User Reviews

For pure entertainment, this might be the best of the five "Rocky" movies. I mean, where else can you see Rocky, his entourage, Mr.T. and Hulk Hogan all creating mayhem in the same movie? Hokey? Oh, man, yes indeed, but it probably has more ups and downs and memorable scenes than any in this series. Some examples:

DOWN - "Rocky Balboa" (Sylvester Stallone) fights an exhibition match with a wild overzealous wrestling giant called "Thunderlips" (Hulk Hogan) and almost gets killed.

UP - However, he rallies to beat the over-sized animal.

DOWN - In defending his boxing title, Rocky gets pummeled by a loudmouth boxer "Clubber Lang" (Mr. T.).

DOWN - His longtime manager "Mickey" (Burgess Meredith) collapses at the arena before the fight and then dies.

UP - Rocky's former rival "Apollo Creed" agrees to train our hero in a re-match against the obnoxious villain Lang.

DOWN - Down and depressed, Rocky is unable to train and be has lost his will to fight again.

UP - He finds his "eye of the tiger" spirit and trains with great inspiration, becoming even and quicker and faster afoot than Creed!

This goes on and on and on, climaxed by the fight which, of course, has another 30 of these "ups and downs." By the end, you're more worn out than Burgess Meredith. Mr. T, by the way, makes a great villain and the filmmakers added to the suspense using slow-motion action scenes and effective sound with all the punches, grunts and groans all add to the circus-like atmosphere. Nobody grunted like Mr. T!

It's corny, it's hokey, etc., but it somehow works and certainly gives the viewer what it delivers in the ring: non-stop entertainment.

Watching Rocky 3 again – I was struck by how nice a bookend to the whole piece it would have been. I'm a huge fan of these movies – I believe they rise above the popcorn bracket they are placed in.

As much as i love the idea of 4 and 5 and 6 for that matter it gets a bit ridiculous to watch his IQ rise and fall through the series. Indeed by 2007 when the last is released we should expect to see a bubbling wreck a la the once mighty Ali – which might have been a nice character piece – but what we'll get maybe we'll get that one in a few years.

But back to Rocky 3. Mr T is menacing – Coach is frail and plucky and the Adrian/Paulie siblings continue to annoy rather than add to the story. Adrian now seems adept at motivational speaking and Paulie just plain gets on the nerves. The reason I say it would make a perfect end to the series is that a lot of things come full circle. Rocky and his one time enemy become friends – Mickey dies and Adrian blossoms fully. Rocky proves that he is not just a one time lucky bum made good by beating not just the new threat to the throne but his own fears.

Sure it's east to see it doesn't have the gravitas of the original but it has moments. And above all else Stallone created a character that people just love to get behind.

A worthy film to any DVD collection. Take it for what it is and not what others try to make of it. It's good solid entertainment and won't disappoint.

If awards were given for entertaining surface and not artistic depth, then surely Mr.T would win many for his awesomely over-the-top performance here ("Don't turn your back on me, sucka!"). And his punches (especially in the first match) look like they have the force of one ton each. Stallone's script is thoroughly predictable and by-the-numbers, but his direction is energized and he keeps the film going at a relentless pace. In some ways, from Hulk Hogan in a redundant but fun sequence to the all-time-classic "Eye Of The Tiger", "Rocky III" is one of the quintessential 1980s films. And the slow-motion bouncing and hugging at the beach between Stallone and Weathers belongs in the annals of camp! **1/2 out of 4.

Continuing my plan to watch every Sly Stallone movie in order, I come to the second sequel to the Oscar winning ' Rocky', Rocky 3.

After the success of Rocky 2, Sly tanked at the box office (unfairly in this reviewers opinion, as both are solid entertainment) with Nighthawks and Escape To Victory. So Sly returned to Rocky once more

Plot In A Paragraph: Rocky (Stallone) is champion of the world, has 10 title defences under his belt, has untold fame and fortune and is given his own statue. When suddenly a new challenger arrives, the vicious Clubber Lang (Mr.T) who Mickey (Burgess Meredith) is keen for Rocky to avoid.

For a series as long running as the Rocky movies, it's only natural for there to be the occasional need for a breath of fresh air - a fresh perspective on a tried and tested formula. After the last movie relied heavily on the first movie, a fresh rethink was called for by creator/writer, director and star Stallone despite the previous film's box office success.

