Change Your Image
davidtkd-25249
My Rating System:
10 - Masterpiece
9 - Classic
8 - Very Good/Great
7 - Good
6 - Decent
5 - Average
4 - Bad
3 - Very Bad
2 - Terrible
1 - Absolute Garbage
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try againNote: TV Shows ONLY!!
Reviews
Yip Man 2 (2010)
Ip Man 2 (2010): A Sequel that Does Very Well
Ip Man 2 is a 2010 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Wilson Yip.
The story continues where the first one left off. Ip Man, having survived the terrible war period in Foshan, moves to Hong Kong with his family and does his best to make a living teaching his martial art style of Wing Chun. But, he is met with rivalry and tough times from rival martial arts schools and the British antagonists. He must now but his martial arts skills to the test once again as Ip Man.
Overall, Ip Man 2 has fantastic action (thanks to the legend Sammo Hung), acting, and the storyline works well while not being as compelling or dramatic as the first one.
8/10.
Ip Man (2008)
Ip Man (2008): Donnie Yen in an Excellent HK Film - A masterpiece
Ip Man is a 2008 martial arts film based on the events and life of Grandmaster Ip Man, a teacher of Wing Chun and mentor of the legendary Bruce Lee. The film focuses on the events in Ip's life that supposedly took place in Foshan during the Sino-Japanese war. The film stars Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, Lynn Hung, Hiroruki Ikeuchi, and Tenma Shibuya.
The Plot: The movie begins in 1935 - Foshan. Foshan is bustling with activites and martial arts popularity is through the roof with many masters opening their own schools and training disciples. In many people's mind there was only one martial arts master who was the best. However, this master had no interest in opening a school to teach his art. This master's name was Ip Man, played by Hong Kong martial arts action star Donnie Yen.
Master Liu (Chen Zhi-hui) visits Ip Man (Donnie Yen) at his house when Ip Man is having dinner with his wife, Cheung Wing-sing (Lynn Hung), and his son. Ip Man asks Master Liu to leave and come back at another time. However, Liu insists so he stays and waits for Ip Man to finish his dinner with his wife and son. Master Liu challenges Ip Man to a sparring match. It is of friendly nature and not a hostile one. Ip Man wins the match and comes out on top.
The rest of the film is focused on the Japanese occupation AKA the Sino-Japanese war and how Ip Man and Cheung Wing-sing make it through and survive. I don't to go too in depth because I don't want to give any spoilers.
The film was the very first film ever made on the life of Ip Man and was directed by Wilson Yip. The fantastic martial arts choreography was done by the legendary Sammo Hung.
Overall, Ip Man (2008) is a masterpiece in martial arts cinema. It is one of the greatest martial arts films of all-time and definitely Donnie Yen's best film. Highly Recommended.
10/10.
Sat sau ji wong (1998)
Hitman (AKA "Contract Killer, AKA "The Contract Killer") (1998): My 2nd Favorite Jet Li Film
Hitman (AKA "Contract Killer, AKA "The Contract Killer") is a 1998 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Tung Wei. The film was produced by Gordon Chan.
The Plot: A fast talker (Eric Tsang) engages a Hong Kong rube (Jet Li) to track down the assassin of a sleazy Japanese businessman.
Overall, Hitman is a fantastic martial arts film. A lot of funny moments and of course excellent action and fight scenes from none other than Jet Li.
Hung Hei Kwun: Siu Lam ng zou (1994)
The New Legend of Shaolin (AKA "Legend of the Red Dragon") (1994): The First Jet Li Movie That I Saw
The New Legend of Shaolin (AKA "Legend of the Red Dragon") is a 1994 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Wong Jing and Cory Yuen. The film was produced by Jet Li, who is the star of the film.
The Plot: Upon returning from a tiring journey, rebellious Shaolin monk Hung Fei Kwun (Jet Li) finds his beloved temple ransacked and its devout residents slaughtered by loyalist goons. Kwun locates his young son -- pint-sized martial artist Hung Man-Ting (Tse Miu) -- and vows to punish those responsible for the devastation. Kwun recruits high-flying criminal Red Bean (Chingmy Yau), and seeks revenge on the traitorous Ma Ling-Yee (Chuen-Hua Chi) and the tyrannical ruling family.
This is a great, fun martial arts film. It is not for everyone. The film is very light-hearted and very slow paced at times. However, the excellent cast performances from Jet Li and the rest of the cast far surpass the few problems with the movie.
I am a bit biased since this was my first Jet Li movie. Of course, I saw it on TV as "Legend of the Red Dragon" with terrible English dubbing. Original Hong Kong cut is highly recommended over English Dub. Still a great Jet Li movie and one of my favorites.
9/10.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993): Henry Selick's Masterpiece
The Nightmare Before Christmas is a 1993 American stop-motion animated musical fantasy drama starring Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickley, Ken Page, Paul Reubens, and Glenn Shadix.
The Plot: Jack Skellington (Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon), a resident from "Halloween Town" who stumbles through a portal to "Christmas Town" and decides to celebrate the holiday with disastrous consequences.
The Nightmare Before Christmas was originally a poem written by Tim Burton in 1982, when Burton was working as an animator at Walt Disney Feature Animation. With the success of Burton's "Vincent" in the same year, Walt Disney Studios began to contemplate whether to release The Nightmare Before Christmas as a short film or a 30-minute TV Special. Many years passed, and Tim Burton developed thoughts about this project more and more over time. He made a deal with Disney in the year 1990. The production for the movie started in July of 1991 in San Francisco, California, USA. Disney decided to release the film through the Touchstone Pictures banner stating that they thought that The Nightmare Before Christmas would be "too frightening for kids."
The film was a huge success, grossing $76.2 million over its theatrical run on a budget of $18,000,000.
Danny Elfman's film score and his singing voice for Jack is absolutely amazing.
This is for sure director Henry Selick's masterpiece and his best film. It was nominated the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, the first for an animated film.
