I wouldn’t want to debate if Rocky III is the Greatest Sports Movie, but it’s my favorite. A pure Hollywood365 movie, where all the elements come together for superior commercial entertainment. Thrilling action, crackling dialogue full of unexpected comedy, perfectly edited and containing not only one of the great training montages set to the score the series is known for, but possibly the greatest needle drop opening – “Eye of the Tiger” – where we watch our hero grow soft while a fresh terror is gaining strength. If you want to know the difference between cinematic editing and music video montage, watch the work of Don Zimmerman and Mark Warner and compare it to any montage from Rocky IV.
Usually a third film is about completing the trilogy, tie up the loose ends, one last round with characters we like. The feeling that some are just here for the paycheck is starting to creep in. Rocky III is one of the best 3rd movies, because it’s the best Rocky movie. It has Mr. T as Clubber Lang, one of cinema’s great villains. Worth mentioning, Hulk Hogan also shines in a memorable, funny fight with Rocky. Both celebrity became pop culture icons after this film. Carl Weathers also crushes as Rocky’s former enemy turned ally after seeing Clubber disgrace their sport and insult him personally. Talia Shire steps up with the obligatory personal argument with her husband, but the dialogue and her performance make it maybe the best version of that trope. Burgess Meredith growls hilariously and then Burt Young picks up the slack. (“Swim? with a name like Rock?”) Even the final scene is an All-Time moment, with a final image that invites as much debate and discussion as the last shot in Inception.
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