After meddling with scripts and the movies editing on his last two pictures Stallone is back in full creative control. And it's to the movies benefit. Stallone is at his best when playing Rocky--it is his vision and his creation--and despite what Hollywood wants us to think, he is not a bad director either.

From the supercharged "Eye of the Tiger" opening this film just does not let up. All of the cast are great, none more so than Stallone himself. The scene of Mickey's death after Rocky's destruction at the hands of Clubber Lang is brilliant-But the Masterstroke here lies in making Apollo a far more central character after Mickey's death. all of this and I still haven't even mentioned CLUBBER! Mr .T is perfect as Clubber Lang a great adversary for Rocky and the power and intensity his character displays in the ring is ferocious. I still say Mike Tyson stole Clubber Lnag's act!!The second fight between Rocky and Clubber is just breathtaking, the pace of the fight is electric, some of the camera work makes you feel like you are literally in the ring with these two warriors.

This movie is a must for anyone with the slightest interest in being entertained!!

Rocky III brings out a lot of raw emotion, in a heartfelt third sequel. This film also proves that some people have times where the motivation to want to do something is impossible to recapture, and that anyone who gets complacent about where he or she is in life will not achieve his or her full potential. However with some encouragement from family and friends, anything and everything is possible. Rocky seems to make me want to bring the best out in myself, when at times I feel like doing the exact opposite.

Having defeated heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, Rocky now holds the title and all of the comforts it brings. Gone is the self-doubting, small time boxer – the new Rocky even takes the time to compete in charity events most notably against the mountain of muscle, Hulk Hogan. His perfect world is rocked by a challenge from the obnoxious and taunting Chubber Lang. Rocky does not take the fight seriously – despite his boxing prowess, he lacks raw hunger of his opponent and is defeated. The loss is however is incomparable with the tragedy of the death of his longtime trainer, Mickey. Rocky is taken aback when Apollo Creed offers to train him and win back the heavyweight crown in the ‘comeback of the century'. All Apollo wants in return is a ‘favour', which he will not disclose until after the fight. With Creed's help Rocky again develops ‘the eye of the tiger' and the scene is set for another powerful battle in the ring.

The cast of Rocky III was great once again. Taking on the roll of Rocky for a third time was Sylvester Stallone. I have watched the whole serious and his acting ability just gets better and better. His scenes along with Carl Weathers in this movie are really special. I am sure these two would be good friends in real life and I can see why they are. It was the final time we get to see the ever-green Burgess Meredith. His role as Rocky's trainer Mickey ended in this part of the Rocky saga, which for me was a little sad. He was the perfect person for the role of Mickey, as he made you feel as if he was a real boxing trainer. There was also another good role from the now ‘Mrs. Balboa', of course I am talking about Talia Shire. She was such a good choice as Adrian. I am sure a famous actress would have spoiled that part of Rocky.

Yet the one surprising part of this cast is a new edition, that being the brutal Mr. T. He made his presence felt onscreen extremely well. I enjoyed how you felt he was so confident, yet he had the fist to back it up. I never got that heavily into The A-Team, but what I can remembering seeing of it was enjoyable. His role in that show was also very heavy, but he was one person you could look forward too seeing on TV.

The story of Rocky III was for an enjoyable one. To have our champ up against it, for me made this an interesting premise. Then to thrown in the death of trainer, a very angry opponent, who is sure that he can take out Balboa in two miserly rounds. Then to top it off we have the great rivals, becoming great friends and teaming up to defeat this very nasty opponent. Stallone is a great writer, with the Rocky franchise a joy to watch in my view.

Up in till now, I have not mentioned the powerful soundtracks that accompany these great movies. The main theme especially had a powerful impact on me, to the extent, that I wanted to try and achieve something that normally I would say is just too hard to do. The trumpets at the start are just great. Yet the third movie was based around the ‘eye of the tiger'. This was in relation into Rocky get that hunger back to get back into the ring as a real fighter. The eye of the tiger is also a great song that was sung by the group, Survivor. As the movies are made in this series, the music just gets better and better.

So Rocky III makes my summation from the first film come true, that Rocky is truly about motivation. Yet it also shows that if you can rekindle the passion, then you can achieve more than you could ever wished for. With its powerful music, great acting and story, I am glad that by 1982 the world had seen 3 movies with the name ‘Rocky' attached to them!

