RIP Apollo Creed

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

When "Titanic" finally came to the small, two screen downtown theater in the small town where I lived in 1998, the best thing about the movie was hearing other dudes forced into seeing it start to cheer as the boat began to sink.

It meant the movie was almost over.

My then-girlfriend, knowing I had zero interest in the movie, got me a shirt that said "The boat sank. Get over it."

I wore that shirt for 20 years and I married her.

 

[UPChip]

I think there's something to be said for that character and Weathers being the linchpin around which the whole franchise revolves.

If Apollo Creed is not a believable "superstar," Rocky as underdog doesn't work, and as the sequels go on. He's the antagonist, but he's not a heel, and I think under most circumstances other than when he's fighting Rocky, he's easy to admire if not outright root for. He shows vulnerability and pulls it out of Rocky. Once he dies, there's really not many places for Rocky to go, at least until Adrian dies off screen before "Rocky Balboa."

 

[HanSenSE]

I think there's something to be said for that character and Weathers being the linchpin around which the whole franchise revolves.

If Apollo Creed is not a believable "superstar," Rocky as underdog doesn't work, and as the sequels go on. He's the antagonist, but he's not a heel, and I think under most circumstances other than when he's fighting Rocky, he's easy to admire if not outright root for. He shows vulnerability and pulls it out of Rocky. Once he dies, there's really not many places for Rocky to go, at least until Adrian dies off screen before "Rocky Balboa."

Rocky V is kind of like Godfather III. Movies that shouldn't have been made. Rocky Balboa tied a nice ribbon around the whole package.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Rocky V is kind of like Godfather III. Movies that shouldn't have been made. Rocky Balboa tied a nice ribbon around the whole package.

I believe Stallone has even said he regretting making Rocky V. Which is why Rocky Balboa was his make-up film for the previous one.

 

[outofplace]

I believe Stallone has even said he regretting making Rocky V. Which is why Rocky Balboa was his make-up film for the previous one.

Rocky Balboa was a much better end to the story and it gave us the best monologue in the series.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

Rocky Balboa was a much better end to the story and it gave us the best monologue in the series.

Sly is such a fascinating guy. He can write, direct and make really good, heartfelt, quiet movies. Rocky, of course, was a great Cinderella story in more ways than one. I believe the body count in First Blood was one, and that was an accidental death. And then he can just forking torpedo the memory of those movies with crass, cynical exploitative sequels. Rocky II was OK, Rocky III was getting silly and Rocky IV was a jingoistic cartoon. Rocky V, as noted, should not be discussed in polite company, and the Rambo sequels were forking ugly, violent messes. Yet Rocky Balboa was a really good return to form. I haven't seen the Creeds yet but I have to think history is repeating itself there.

 

[Slacker]

First comment under that video clip
might be jus-s-s-st a little overstated, though:

"One of the greatest scenes in film history,
with one of the best monologues ever written,
from one of the greatest actors ever."

 

[Starman]

Rocky Balboa redeems the Rocky franchise as The Death of Michael Corleone (sort of) redeems the Godfather saga.

 

[garrow]

Even as a young undiscerning film fan in the 80s, never got Stallone's appeal. I preferred Apollo and Drago. And Arnold......

 

[outofplace]

Sly is such a fascinating guy. He can write, direct and make really good, heartfelt, quiet movies. Rocky, of course, was a great Cinderella story in more ways than one. I believe the body count in First Blood was one, and that was an accidental death. And then he can just forking torpedo the memory of those movies with crass, cynical exploitative sequels. Rocky II was OK, Rocky III was getting silly and Rocky IV was a jingoistic cartoon. Rocky V, as noted, should not be discussed in polite company, and the Rambo sequels were forking ugly, violent messes. Yet Rocky Balboa was a really good return to form. I haven't seen the Creeds yet but I have to think history is repeating itself there.

That sounds about right. I only saw the first Creed, which is very good. I watched parts of the second one, which only got me thinking they should have stopped at one.

Even Rocky III was decent, though it had more than its share of silly moments, but it should have ended there. The only good thing about Rocky IV is that it lays the groundwork for Creed.

 

[UPChip]

I think you can make a compelling argument that the Rocky series ceased being serious cinema at the moment Mr. T does his "Hey woman! Hey woman!" monologue, and nothing in IV is serious at all from the three or four montages, the 100,000 foot mountain in Russia ((C) Bill Simmons) and that stupid robot, but if you go for entertainment/unintentional comedy, it does the trick. I've never seen V, but I've not read anything redeeming about it whatsoever, but people need paychecks, so whatever. Rocky Balboa's premise is implausible but wholesome. The "lion in winter" sort of thing makes Rocky the kind of guy you root for not because he beats people up in the ring but because of his humanity. "Creed" is a little maudlin in the middle with the whole "Rocky's fighting ... against cancer!" arc but Michael B. Jordan carries a lot of weight. Creed II was OK, a little heavy on the fan service. I missed Creed III in theatres but the reviews appear to be decent.

My point is that, Stallone even basically skips V in canon, and I think you can justify a canon that skips large portions of III and IV if you want.

 

[dixiehack]

I think Rocky III is the only one I've seen start to finish.