Rocky in Review, Part 3: Why Rocky V Is Better Than You Think

Not a Great Rocky Movie, But a Worthy One All the Same

On Thursdays for the foreseeable future, I’ll be publishing reviews of classic movies, pieces that have never appeared here before taken from my book 200 Reviews, available now in Paperback or on Kindle (which you should really consider buying, because it’s an awesome collection!). For our first set of films, we’re looking at the Rocky series, continuing today with the final entry of the 20th century, Rocky V.

Rocky V - 1990, Dir. John G. Avildsen

Originally written March 5^th, 2023

Rocky V is far from a great Rocky film, and it's probably not even a good one when all is said and done, but it might be a touch underrated, both for the things it genuinely does well, and for the many good ideas on its mind, several of which would be revisited (and improved upon) in future sequels. The film's tepid reception and far-superior follow-ups Rocky Balboa and Creed have all combined to sweep Rocky V into the dustbin of cinematic history, but I don't think it fully belongs there. If you're a fan of the franchise who's skipped or overlooked this film, I think it's genuinely worth a watch.