Rating: 4 Stars or 9/10

Let's rock! It's time, once again to enter the square circle, and see what happen to Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), the underdog as he faced his greatest foe, yet in Clubber Lang (Mr. T). My predictions. Pain. Directed and written by Sylvester Stallone, the movie starts off from the events of 1979's Rocky II, as Rocky Balboa reigns as a World Heavyweight Champion prizefighter. He's on the verge of retiring undefeated when he's taunted by a contender, Clubber Lang. When, Rocky learn that his longtime trainer Mickey (Burgess Meredith) has been lining up easy opponents all along, because Mickey believe the wealthy & comfortable lifestyle has made Rocky gone soft. Rocky must once again, find the eye of the tiger to defeat a man like Lang. If the first two movies were based off the Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner, then this film fight remind me of what would happen if Rocky Marciano step on the ring with a Mike Tyson type of a fighter. Since, Tyson was still an unknown boxer at the time. I believe Clubber Lang was based on a combo of Sonny Liston, George Foreman, and Larry Holmes. He's a one-dimensional bully with no back story or redeeming features. It made him a great antagonist. Still, I was really hoping for more from the character than being menacing. I glad, this film made Mr. T into a celebrity, but it hard to take him, seriously as a threat to Rocky when rewatching this film, due to the star going on to be a kids' action hero on TV's The A-Team and even his own Saturday-morning TV cartoon, after this. Mr. T became more and more of a joke as the 1980s went on. It's clear that the character of Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) was influenced by outspoken boxer Muhammad Ali. You really do see it in Carl Weathers performance here who takes a more supporting role here by helping Rocky trained against Lang. Creed is humanized so well in this film. Supporting returning characters such as Adrian (Talia Shire) & Paulie (Burt Young) also make the film, worthwhile. Adrian is just as beautiful as she was in the first film. Is Paulie, a bit racist in the film? Yes, but it's pretty tame. I like to think, Paulie somewhere in the film, learn to respect black people, but I doubt it, but he's not the main focus on the film. His presence in the film is pretty minor. Sylvester Stallone is once again, great as the main role, Rocky Balboa. Even as view as the top man in his sport, he still the underdog when it comes to challenges. This movie shows what it is like to have everything rather than to start out with nothing like the previous movies. It show, how fame can lost a person, and for you to gather yourself up, you have to start from scratch. The movie has a lot of heart. Without spoiling it, you feel for Rocky, for the person, he lose in the film. You want to see him, bounce back from that lost. You really want him to go the distance even if Rocky is super rich, now. In my opinion, Rocky Balboa is the greatest character, Sylvester Stallone ever played. It doesn't matter, if he's rich, poor, or old, his 'go for it' motto for life is a great role model and Stallone acting shows that. This movie also have some of the best training montage to pump up. This will inspire anybody for anything. You really get what Rocky is going through. The music is once again, uplifting as hell. Not only do you got, the original Rocky theme song, 'Gonna Fly Now' by Bill Conti with lyrics by Carol Connors and Ayn Robbins. The Rocky series got 'Eye of the Tiger' by the band, Survivor. The film nearly got the song "You're the Best" performed by Joe Esposito. That song was later used for 1984's film, 'the Karate Kid'. It's seem like a nearly perfect film, but this film however, depending on who looks at it, might dislike it for the more cartoony action than realistic drama, approach. Rocky and Clubber Lang take a pounding in their fight scenes, but it look less like boxing and more like pro-wrestling. Rocky getting tossed around by a cameo from a wrestler, Hulk Hogan was interesting. Indeed, this movie helped bring pro wrestling into the mainstream, 3 years later when the film co-stars, Mr. T & Hulk Hogan would team up to fight Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff at Wrestlemania in 1985. That event was a success, and help bring new light to this film. Because of that wrestling event, Rocky IV was greenlight & release later that year. Would this movie have been a box-office hit if Rocky's opponents were better-drawn character instead of just a trash-talking cartoon like bullies? It's hard to tell. Its cheese factor is one of its biggest draws for me. Is the movie, a bit dated? Yes, the awful 1980s fashion trends are throughout the film, but it's a product of the times. Is the writing is sub per? No, I think Stallone deserve more credit for making Rocky into a likable boxer. He could be a little more, clever in some parts. Does the movie glorifies a brutal violent blood-sport? Yes, but for a movie about boxing, it's pretty tame. Not a lot of blood in this film. The camera work in the film are pretty damn good. The movie was beautiful shot, and the movie ends with one of the most iconic way, a film should end: with a Leroy Neiman painting. Overall: It was indeed a change of direction for the Rocky series, but without a doubt, it's one of the better films of the series. Plus, it gave us the Rocky statue in Philly. So- It has to be must-watch. It's an excellent story of a true underdog getting back on top.