An absolute masterpiece and my favorite christmas movie and holiday movie of all-time.
10/10.
Romeo + Juliet (1996)
Romeo + Juliet (1996): Even the "Gnomeo" version was Better than This Absolute Garbage!
Romeo + Juliet is a romantic drama film from 1996 starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes as the titular characters. The film was directed, co-written, and co-produced by Baz Luhrmann.
The plot of the movie follows the original play released in 1597 by William Shakespeare. Nothing really else to say about the plot. If you've read the play, you know what the movie will be about.
There are so many bad things about this movie. First off, the Montagues and Capulets use guns instead of swords as they did in the original play which is absolutely stupid. Why couldn't the cast during filming just get swords and make this movie more like the play they were basing it on? Also, my main problem with the movie is that the whole movie is exact quotations from the book, not normal talking like any normal movie that you've ever seen. I hate this as the movie gets so boring especially with its 2 hour runtime. The acting is terrible, with the exception of Leonardo DiCaprio. He makes an excellent performance as Romeo Montague.
Overall, I hate this movie. I give it one star because I loved Leonardo DiCaprio's performance. Only watch this movie if you are a die-hard Romeo and Juliet fan or if you love romance movies. Otherwise, skip this one. Many may like, but not for me. A huge dissapointment and I'll probably never watch this movie again.
1/10.
8 Mile (2002)
8 Mile (2002): A Hip-Hop Movie Masterpiece
8 Mile is a 2002 hip hop drama film starring Eminem, Mekhi Phifer, Kim Basinger, Brittany Murphy and Michael Shannon. The movie is directed by Curtis Hanson.
The Plot: The year is 1995 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith,
Jr. (Eminem), a worker and a poor man, struggles with life. He has moved back north of 8 Mile Road to a run-down trailer home in Warren, Michigan. There he lives with his alcoholic mother Stephanie (Kim Basinger), his little sister Lily (Chloe Greenfield), and Stephanie's abusive boyfriend Greg (Michael Shannon). Jimmy is a rapper who his friends think that he is very talented. However, Jimmy has a lack of confidence about his ability. This anxiety causes him to choke and lose his rap battle at the hip-hop venue, "The Shelter", leaving the stage utterly humiliated.
Jimmy works at New Detroit Stamping (a car factory). When he asks for extra shifts, his supervisor laughs in his face and rejects his request due to Jimmy's lateness to work. Jimmy becomes friends with Alex (Brittany Murphy). Over time, Jimmy becomes a lot more responsible for his actions and behaviors in the directions of his life. After he gains much improvement in his work ethic and behavior, his supervisor grants his request for extra shifts that he gave earlier.
Stephanie receives a notice declaring that, because she and her family can not afford to pay the rent on her trailer, she and her family must vacate the premises immediately. Stephanie tries to keep it a secret, but Greg eventually finds out about it. Greg and Jimmy have a long and brutal fight, and when it's over, Greg leaves Stephanie for good. Jimmy has friend named Wink (Eugene Byrd), a radio DJ with links to a famous record label. Their friendship becomes torn after Wink does promotional work for Jimmy's rivals, "The Leaders of the Free World", a hip-hop group. Jimmy and his friends get into a brawl with the Free World and Jimmy's friend Cheddar Bob (Evan Jones) takes out a gun and accidentally shoots himself in the leg. He survives but is crippled and has to wear crutches.
On lunch break at work one day, Mike (Xzibit), a lunch truck rapper insults a gay co-worker Paul (Craig Chandler). Jimmy joins the battle, roasting Mike and defending Paul. Alex is impressed by his actions and they go out on a date. Wink arranges for Jimmy to have a recording of a rap demo done at JLB, but when Jimmy gets there, he sees Wink doing it with Alex. Enraged, Jimmy beats up Wink. Alex yells at him to stop and eventually he does. In revengeful style or retaliation, the Free World assaults Jimmy and Papa Doc (Anthony Mackie), the leader of the gang, nearly kills Jimmy before being persuaded not to by Wink.
Jimmy's beast friend and rap-host David "Future" Porter (Mekhi Phifer) encourages him to get revenge by competing against the Free World at the next rap battler at The Shelter. Jimmy's work conflicts with this, but Paul covers for him as a thank you for what Jimmy did earlier. Jimmy goes to the battle.
Jimmy competes against the members of the Free World in every battle. 1st Round 1 - Lickety Split - wins. Round 2 - Lotto - wins. After winning the first two rounds he has to face Poppa Doc, the gang leader and the defending Rap Battle Champion. Jimmy raps first and exposes both his and Poppa Doc's weaknesses. Embarrassed with nothing to say back at Jimmy, Poppa Doc gives the mic back to Future. Jimmy wins the battle and is declared the NEW RAP BATTLE CHAMPION!
After being congratulated by Alex and his friends, Future offers him a position as rap-battle host, alongside himself. Jimmy declines the offer stating he has to get back to work and make success on his own. He walks back to work with confidence and hope for the future.
A rap masterpiece. 10/10.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990): COWABUNGA!!!!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a 1990 action comedy film directed by Steve Barron and starring Judith Hoag and Elias Koteas.
The Plot: Four teenage mutant ninja turtles emerge from the shadows to protect New York City from a gang of criminal ninjas.
Jim Henson's Creature Shop provided the animatronics for the film. They are absolutely amazing. Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, Michaelangelo, and Splinter all look glorious. John Du Prez creates an epic film score. It supports the action and suspense of the film perfectly. I absolutely love the end credits with Partner In Kryme's single "T.U.R.T.L.E. Power" playing in the background. The song was made for this film and went #1 for five consecutive weeks in the U.K. John Du Prez won a BMI Film Music Award for his film score. Also featured songs in this movie include Spunkadelic's "9.95" and M.C. Hammer's "This is What We Do". All the songs blend in perfectly with the theme of this movie.
