Rocky IV (1985)

 

Could this be the epitome of 80s action cheese? 

Absolutely and it's all the more glorious for it. Hell, the film opens with two boxing gloves colliding with one another and exploding! How's that for setting the tone, ey?

As usual, we get a short recap of the final moments of 'Rocky III' to start things off. Rocky and his family are flush with cash, live in a massive mansion and he is loved the world over. 

The world over? No, because from the darkest recesses of the Soviet-Union comes Ivan Drago, a monster of an athlete, poised to destroy. Trained by the finest science in Mother Russia (and with some added 'roids, because bad guys gotta bad guy) he wants to challenge Rocky to an exhibition bout to display the superiority of Russian athletes. 

But that is when Apollo Creed steps in, as he wants to have one last flashy fight before the world has truly forgotten him. All the bells and whistles are brought for their fight in Las Vegas, but things don't go according to plan and Drago beats Apollo to death. So naturally, Rocky wants payback against the humongous Russian and decides to fight him in Russia. 

Rocky flies over there to the middle of nowhere to train hardcore style in order to be able to defeat this monster of a man and bring an end to communism. 

You're laughing now, but that is actually what sort of happens at the end. Ah, 80s, why were you so gloriously silly at times? 

This is the Rocky franchise pulling out all the stops on spectacle, less so on story. We knew it was coming after number 3, but this one is something else. The glistening bodies, juiced up to the gills, the flashy cuts and edits... Yep, this one rocks. It is helped immensely by a soundtrack that is both incredibly dated yet fistpumpingly good. It really is, and if you get the chance, get your mitts on a copy. You won't regret it. 

Also: this is the one where about half of the runtime isn't story, yet montage. It's all about the montage and surprisingly it works in its sense of overkill. Again: it's so over the top it becomes succulent. 

And Dolph Lundgren really makes for a compelling, Terminator-esque villain. The way he looks, moves, underacts: it just clicks. There's a reason they brought him back for the sequel to 'Creed', as Ivan Drago resonates with people more than any other Rocky opponent, exactly because he feels so inhuman. 

Is this high art? Heck no. But hot diggity damn, it is a lot of unadulterated pleasure.