Suffering from what's come to be known as "boxing dementia," our hero Rocco (like filmmaker Stallone himself) coasts along, milking his name for all it's worth. Everything's fine until a menacing challenger appears on the horizon- "Mr. T," as Clubber Lang (an Ernie Shavers type of puncher; hence, the moniker "Clubber"). Clubber threatens the franchise, ridiculing Rocco's mixed martial arts bout with the infamous Thunderlips ("Hulk" Hogan). When he runs out of places to hide, Rocco gives in and takes his medicine. You can't take that many shots to the head and walk away unaffected; it's fantasy to think so. Just look at what happened to fighters like Jerry Quarry. (Many of the greatest fights ever fought can be found on YouTube, but almost NONE of them can be found on DVD. Maybe Stallone could help some of the real life fighters who fought the fights by starting a line of high-quality dvds showcasing them and donating some of the proceeds to their retirements.) I just recently revisited this one (hence, the updated comments) and I realized that it's not as bad as I'd originally remembered it being- it's WORSE. This is a comic book made for the Big Screen- and not in a good sense: it's chock full of the kind of know-nothing s--- one finds in television shows (ESPECIALLY those that purport to be "boxing" stories). Originally, I thought that Stallone had asked Carl Weathers (as Apollo Creed) to teach him to "fight like a black man" in the movie. I was mistaken. Wherever I heard that statement, it wasn't in ROCKY III- but it STILL stands as one of the dumbest things I've ever heard.

Rocky 3 is without a doubt the best film in the series. Rocky I and II are tremendous films that focus more on Rocky and Adrian's love for one another and their journey from unhappiness to complete fulfillment. Rocky IV while visually stunning, is verging on SCI-FI it is so unrealistic( I still can't get over 2000PSI!!) and Rocky V makes the whole journey seem almost worthless. But the third film in my opinion has the perfect blend. From the supercharged "Eye of the Tiger" opening to the classic Rocky v Apollo ending, this film just does not let up. All of the cast act their socks off here, none more so than Stallone himself. The scene of Mickey's death after Rocky's destruction at the hands of Clubber Lang is brilliant- you can feel the genuine emotion Stallone has for Mickey's character and the chemistry between Meredith and Stallone is there up to the very last scene they had together. But the Masterstroke here lies in making Apollo a far more central character after Mickey's death. Carl Weathers pulls of a huge feat in this film in that he fills Meredith's shoes so to speak- not an easy job when you consider just how important Mickey is to the Rocky films. WOW, all of this and I still haven't even mentioned CLUBBER! Clubber Lang is a great adversary for Rocky and the power and intensity his character displays in the ring is ferocious. The second fight between Rocky and Clubber is just breathtaking, the pace of the fight is electric, some of the camera work makes you feel like you are literally in the ring with these two warriors. And more importantly here we see Balboa at his absolute peak- technically and physically, he actually looks and fights like a man who is the BEST fighter in the world. Rocky evolves in this film into a boxer with speed, skill, intelligence and power. A triumph of a movie that I would recommend to anyone with the slightest interest in being entertained!

"No, I don't hate Balboa. I pity the fool."

• Mr. T

Who would have ever thought that, after a sequel to a movie that needed none, the "Rocky" chronicles could remain so interesting? Yes, a lot of people make fun of these movies, but I've always thought that the "Rocky" sequels were a lot better than they could have been -- especially considering the fact that the first film is arguably one of the greatest ever made, and definitely not the type of film that should have merited four sequels. How many times can we see Rocky re-train and win a battle? It's always the same. Yet somehow "Rocky III" comes across as a fresh one-two punch. Extremely easy to watch and fun to get into, this is a retread of the first and second film. But, as I said, somehow everything seems fresh.