Directed by Steve Barron, this movie rocks and is the first and best TMNT movie of all-time. Don't even bother with the remake. Just watch this classic. A must-watch for all Turtles fans. One of my favorite movies of all-time and for good reason. I wouldn't change a single thing in this movie as it is the perfect turtle movie and the perfect family film.
R.I.P. Jim Henson (1936-1990)
10/10.
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971): A Timeless Classic
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is an American film from 1971 starring Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson, and introducing Peter Ostrum as Charlie.
The Plot: Willy Wonka, a crazy successful candymaker makes five golden tickets and places them inside five of his candy bars. The five and only the five that find the golden tickets are allowed into his chocolate factory and their prize is a lifetime supply of chocolate, giving them everything beyond their wildest dreams. A nice but poor boy named Charlie finds the fifth and final golden ticket and has an experience like none other when inside the factory.
Gene Wilder and the rest of the cast give a wonderful performance. The film is directed by Mel Stuart.
This film is a masterpiece and a timeless classic. A must-watch no matter what age you are. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) is a film like no other.
10/10.
Rush Hour 3 (2007)
Rush Hour 3 (2007): A Third Rush - A Great Sequel
Rush Hour 3 is an American 2007 martial arts buddy cop action film and the sequel to the 2001 film Rush Hour 2.
Rush Hour 3 has a very simple but interesting plot. After an attempted assassination on Ambassador Han (Tzi Ma), Detective Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) and L.A.P.D. Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker) find out who is responsible and they head to Paris, France to stop the Triads once again from their despicable crimes. Rush Hour 3 takes place 10 years after the events of Rush Hour and Rush Hour 2.
Directed by Brett Ratner, the film has a good amount of humor, crime, and action as well as drama. One of his better films.
Rush Hour 3 made a good profit. However, it was made on a budget of $140,000,000 and only grossed $258,000,000, making it the least successful entry financially in the series.
Rush Hour 3, while not a masterpiece like Rush Hour (1998) and Rush Hour 2 (2001), is still a great sequel and an extremely underrated film. Don't listen to the critics. Just watch this movie and I'm sure you'll enjoy it if you loved the first two as much as I did.
9/10.
Rush Hour 2 (2001)
Rush Hour 2 (2001): Get Ready for a Second Rush!
Rush Hour 2 is an American 2001 martial arts buddy cop action film and the sequel to the 1998 film Rush Hour.
Rush Hour 2 follows Chief Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan), and L.A.P.D. Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker), as they go on vacation in Hong Kong. Rush Hour 2 takes place 3 days after the events of the first film. Lee and Carter are going to have fun, but as soon as they realize that the Triads are involved in a counterfeiting scam they can't walk away.
Directed by Brett Ratner, Rush Hour 2 marks the best film in his career. Brett Ratner did everything right in this film.
Rush Hour 2 was made on a budget of $90,000,000 and the film grossed $347,425,832 worldwide, making it the biggest success financially in the series.
Rush Hour 2 is another buddy cop masterpiece and my personal favorite of the Rush Hour film series. Brett Ratner's best. 10/10.
Chikyu sentai Fiveman (1990)
Chikyuu Sentai Faibuman (Earth Squadron Fiveman) (1990-1991): An Extremely Underrated Super Sentai Series
Chikyuu Sentai Faibuman (Earth Squadron Fiveman) is a Japanese Tokusatsu series. It was TOEI Company Limited's 14th installment of the Super Sentai TV series. It aired on TV Asahi from March 2, 1990 - February 8, 1991, with 48 episodes. The international title for this show is Sky Rangers.
In the year 1970, Doctor Hiroshi Hoshikawa was researching how to transform the planet Sedon into a beautiful, green, lush world, testing it by attempting to grow flowers. On the first day the flower bloomed,the Galactic Imperial Army Zone launched an assault on the planet. He and his wife, Midori Hoshikawa, were separated from their children. A robot who was friends with Doctor and Mrs. Hoshikawa, Arthur G6, took the five children back to Earth and raised them.
Now 20 years later in the year 1990, the five are now teachers at New Town Elementary School. The Galactic Imperial Army Zone invades Earth as its 1,000th target. If the Zone Empire successfully conquers 1,000 planets, they will obtain global domination. As they begin the invasion, three vehicles appear and fight against them. Five warriors descend from their vehicles and confront Zone.
The Hoshikawa siblings have been developing the Fiveman technology and training hard upon the possible threat and attack of the Zone Empire. Now the five siblings are ready to battle Zone Empire as Fiveman.
Fiveman's main series writer was Hirohisa Soda. He was the main series writer since Dai Sentai Goggle-V (1982-1983). TOEI fired him after the extremely poor ratings of Fiveman that almost caused the permanent cancellation of the Super Sentai series in its entirety!
For being the first Super Sentai series of the 1990's, the plot is very good. Not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but very watchable. The music is fantastic composed by Akihiko Yoshida. The opening and ending themes are great as well! Fiveman is the first Sentai series where all the team members are siblings, meaning that they all have much greater bonds together than previous teams.
For those who love the Super Sentai series as much as I do, will most likely enjoy this series as the story is good, the characters are good, and the music is fantastic. Remi Hoshikawa/Five Yellow is my favorite character of the series.
Overall, an extremely underrated Super Sentai series. Recommended for Super Sentai fans. I really did enjoy this series and you will too.
8/10.
The Greatest Showman (2017)
The Greatest Showman (2017): A Great Musical Film
The Greatest Showman is a 2017 American musical biography film starring Hugh Jackman, Zack Efron, and Zendaya.
The Greatest Showman is not a masterpiece but it is very entertaining and you'll definitely enjoy it. The music is great even though I really don't like musicals. I know this review is extremely short but I don't want to spoil anything since the movie is still in theaters. Go watch It!!!
A great movie but not a masterpiece. 8/10. I recommend this, especially if you like musicals.
