Rocky IV (1985)

Rocky IV (1985) — Drama / Sport Rocky Balboa, the reigning world heavyweight champion, watches his old friend Apollo Creed die in the ring after a brutal exhibition match with Ivan Drago, a towering, scientifically trained Soviet fighter. Consumed by guilt and anger, Rocky vows to avenge Apollo’s death and accepts Drago’s challenge — but this time the fight will be in the USSR. With Apollo’s former trainer Duke at his side and his wife Adrian worried at home, Rocky abandons comforts and heads to the frozen Soviet countryside for a grueling, old‑school training regimen that contrasts sharply with Drago’s high‑tech preparation. Seeing the movie you’ll get a classic 1980s cinematic experience: pounding, visceral boxing sequences; one of cinema’s most famous training montages (snow, raw conditioning versus laboratory precision); melodramatic Cold War symbolism; and a big emotional throughline of friendship, guilt, redemption and national pride. The film builds tension from Creed’s shocking death through Rocky’s solitary preparation to the climactic, brutal showdown in Moscow, where physical spectacle meets an unexpectedly heartfelt appeal to common humanity. Expect high energy, tearful moments, loud punches, synth‑driven music and clear good‑versus‑bad drama — a crowd-pleasing, emotionally direct sports movie that mixes action and sentiment for an intense, cathartic finale.

Actors: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young

Director: Sylvester Stallone

Runtime: 91 min

Genres: Drama, Sport

5.8 /10 40 /100 6.9 /10 5.6 /10