Rocky V [DVD] [1991] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

The film follows the same formulaic approach as the other later Rocky films and although there is some effort in developing a slightly different edge to the film, it does end up being nothing different that what has gone before.

What does make the film especially hard to swallow is the complete lack of continuity and the extraordinary illogical plot that the movie has. For a start the film begins with the end of Rocky's last fight in Russia, his son is last seen watching this fight on television being about 8 or 9 years old, yet when Rocky returns home his son is now 12 or 13? Rocky then loses all his fortune, house, possessions etc because of some dodgy accounting, yet the chap doesn't think to do the talk show rounds and write an autobiography to recoup some of his wealth? OK I know films are supposed to be escapism but please..........

Also by this stage the characters have become simple clichés of themselves, so Rocky's wife Adrian played by Talia Shire, spends the whole film bleating on about Rocky's health and how her husband shouldn't fight anymore (and why does she start to re-wear her specs as soon as she begins work back at the pet store?) Burt Young as Rocky's brother in law, Paulie, has become a shambling alcoholic who you can hardly understand due to his mumbled speech. You even have Burgess Meredith reappearing as a ghostly Mickey to give advice from beyond the grave.

The best bits of the film are the father/son scenes between Rocky and his son, played by Stallone's real life son Sage Stallone and perhaps the film, if it really had to be made, should have concentrated on this aspect rather than the other goings-on.

Look, if you've watched the other Rockys then yes, why not complete the set and watch this one too, after all it is better than Rocky IV, but mind you that wasn't hard!
I suppose that if by reaching Rocky V you went into watching it with no idea of what you were about to see you must have been living in a cave for the last thirty years, so any disappointment at this film is completely self-inflicted!

The film follows the same formulaic approach as the other later Rocky films and although there is some effort in developing a slightly different edge to the film, it does end up being nothing different that what has gone before.

What does make the film especially hard to swallow is the complete lack of continuity and the extraordinary illogical plot that the movie has. For a start the film begins with the end of Rocky's last fight in Russia, his son is last seen watching this fight on television being about 8 or 9 years old, yet when Rocky returns home his son is now 12 or 13? Rocky then loses all his fortune, house, possessions etc because of some dodgy accounting, yet the chap doesn't think to do the talk show rounds and write an autobiography to recoup some of his wealth? OK I know films are supposed to be escapism but please..........

Also by this stage the characters have become simple clichés of themselves, so Rocky's wife Adrian played by Talia Shire, spends the whole film bleating on about Rocky's health and how her husband shouldn't fight anymore (and why does she start to re-wear her specs as soon as she begins work back at the pet store?) Burt Young as Rocky's brother in law, Paulie, has become a shambling alcoholic who you can hardly understand due to his mumbled speech. You even have Burgess Meredith reappearing as a ghostly Mickey to give advice from beyond the grave.

The best bits of the film are the father/son scenes between Rocky and his son, played by Stallone's real life son Sage Stallone and perhaps the film, if it really had to be made, should have concentrated on this aspect rather than the other goings-on.

Look, if you've watched the other Rockys then yes, why not complete the set and watch this one too, after all it is better than Rocky IV, but mind you that wasn't hard!