Rush Hour (1998)
Rush Hour (1998): The Fastest Hands in the East Meets the Biggest Mouth in the West
Rush Hour is a 1998 American buddy cop action comedy film starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker as two cops that have nothing in common working together to rescue the daughter of a Chinese diplomat who has been captured while also arresting a crime lord.
Directed by Brett Ratner, the film features a ton of action and drama. Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker's humor is phenomenal. This is a film you will surely remember.
Rush Hour was made on a budget of $33,000,000. Rush Hour grossed $244,400,000, making it a huge success. Because of the success of Rush Hour, it was followed by two sequels, Rush Hour 2 (2001), and Rush Hour 3 (2007).
Rush Hour's film score was conducted and composed by living-legend - Lalo Schifrin ("Bullitt", "Enter The Dragon"). The music is absolutely amazing and is one of the best if not the best thing about the movie. I could listen to this music forever and I wouldn't get bored of it.
A perfect action comedy film. This film is a buddy cop masterpiece and one of my favorite films ever. 10/10.
Creed (2015)
Creed (2015): An Amazing 7th Installment in the ROCKY Saga
Creed is an American sports drama film starring Sylvester Stallone, Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, and Anthony Bellew. The film is written by and directed by Ryan Coogler.
Creed is a spectacular film with excellent performances, especially with Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone. Ryan Coogler does an amazing job directing the film, showing the modern side of Philadephia and how much the scenery has changed since the original ROCKY (1976). Creed, much like the orginal ROCKY, ROCKY II (1979), and the previously released ROCKY BALBOA (2006), deals with a ton of drama and Creed captivates and touches all the emotions in every right way possible.
Creed had a budget of $40,000,000 and grossed $173,600,000 worldwide. Sylvester Stallone won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in Creed. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for the same role as Rocky Balboa in Creed. He really should have won that Oscar.
Creed is a perfect film. It is everything I never expected this film to be. 10/10. A great film and maybe in another 10 years this movie will be a classic. Highly Recommended, especially for the ROCKY fans.
Impractical Jokers (2011)
Impractical Jokers (2011-Ongoing): LARRY!!!!!!!!!
Impractical Jokers is an American comedy television series that stars Joseph Gatto (My favorite), Brian "Q" Quinn, James "Murr" Murray, and Sal Vulcano.
The show is basically a show where 4 lifelong friends attempt to prank each other in the most insane ways.
This show is absolutely hilarious and a must-watch.
10/10
Rocky Balboa (2006)
Rocky Balboa (2006): It Ain't Over Till It's Over - A Truly Amazing Finale to One of the Greatest Film Franchises Of All-Time
ROCKY BALBOA (2006) is an American sports drama film starring Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young, and Antonio Tarver. The film is written by and directed by Sylvester Stallone. The film also co-stars Tony Burton, Milo Ventimiglia, Geraldine Hughes, and James Francis Kelly III. Pedro Lovell also makes a special guest appearance as Spider Rico, who was Rocky's opponent in the club fight in the original ROCKY (1976). Mike Tyson makes a brief appearance as himself.
When he loses a highly publicized virtual boxing match to 2-time former Heavyweight Champion ROCKY BALBOA (Sylvester Stallone), reigning heavyweight champion Mason Dixon (Antonio Tarver) retaliates by challenging the Italian Stallion to a nationally-televised, 10-round exhibition bout. To the surprise of his son (Milo Ventimiglia) and friends, Rocky agrees to come out of retirement and face an opponent who's faster, stronger, and thirty years his junior. With the odds stacked firmly against him, Rocky takes on Dixon in what will become the greatest fight in boxing history, a hard-hitting, action-packed battle of the ages!
ROCKY BALBOA features once again the phenomenal music score by Bill Conti who composed the music for the original ROCKY (1976), ROCKY II (1979), ROCKY III (1982), and ROCKY V (1990). This is the last film in the franchise that Stallone directed.
ROCKY BALBOA had a budget of $24,000,000. The film grossed $155,000,000 worldwide, making it a great success financially.
Overall, with phenomenal music, drama, acting, and the most realistic boxing fight out of the entire franchise, ROCKY BALBOA (2006) gives the franchise justice and marks the end of the series with a classic bang that'll have you cheering for Rocky once more in the final fight of his life.
9/10. Highly recommended.
Rocky V (1990)
Rocky V (1990): Go For It!
Rocky V is a 1990 film starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Tommy Morrison, Richard Gant, Sage Stallone, and Burgess Meredith. The film was written by Sylvester Stallone and directed by OSCAR winning director John G. Avildsen, who directed the original ROCKY (1976).
Upon returning from his latest triumph, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) learns that all his money has been lost by an unscrupulous financial advisor. To make matters worse, his fight-related injuries force his retirement from the ring. So Rocky, his wife Adrian (Talia Shire), his friend Paulie (Burt Young), and his son Rocky Jr. (Sage Stallone) move to their old, low-rent neighborhood in South Philadelphia. There, the fighter must resolve the deep-rooted resentment held by his son, a bitterness that grows when Rocky trains Tommy "The Machine" Gunn (Tommy Morrison), a young boxer who soon rises to national prominence. When Tommy turns against his mentor and publicly taunts him, Rocky knows he must fight once more.
ROCKY V was made on a budget of $42,000,000. The film grossed $120,000,000 worldwide, making it the least successful film financially in the entire franchise. The film is reviewed by fans and critics alike as the worst film in the ROCKY franchise.
While I do agree that ROCKY V is the worst film in the franchise, I do believe that ROCKY V is supremely underrated. The music by Bill Conti once again is superb. Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, and Burgess Meredith all have wonderful performances as they have had in ROCKY - ROCKY IV. Sage Stallone has an OK performance. Could have been better, could have been worse. Real-life boxer Tommy Morrison does a decent job as Tommy "The Machine" Gunn. John G. Avildsen, who directed the original ROCKY (1976), does a good job at the director's chair for one last ROCKY film.
Overall, ROCKY V, while being the worst film in the franchise, still is a highly underrated film. I thought that this was a very decent film.
