Rocky IV |  | Director: Sylvester Stallone
Actors: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Brigitte Nielsen
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy Used: $4.56
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New (8) Used (17) from $4.56
Seller: goHastings
Rating:  133 reviews
Sales Rank: 5,517
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Languages: English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), Russian (Original Language), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Discs: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Running Time: 91 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: MGMD1007436D
UPC: 027616915177
EAN: 0027616915177
ASIN: B0006GAOGI
Theatrical Release Date: November 27, 1985
Release Date: February 8, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Rocky fights the mighty Russian Drago, who has killed Rocky's friend and trainer Apollo Creed in a fight.
Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: PG
Release Date: 8-FEB-2005
Media Type: DVD
Amazon.com
It was time for Sylvester Stallone to say "enough, already" to the boxing hero he plays in the popular Rocky film series, but instead Stallone kept the saga going by pushing Rocky into Rambo territory. The 1985 Rocky IV finds the Italian stallion pitted against a seemingly unbeatable Russian monster named Drago (Dolph Lundgren) who lets his wife (Stallone's then-wife, Brigitte Nielsen) do all the talking. With a mighty punch, Drago has sent Rocky's former opponent and trainer Apollo Creed to an early grave, and the boxer responds with the ultimate challenge. Even the Russians are rooting for Rocky, so it's not hard to guess how the film ends. Despite Stallone's claims to the contrary, this installment was followed by Rocky V in 1990. --Jeff Shannon
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 133
 Rocky IV June 28, 2010
Jose Lopez (Miami,Florida USA)
Return of Rocky,this time he fights a dirty soviet commie, Rocky Represents what is good about America, Freedom. I liked the Movie as much as the previous installments.
'You and me............We Don't Even Have a Choice' June 17, 2010
G. Garner (vicksburg,ms)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
It is fashionable to bash films such as this, for the obvious reasons. Anything that is associated with patriotism is liable to be attacked by film critics, and those who emulate them eagerly follow suit. But Rocky 4 is a truly great movie. I can offer one or two criticisms, both of which have to do with the final five minutes of the film. Aside from these minor weaknesses, I would regard this as one of the finest films of the 80's.
With Rocky 4, Stallone does something that is truly rare. For one film, he takes the character off into uncharted territory. I find this to be a master stroke on his part. The circumstances of the film veer off into unabashed melodrama, with political and personal overtones that are unparalleled within the confines of this series. The other Rocky films all have an everyday charm about them. They deal much more heavily in the mundane factors of day-to-day life. However, in Rocky 4, we find the hero in the middle of something he could never have foreseen. His best friend is killed in the ring. To make matters worse, he blames himself, to an extent, for his demise.
Of course, all of this is set against the backdrop of the Cold War. Since the opposing fighter is Russian, the situation is imbued with an animosity that is much more universal in nature. Before long, the fight is being openly described as a battle for supremacy between cultures, and nations, rather than between two men. The weight that Rocky carries is unimaginable. He finds himself representing the aspirations of his country, when he is not even fully convinced that he can hope to achieve any personal satisfaction, even at best.
After all, as Adrian points out, even if he wins, Apollo is still gone.
I find this dilemma fascinating, largely BECAUSE of the fact that it carries Rocky into an entirely different arena than that in which we are accustomed to seeing him. Some people criticize Rocky 4 for this very reason, which I find to be hypocritical. They say it is too different from the remainder of the series. Now, if Stallone had made another film with Rocky sitting in the ghetto with Adrian and Paulie, these same people would accuse him of being derivative, of doing the same old same old, of lacking any imagination.
I think the melodrama, the larger-than-life circumstances, help to make this a great film. As you will recall, Stallone only did this once. It's not like he tried to make this into an action series.
I have always regarded the death of Apollo Creed as one of the greatest moments in American cinema. This is largely owing to the fact that, during this critical span, the political overtones all but vanish. What we see is not a flag, or a country, but a brave man, who simply cannot bear the idea of giving up, no matter how terribly he is beaten. Check out that shot of his wife, frantically trying to fight her way through the crowd to get to her dying husband's side. There are several small moments, such as this, that help to make this an unusually powerful scene.