Arguably the final "good" film in the series (although I still consider the last two passable), this chapter sees the death of Mickey (Burgess Meredith), a fierce opponent (Mr. T) ready to take on Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), an angry Paulie (Burt Young), an eager-to-train Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), and an insane 7-foot boxer (Hulk Hogan).

After defeating Apollo Creed at the end of Part II, Rocky is challenged and defeated in the ring by Clubber Lang (Mr. T). Things continue to go wrong when his boxing trainer dies, and Rocky drifts into a state of self loathing and hatred. After the city of Philadelphia presents him with a statue of himself, he drives over to it with his motorcycle and throws his helmet at it.

Rocky blames himself for Mickey's death, and nearly turns down Apollo's offer to train Rocky so that he can enter the ring one more time and give a real beating to Clubber Lang. But alas, he decides to enter into the ring one last time, and so with the help of Apollo and his wife (Talia Shire), he trains harder and longer than he ever has before.

That is all there is, in short. In between we get corny dialogue like, "You've gotta get back the Eye of the Tiger, man!" while the song plays in the background as we see Rocky and Apollo running on the beach in short-shorts and lifting weights together and boxing and doing jump ropes. (These things may be interpreted as homosexual nowadays, by the way.)

Having boxed a bit myself, the "Rocky" series always seems pretty close to reality. I've never been in a ring like "real" boxers, but I've done the same training with boxing bags and running and jump ropes and so on. It's hard work, just like it is in the movie. And this is the perfect film to give you the inspiration to work out. Strange, right? Don't ever, ever quote me on that last paragraph. In fact, just forget the entire thing.

The film, written and directed by Stallone, is surprisingly sweet and endearing. We still care for Rocky after three films -- and hey, as old as the training scenes may get, I still love them. This movie isn't as good as the first "Rocky," or maybe even the second, but I still say that this series has a long way to go before it reaches the murky depths of "Police Academy."

And take some advice from Stallone: "Boy, sometimes charity really hurts!" Oh, wait, never mind. Wrong quote. How about this? "Nothing is real if you don't believe in who you are!" Okay, it's not the next "Citizen Kane." But you'll be hard-pressed to find a more entertaining second sequel than this.

3.5/5 stars.

• John Ulmer

After all these years, I finally had the opportunity to watch my least favorite of the Rocky series, Rocky III, again. With the new installment, Rocky Balboa, having just reinvigorated my enjoyment in the saga, I couldn't wait to see a true tragedy with this one. I'll say that it did not end up that way entirely. I actually had a real good time watching it. Upon completion, I turned to my friends and said, "that wasn't as bad as I remembered." They replied by saying, "yeah, but I'm sure we didn't laugh that much the first time we saw it either." So, I am not going to declaring this a masterpiece by any means. Truthfully, the score I gave it from the memory of years back will stay the same. Maybe I would have increased it if the film's goal was to be a comedy, but since it tried to be a drama, it did ultimately fail.

I give full credit to Sylvester Stallone. He wrote the original and ended up starring in it on more accident than anything else. He took that classic and turned it into a franchise beloved by many. This entry just has too much of its era on display—the 80's are in full force. I understand what he tried, showing how success and the Me-lifestyle of the decade turned a champ into a chump. Some really great stuff happens too: Mickey saying that he had been protecting him and keeping him out of contenders' grasps, Apollo Creed coming to his defense as a promoter, and Adrian stepping up and telling her husband how it is, despite her wanting him to retire. The bad just outweighs the good way too much. Between the circus in the hotel training facility, Hulk Hogan's embarrassing cameo, Mr, T's street version of Muhammad Ali trash-talk, Burt Young's ridiculous remarks at every turn, and Sly's new wardrobe, I shook my head in shame the whole time. The real travesty, though, is that Mickey had to go out in such an inferior product.

Along with all the unintentional laughter, the re-training of Balboa at the hands of Creed and Duke—Carl Weathers and Tony Burton carry the film—is fantastic stuff. The montages are cheesy and each scene drips melodrama, but the thought is what counts. Making a slugger become faster and graceful is an interesting spin and makes perfect sense. Maybe Sly just needed a script doctor to hone his good ideas into a more enjoyable whole. As is, though, while the underlying themes and progression of the series is worthwhile, the fluff just drags it all down into the gutter.