6/10.
Rocky IV (1985)
Rocky IV (1985): The Winner and Still Champ
Rocky IV (1985) is an American sports drama film starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Brigitte Nielsen, and Dolph Lundgren. The film is written by and directed by Sylvester Stallone.
ROCKY IV was the first and only film in the Rocky franchise not to have the classic side-scrolling screen intro. Instead, the intro has two boxing gloves, one representing the USA and the other representing the USSR (SOVIET UNION). Both gloves smash into each other and explode while Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" is playing.
The film starts up with the "flashback" scene that shows the events from the end of the previous installment in the franchise ROCKY III (1982). It shows the Heavyweight Championship Rematch Title Fight between southpaw Rocky Balboa and the reigning Heavyweight Champion of the World James "Clubber" Lang. Rocky ends up KO'ing Clubber in the 3rd round. Rocky is crowned for the second and final time the NEW HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD. Rocky owes Creed a favor and they spar each other in Mickey's gym.
After the flashback of ROCKY III, we are now ready to dive into the beginning of ROCKY IV. The national amateur boxing champion of the USSR Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) along with his gold medal olympic swimming wife Ludmilla (Brigitte Nielsen) arrive from the USSR and come to the USA to challenge the Heavyweight Champion of the World Rocky "The Italian Stallion" Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) to a boxing match. However, Rocky's former rival, former Heavyweight Champion of the World, and a long-time friend Apollo "The Master of Disaster" Creed (Carl Weathers) challenges Drago to an exhibition bout instead. Rocky is hesitant due to the fact that Apollo Creed has been retired for over five years. Apollo, as cocky as he was in the original ROCKY, believes he can beat this "chump" easy. The fight takes place in California and is billed "SUPERMAN vs. SUPERHYPE". Ivan Drago fights Apollo Creed. The first round has Drago relentlessly beating Creed to a pulp. In the second round, Apollo is nearly destroyed when Tony "Duke" Evers (Tony Burton) encourages Rocky to throw in the towel and stop the fight. With the final blow, Drago brutally murders Apollo Creed in the ring.
This fight causes much controversy and negative attention towards Ivan Drago.
Rocky decides to fight the 2,000 PSI fighter in the ring in Moscow, Russia, USSR to avenge Apollo's death. The fight is set December 25th. Rocky will make no money whatsoever from this fight as to him it is not about the money. Rocky has to temporary give up his title in order to fight Drago due to the fact that the Boxing Commission does not approve of this fight because of Apollo's death.
Rocky goes to train in Russia, where his wife, Adrian (Talia Shire), his friend and Adrian's sister Paulie (Burt Young), and Tony join him. Rocky relentlessly trains for this fight. He trains the hardest he has ever in his life, even more than his fight against Clubber Lang.
The fight takes place. The athletes go back and forth. The fight is a very close one. It is the fifteenth round. Rocky knocks Drago down and wins the fight. There is overjoy for Rocky Balboa. He gives a speech on changing stating that everyone can change. The movie ends with Rocky waving the American flag in the air and rejoicing over the result of the fight.
ROCKY IV, at 91 minutes, is the shortest film in the whole franchise, and it shows that a lot. The pacing feels a little bit rushed. Not a terrible thing though. I just wished the film was a little bit longer.
ROCKY IV marks Stallone's third film that he directed n the series after ROCKY II (1979), and ROCKY III (1982). Sylvester Stallone would go on to direct ROCKY BALBOA (2006).
ROCKY IV was made on a budget of $30,000,000. The film grossed $300,000,000, making it the most successful film in the entire franchise and the highest grossing boxing film of all-time.
ROCKY IV features John Cafferty's "Hearts On Fire" which is a huge hit song. Bill Conti, who composed the music for ROCKY, ROCKY II, and ROCKY III, could not return to compose the music for ROCKY IV due to the fact that he was too busy working on the music for THE KARATE KID (1984) and The Karate Kid Part II (1986). Sylvester Stallone hired Vince DiCola to compose the music for the film. Vince DiCola won a Razzie Award for Worst Film Score. However, I think that that is absolute crap considering how great the film score is and how much popularity his score for the film has had. I still like Bill Conti's score more however. You do see brief notes of Bill Conti's score in the film but not much.
ROCKY IV, while lacking a lot of plot and being more a revenge story than an underdog story that the first 3 movies were, ROCKY IV is still an incredibly enjoyable film and just as good as ROCKY III in some ways.
9/10
Rocky III (1982)
Rocky III (1982): The Greatest Challenge
Rocky III (1982) is an American sports drama film starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith, and Mr. T. The film was written by and directed by Sylvester Stallone.
The film starts with the classic "ROCKY III" side-scrolling intro , this time with The Ring Heavyweight Championship Title Belt in the background instead of a black background that was used in ROCKY (1976) and ROCKY II (1979). The film has a flashback of what happened from the previous installment, ROCKY II.
We see the rematch between Rocky Balboa (The Challenger) and World Heavyweight Champion Apollo Creed. Both of the men after 14 rounds of intense fighting collapse to the ground. If Creed makes it back up, he retains the title. If Rocky makes it up, he is the new Heavyweight Champion of the World. If neither make it up, it is a draw and Creed automatically retains the title. Rocky makes it up while Apollo collapses. Rocky shocks the world and is crowned the NEW HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD. He throws the title over his shoulder and gives Mickey a hug in the final scene.
After the flashback/intro, we are introduced to the beginning of ROCKY III. After winning the World Heavyweight Championship from Apollo Creed, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) enjoys the rich life. He has had 10 title defenses and has won each and every won of them. He is currently on top of the world.