The problem with this film is, it was so popular, and so successful, that it became emblematic of the things that the critics hate, in general. As a result, you have people who claim the movie sucks, who have never even watched it. Rocky 4 is almost synonymous with simplistic patriotism and mindless action.
Neither of these things are as pronounced as they would have you to believe, though. The flag-waving is there, to be sure. But Stallone does not set out to overly idealize America or its people. When Drago and his entourage arrive, they are not treated all that graciously. The press is openly disrespectful,Apollo Creed treats the Russian with contempt, and the crowd shows no class at all. If Stallone were really trying to make us look so pristine, he could have had all the Americans behave with much greater civility.
Sure, Rocky 4 has a faster pace than the other Rocky movies. But it is still a relatively slow moving, traditional drama. It is not, by any stretch of the imagination, an 'action' film.
Aside from the nationalistic overtones, there are several themes at work here. One of the most striking is Apollo's dread at the idea of sinking into obscurity. His depression over his own fading star was one of the driving forces that impelled him back into the ring. Now, does this sound vaguely familiar to anyone? I mean, this was 1985, after all. Nevertheless, Stallone recognized the powerful sway that public approbation has on people, and used it as Creed's motivation for climbing back into the ring. Long before 'Balloon Boy' or reality tv, Stallone had the insight to recognize the irresistable lure of fame and public recognition.
And, from a purely historic perspective, it might be of interest to young Americans that we once had enemies who did not have to skulk around carrying briefcases. We once had enemies who had the capacity to take us on in a straight fight, and have a reasonable chance of winning.
I mentioned that I have problems with the ending. This is twofold. First, I think the fight is too long. The first two rounds or so are great. But, eventually, even in a movie, you reach a point of diminishing returns. As hard as these two guys were hitting each other, there is no way the fight would have gone past 5 or 6 rounds. Stallone should have reverted to the fights from Part 3, which he kept to a much shorter length. And the speech at the end sort of grated on my nerves. I think he should have at least mentioned his departed friend, Apollo. Altogether, the final five minutes of this movie just sort of fell flat for me.
All in all, though, this was a great one. Nobody plays this type of hero like Stallone. And, if you like that sort of thing, Rocky 4 features what most people would probably call the finest training montage of the series. It is incredible. Lifting wagons loaded with people, dragging a ton of rocks in a sled like an ox, taking a gigantic tree down with an axe, doing pullups more easily than most of us climb out of bed in the morning. There is no denying, Stallone throws himself into this type of film like noone else.
If you like patriotic films, you may indeed enjoy this. But my point is, you don't HAVE to be seeking a patriotic film to like this one. Like all the Rocky movies, this is ultimately the story of a man, and the people in his orbit. The nationalistic themes are largely the backdrop, rather than the essential focus of the story.
Yes, I Definitely Like this Film March 31, 2010
gobirds2 (New England)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
"My name is Drago. I'm a fighter from the Soviet Union. I fight all my life and I never lose. Soon I fight Rocky Balboa, and the world will see his defeat. Soon, the whole world will know my name." And so goes the ROCK IV trailer. Intriguing stuff.
Rocky goes on to fight Drago, the Russian Champion, in a match hosted inside the Soviet Union. I like this one more each time I watch it. Despite the rather simplistic script, its pure visual cinematic approach is very effective. This cinematic device used here in ROCK IV is full of energy and raw emotion as it builds to an incredibly moving stand-up-and-cheer crescendo. Yes, I definitely like this film.
If I can change, you can change, we all can change March 24, 2010
Golden Lion (North Ogden, Ut United States)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Rocky IV is the best of the Rocky series. Apollo dies. Rocky fights Ivan in Russia. After the health care passed, I needed to watch a show that reminded me that America is Great; heros dream big and work hard and win; Ivan is not a machine, he is human; Adrianne, I did it; you are a tank, a piece of iron; the America spirit is real.
Russia can change, America can change, we all can change.
Rocky IV Hard to find Item February 8, 2010
J. A. Morin (Chicopee, MA, US)
I had been searching for this DVD for my grandsons birthday and was not having any luck until I went to Amazon and found it. I received a great deal with fast service and a brand new DVD. This DVD is very hard to find, the first three are everywhere but not the last two. Thanks Amazon, my grandson is thrilled.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 133
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