky back to fight, to regain his pride at being taken to fifteen rounds by Rocky. He was getting hate mail saying the match was rigged.

Rocky has ‘retired’ from fighting, though. He wants a respectable job. However, the work he can do is unavailable.

He goes back to punching a bag in his basement, because boxing is what he knows, that is what he can do.

Rocky, who is written as a real ‘person’, is a guy we want to succeed. Rocky never gave up and wound up not regretting it.

Stallone, who wrote Rocky II, writes the subsequent turn of events skillfully, but maybe with too much polish.

Rocky was about surviving real life. Rocky II is about never giving up.

Rocky III (1982)

-Keep on keeping on

Rocky has gained stardom and money as the world heavyweight champ, but has become complacent in the face of his next opponent, Clubber Lang (Mr. T).

But he had better watch out according to his trainer Mickey (Burgess Meredith) because Clubber is hungry to win.

There’s a good montage of Clubber training ‘hard out’ while Rocky baths in the glory at the top. Has Rocky traded his passion for glory, like in the Rocky III theme song, Eye of the Tiger?

After Clubber wins the bout and becomes the champ, Rocky’s next move is to get back his fire and keep on keeping on.

Rocky is down, but not out. He has self-doubts, but has the encouragement of his wife and a new trainer.

Rocky gets back his hunger and passion and there is a rematch.

Though the rematch is a matter of déjà vu, you are behind Rocky 100 per-cent as he keeps on keeping on despite professional and personal setbacks.

Rocky IV (1985)

-You got to do what you got to do

This sequel puts Rocky at the pinnacle of his game.

His friend Apollo Creed still has ‘fire in his belly’ and he wants to fight a Russian machine, the silent but deadly Drago.

Adrian, Rocky’s wife, says Creed shouldn’t and that goes for her husband. She says there are limits to what they can do at their age. Rocky won’t win against a fighter who is hungrier, bigger and even stronger.

But Rocky gets ready to fight Drago. He says I got to do what I got to do and the fight is more personal this time.

Though Rocky IV as a movie is slighter and shorter than the other Rocky films before it, it’s got a great build-up and hook, and fabulous montages. Not a bad soundtrack as well.

More coming.