He and his wife, Adrian (Talia Shire) are living very prosperous and have nothing to worry about. Rocky has now made millions of dollars and millions of fans across the world. Rocky goes to a press conference where he is awarded a statue of himself placed at the top of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Adrian and Rocky's trainer, Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith) are with him as well. This is where Rocky announces his retirement. That is, until the #1 Ranked Heavyweight Contender - James "Clubber" Lang (Mr. T.) challenges him to a Championship bout. Rocky accepts the offer. Mickey is hesitant at first but Rocky convinces him to train him. Rocky, filled with the fans and money, becomes over confident with this fight. Mickey, however, wants him and Rocky to go back to the old gym and make Rocky train hard. Rocky declines. Eventually, the fight takes place. Mickey has a heart attack and is in critical condition. Rocky hesitates to go out and fight because of Mickey's health. He asks Adrian what to do. Mickey yells at him and tells him to go out and fight using a passionate tone. Rocky, taking Mickey's advice, goes out and fights Clubber. Rocky, undetermined and under confident from Mickey's heart problem, gets KO'd by Clubber Lang in the 2nd Round and loses the title. CLUBBER LANG is the NEW HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD. After the fight, Rocky rushes to Mickey's side and talks to him. Mickey expresses his admiration and respect for Rocky before slowly fading away. Mickey dies on the spot.
Shortly after Mickey's death, Rocky and Adrian have a funeral for Mickey. The funeral is very short and very private. After the funeral, Rocky drives on his motorcycle through Philadelphia. He visits the "ROCKY" statue mentioned earlier in the film and he throws his helmet at the statue out of anger as to what has happened. He goes and visits "Mighty Mick's Boxing" Gym, which was were Rocky trained with Mickey before he died. He reminisces his past days. Former World Heavyweight Champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) talks to Rocky and offers to train him for a rematch with Clubber Lang. Rocky accepts. Rocky, Adrian, Apollo, and Paulie (Rocky's friend; Adrian's brother) (Burt Young) go to California. Apollo trains Rocky there at Tough Gym where Apollo started training as a boxer. Rocky starts training like a bum afraid of the fight and having little confidence in himself. Apollo and Adrian encourage him to fight with full 100% heart, but for himself. Not over Mickey's death, not for the money or fans, and not for the title. Rocky then puts 100% into his training. We are shown a training montage with Creed training Rocky and Creed running with Rocky across the beach.
The rematch takes place at Madison Square Garden. Apollo wants Rocky to wear his "American" (Red, White, and Blue) trunks that Creed wore in the original fight with Rocky Balboa from the original ROCKY (1976). Rocky agrees and Apollo mentions a favor that Rocky owes him after the fight is over.
Rocky and Clubber head into the ring with their crew at ringside. The fight begins. Rocky and Clubber go head to head. Rocky then uses his stamina and lets the champ beat him up really hard. Rocky waits until Clubber is tired and then goes in with the punches. Rocky KO'S Clubber Lang in the 3rd Round. Rocky exhausted from the match, joins with Adrian, Paulie, and Creed. Rocky Balboa is for a second time crowned the NEW HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD.
Rocky joins Creed in the gym for a fight behind closed doors with no press or media. Just a fair fight. Rocky and Apollo go in with punches and the film ends with Rocky and Creed fighting. It is unknown who wins the fight. End Credits.
"Rocky III" was made on a budget of $17,000,000. The film grossed $270,000,000, making it the 2nd most successful film financially in the entire series.
Sylvester Stallone returned to direct ROCKY III (1982), after previously directing ROCKY II (1979). He directed the film due to John G. Avildsen (the director of the original ROCKY) rejecting. John G. Avildsen rejected to direct the film because he deeply wanted Stallone to direct the film after the massive success of ROCKY II.
The movie's hit song, Survivor - "Eye of the Tiger" topped the charts and was nominated an Academy Award for Best Original Song. This song is still referenced and used to this day.
ROCKY III (1982) is a very interesting sequel as it is much different from its predecessors. While not as good as ROCKY and ROCKY II, ROCKY III is still a classic and one of the best in the ROCKY franchise. Highly recommended.
9/10.
Rocky II (1979)
Rocky II (1979): A Sequel Just as Good as the Original
Rocky II is a 1979 sports drama film starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burgess Meredith. The film was written by and directed by Sylvester Stallone.
The film starts with the classic side-scrolling "Rocky II" title card and we are introduced to the film with a six-minute flashback of what happened at the end of the first film, "Rocky" (1976), where Rocky "The Italian Stallion" Balboa fights World Heavyweight Champion Apollo Creed for the title. The fight ends in a split decision (Apollo wins) and Adrian comes to rocky and they profess their love for each other, not caring about the result of the fight.
Right after the fight, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), Adrian Pennino (Talia Shire) (His girlfriend), Paulie Pennino (Burt Young) (His friend; Adrian's brother), and Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith) (His trainer) are bombarded with the press. The press wants to ask questions about the fight. Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), his manager, and his wife are also bombarded and asked questions by the press. Both Rocky and Apollo are taken to the same hospital. Apollo challenges Rocky to a rematch, but Rocky declines and retires from professional boxing. Adrian and the doctors agree with Rocky on retiring from professional boxing because of Rocky's severely damaged eye that will need surgery and could cause permanent blindness. Rocky goes to Apollo's room (in private), and asks Creed whether he gave Rocky his best shot. Creed agrees and says yes. After Rocky's surgery is completed and he leaves the hospital, he enjoys the benefits of the changes in his life. Rocky proposes to Adrian. Adrian agrees and they both get married at a small wedding with just Marie (The pet shop owner), Mickey Goldmill, Paulie Pennino, and Tony Gazzo (Joe Spinell) (Rocky's former boss; Rocky's good friend) attending the ceremony. Rocky gets a new car, house, and luxurious clothes. Adrian soon after her marriage with Rocky, announces that she is pregnant. Simultaneously, fueled with rage from hate mail from fans all over the world, Apollo Creed becomes obsessed with the idea that a rematch with southpaw Rocky Balboa is the only way to prove that Rocky's stupendous performance from the last fight was just a fluke (meaning that he was crazy lucky and he had no true skill). Creed ignores his family's and friend's requests to let go and fight new opponents in the ring, and he tells his team to do whatever it takes to get Rocky in the ring, even if it means publicly humiliating Rocky setting Creed as the bad guy. At first, Rocky doesn't care what Apollo says, he won't have a rematch. However, Rocky's inexperience with money leads him into financial problems. After numerous unsuccessful attempts to find himself employment, Rocky returns to Mickey "Mighty Mick" Goldmill, his former trainer for the original fight with Creed, and talks to him about possibly returning to boxing and taking on Creed in the rematch. At first, Mickey rejects Rocky's offer in favor of Rocky's heath. But after Apollo Creed publicly taunts and humiliates Rocky all over the world, Mickey accepts Rocky's offer and will let himself train Rocky. Adrian speaks to Rocky and tells him the dangers of boxing and what could happen to his eyesight. She doesn't want him to fight. Rocky argues saying that fighting in the ring is the only thing that he knows and that it is the only way that he can provide for the family financially. Adrian is extremely mad at Rocky due to the fact that he made a promise to her that he would never fight again. She refuses to support him. Rocky and Mickey start training. However, Rocky starts training like a bum and has a half-hearted attitude towards training due to his wife's disapproval. Paulie confronts Adrian to settle this argument between her and Rocky, but during this confrontation, She faints and collapses on the spot. She is rushed into the hospital, and goes into labor. Despite the baby being born 1 month premature, the baby is healthy. It turns out that the baby is a boy. This is all good news. However, Adrian falls into a coma. Rocky blames entirely himself for what happened, he promises to never leave her bedside until she wakes up, and to not see the baby until she wakes up where they will both together see their baby for the first time. Adrian awakes from her coma. She sees Rocky at her bedside. The couple are shown their baby for the first time and they name it Rocky Jr. Adrian then gives her blessing to the rematch. Rocky then trains harder then he ever has in his life, with Mickey's help in and outside the gym. He finishes his training by running through the streets of Philadelphia and ending his run at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Which he also run at in the first film, "Rocky" (1976),) where he is joined by hundreds of other children, who are extras in the film. When makes it to the top of the steps, He does his famous pose and throws some jabs, ending his training. The night of the rematch arrives, and Creed has made a goal of KO'ing Rocky within the first two rounds to prove that the first fight going the full 15 rounds was just a fluke. This rematch is not as close as the first outing as Rocky has to fight right-handed to protect his eye from Creed. Apollo dominated most of the match and Rocky only wins a couple rounds. At the fifteenth round, Creed is far ahead by points and only needs to stay alive a few more minutes and he will retain the World Heavyweight Title. He ignores his trainer's pleas and goes for the KO to prove that the last fight was nothing but a fluke. Rocky switches back to southpaw fighting, and both of the men, tired and exhausted, knock each other to the ground. If Creed gets back up before Rocky, He retains the title. If neither get back up, it is a draw and Creed automatically retains the title. Rocky, shocking the whole wide world, gets up while Creed falls down to the ground. Rocky is crowned the NEW HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD. Rocky speaks through the microphone and states that "Apart from my child being born, this is the greatest night in the history of my life." He lifts the Heavyweight title belt into the air and screams "Yo Adrian, I did it!" (Adrian is at home watching the fight due to her baby.) Rocky throws the title belt over his shoulder and hugs Mickey in the final scene.
"Rocky II" (1979) was made off a budget of $7,000,000. The film grossed $200,000,000 worldwide, making it the most successful film of 1979.
Rocky II was Sylvester Stallone's directorial debut in the franchise and he would go on to direct Rocky III (1982), Rocky IV (1985), and Rocky Balboa (2006). John G. Avildsen, the director of the original ROCKY (1976), could not return to direct ROCKY II due to his work on Saturday Night Fever (1977). He was fired 2 weeks before principal photography began due to a fight with an actor.
Bill Conti once again returned to compose the music for the film. He composed the music for the original ROCKY (1976).
Rocky II (1979) was the first of many Rocky sequels. It stands out as the best Rocky sequel to me. In my opinion, it is just as good as the original. Rocky II (1979) is a classic that you sure won't want to miss. 10/10. Highly recommended.
Rocky (1976)
Rocky (1976): His Whole Life Was a Million-to-One Shot
Rocky (1976) is a film directed by John G. Avildsen (1935-2017). The flim was written and stars Sylvester Stallone. The film co-stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burgess Meredith. Thayer David (1927-1978) and Jimmy Gambina also co-star.
Sylvester Stallone wrote the script for "Rocky" in 3 and a half days. United Artists loved Stallone's script and were planning to use it as a vehicle for an already famous star, such as Burt Reynolds or James Caan. Sylvester Stallone wanted to star in the film. The producers agreed. Sylvester Stallone later stated "If the film became a huge success without me in it, I would have never forgiven myself."
The film was mostly shot in Philadelphia. The film used Garret Brown's Steadicam for the training scenes and some of the fighting scenes.
The most famous scene of the film is where after Rocky trains for the fight he runs up the Philadelphia Museum of Art (AKA "Rocky Steps") and raises his arms in the air.
Rocky is a film about the rags-to-riches story of a small-time boxer named Rocky "The Italian Stallion" Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), who is uneducated but kind-hearted. He is an Italian-American boxer who also works a debt collector for Tony Gazzo (Joe Spinell) in the streets of Philadelphia. Rocky starts out a club-fighter. However, World Heavyweight Champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) finds out 5 weeks before his Bicentennial Super Fight that his opponent has severely injured his hand. With all the other ranked contenders either scheduled or busy doing something else, Creed decides to choose an unknown to have a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship. He chooses Rocky. Rocky now has a shot to become a World Heavyweight Champion. He has a best friend Paulie (Burt Young), who is an abusive drunk. Paulie's sister, Adrian, Rocky meets at the pet shop that she works at. Rocky goes every day and night to tell her a joke. Eventually, they go out on a date and kiss. Adrian is timid and shy and Rocky is strong but uneducated. They have great chemistry together and provide a great bond throughout the film. Rocky meets Miles Jergens (Thayer David) who offers him the title shot. Rocky reluctantly agrees, with his pay being $150,000. He tells Adrian about this. After a few weeks of training, Rocky agrees for Mickey "Mighty Mick" Goldmill, a highly respected trainer/manager and a former Bantamweight boxer from the 1920's, who earlier in the film, criticizes Rocky for not showing all his potential. Paulie becomes very jealous of Rocky's success and Rocky weakens his anger by letting his company Shamrock Meats be advertised for Rocky, paying Paulie $3,000. The night before the fight, Rocky begins to doubt himself after walking around the arena. He talks to Adrian, stating that he doesn't expect to win, he just wants to go the distance with Creed so that he can prove to himself that he was no bum from the neighborhood. The next day on New Year's Day (January 1, 1976), Rocky Balboa takes on Apollo Creed for the World Heavyweight Championship. Creed is very cocky at first and Rocky knocks him down to the ground - the first time Creed has ever been knocked down. Creed then takes Rocky more seriously but still never loses his cocky ego. Rocky goes the distance with Creed after 15 rounds of intense boxing. The bell rings and the fight is over. Both fighters get off of each over. The result of the fight is a split decision (8:7, 7:8, 9:6). Apollo Creed retains the title. In the end, Rocky and Adrian profess their love to each other, not caring about the result of the fight.
"Rocky" was a sleeper hit made off of a small $1,000,000 budget. The film grossed $225,000,000 worldwide. It is the highest grossing film of 1976. Rocky has a worldwide percentage return of over 11,000 percent. The film, if converted into 2015 prices, would have grossed $460,000,000.
"Rocky" is critically acclaimed and is considered one of the greatest films of all time. The film won 3 Academy Awards:
1. Best Picture - "Rocky" (1976) - Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff (Producers)
2. Best Director - John G. Avildsen
3: Best Film Editing - Richard Halsey and Scott Conrad
The film was also nominated for 7.
In 2006, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".
In my opinion, "Rocky" (1976) is THE GREATEST FILM OF ALL-TIME. It is truly the ultimate underdog story. 10/10. A film you must see before you die.
Tang shan da xiong (1971)
The Big Boss (AKA "Fists of Fury") (1971): An Overnight Sensation and The Turning Point of Martial Arts Cinema
After trying to make a big name in the US with the TV series "The Green Hornet" which was a mixed bag, legendary actor and martial artist Bruce Lee traveled back to Hong Kong where he was very popular as a child actor in the past. He met producer Raymond Chow who allowed him to star in a martial arts film. "Tang Shan Da Xiong", or "The Big Boss" (U.S. Title: "Fists of Fury") was the film he starred in and was the result of the beginning of Bruce Lee's legendary martial arts film career.
The film's original director was Ng Kar-seung. He choose James Tien to have the starring role. However, after only 1 week into production, Ng Kar-seung left the project and Lo Wei became the director. When he became the director Bruce Lee and James Tien's roles got switched. Bruce Lee got the starring role while James Tien was the co-star.
"The Big Boss" is about a young Chinese man named Cheng Chao-an (Bruce Lee) travels from China to Pak Chong, Thailand in search of a job. He goes to live with his distant cousins. They offer him a job at the ice factory. He works there and develops a good relationship with cousin Hsu Chien (James Tien) and a huge affection for Chiao Mei (Maria Yi). Cheng is a skilled fighter. However, he swore to his mother an oath of non-violence, keeping him out of fights and trouble. However, things get messy when his cousins start to disappear and the true dark secret of the ice factory is revealed. Cheng will now have to break his oath and fight Hsiao Mi (Han Ying-chieh).
Directed by Lo Wei (1918-1996), the film was a turning point in martial arts cinema as it showed a flawed protagonist in a new setting. Before "The Big Boss", most martial arts films were bashers. Basher films were martial arts films where the fighting was just the waving of the hands and feet. There was no real style to it. Bruce Lee changed the martial arts world with this film because his fight scenes had style and charisma. This film, written by Lo Wei and Bruce Lee, has a ton of suspense and action. It is very different from most martial arts film as Bruce Lee's character doesn't fight until half way through the movie. This film not only made Bruce Lee an overnight sensation across Asia, but it inspired his later film making skills and changed the way martial arts films have been done ever since the premiere of The Big Boss on October 23, 1971 in Hong Kong.
The Big Boss was produced on a small budget of $100,000. The film grossed $3,197,417. The Big Boss was the highest grossing film of all-time in Hong Kong, only being beaten by Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury (AKA "The Chinese Connection") the following year in 1972. The film even beat The Sound of Music (1965). The Big Boss is the highest grossing film of 1971 in Hong Kong.
Lo Wei, as a film director, has a very mixed reception with his films. The Big Boss (1971), however, is definitely one of his best films. However, Lo Wei, at times, would watch horse racing instead of actually directing the film that he is supposed to. Lo Wei was much more interested with being entertained with himself than with production of the film. Bruce Lee became incensed by this and only worked with Wei on one last film - Fist of Fury (1972).
Bruce Lee was an amazing martial artist and actor. He perfectly plays his role in The Big Boss and delivers the best performance of the whole cast in the film. James Tien, Maria Yi, Malelene, Lee Kwan, Tony Liu, and Han Ying-chieh are also great. Nora Miao (Credited as Miao Ke-hsiu) makes a special guest appearance as a drinkstand owner. Granted, there are a few flaws to this film. It is somewhat outdated and many (not me though) will not like the fact that Lee doesn't fight for half of the movie, but I think that this makes the film even better. The reason why? We get to see Bruce Lee act a lot more (his facial expressions, personality, thoughts, fears, etc.). Despite the films flaws, "The Big Boss" (1971) is a classic and deserves a 9/10 in my book. Highly recommended.