The Rocky Heavyweight Collection brings together all 6 of the Rocky films in a nice, compact collection that contains a newly-remastered version of the first film, as well as a port of the numerous bonus features that have appeared on the various home video releases of the first and final films.
- Rocky (1976)
Thirty-year-old Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is a small-time fighter by night and a collector for a local Philly loan shark by day. He’s tired of being a nobody and wants a better life. While Rocky wins his fights, manager Mickey (Burgess Meredith) says he might as well retire because he only fights easy targets. However, when the opportunity arises to fight boxing heavyweight champion of the world Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) in an exhibition fight, Rocky jumps at the chance. Meanwhile, Rocky’s best friend Paulie (Burt Young) sets him up with his shy sister Adrian (Talia Shire) and the two hit it off instantly. - Rocky II (1979)
Rocky’s amazing performance in the ring against Apollo Creed nearly killed him. Now he is ready to settle down and live a normal life. He proposes to Adrian and the two buy a home and plan to start a family. However, the financial realities of life start to arise. While Adrian is worried that Rocky could go blind if he fights again, Rocky needs to feel like the breadwinner of the family and accepts Apollo Creed’s request for a rematch. - Rocky III (1982)
Rocky is becoming famous for his exploits in the ring, winning match after match and getting lots of endorsement deals. After doing a charity fight with world wrestling champion Thunderlips (Hulk Hogan), Rocky decides it might be time for him to retire. However, rising star Clubber Lang (Mr. ‘T’) is angry and demands his shot at overthrowing the world champion. Lang is a ruthless fighter who pummels his competition, and Mickey is scared he’ll kill Rocky in the ring. But Rocky is insistent on fighting Lang, and seeks training assistance from an unlikely source. - Rocky IV (1985)
Soviet champion fighter Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) and his wife/manager Ludmilla (Brigitte Nielsen) come to the US looking for a match with Rocky. Apollo Creed wants to prove he’s still got it, and takes on the fight himself, but he his unprepared for the tragic thrashing that follows. Rocky wants to avenge his friend and agrees to a Christmas re-match against Drago in Russia. Now he must train like never before to win not only for Apollo but also for his country. - Rocky V (1990)
Since his match with Drago, Rocky has been getting uncontrollable shakes, and it is really time for him to retire. However, Paulie accidentally gave Rocky’s accountant power of attorney and he used it to steal all his money. The bankrupt Rocky is tempted to accept an offer from promoter George Washington Duke (Richard Gant) to fight his star Union Cane (Michael Anthony Williams). But instead, he reopens the gym as a trainer, where he soon meets young fighter Tommy ‘Machine’ Gunn (Tommy Morrison), who may be a little too eager for fame and fortune. - Rocky Balboa (2006)
Several years have passed since the events of the last film. Adrian has passed away, and Rocky now runs a restaurant named after her. He cannot let go of his wife, and Paulie also feels guilt over the way he always treated his sister. The current undefeated boxing champion Mason ‘The Line’ Dixon (Antonio Tarver) can’t seem to win over the public despite his stellar record. So when a televised virtual fight shows him losing to Rocky, he decides to challenge the retired fighter to an exhibition match. Rocky accepts as this may be the way to finally get over the demons that have been haunting him.
It had been at least 10-15 years since the last time I saw any of the Rocky films, and I had never seen the final film before now. However, watching these again, I really saw the progression of this character, and felt his emotionally-charged and inspirational journey. Once that iconic theme started blasting, I was instantly all fired-up.
One thing that surprised me about these movies was that for fight films, there is not actually a lot of fighting. For the most part, the action all comes in the final 20 minutes of each film when the boxing match happens. Instead, these films are more about the characters and their growth.
The first four films do a great job exploring the growth of Rocky as he tries to prove his worth and become a “somebody”. While the first two films find Rocky trying to surmount tough opponent Apollo Creed, it is not until the third and fourth films where his opponent truly becomes a villain. In the third film, Mr. T is perfectly cast as the tough, seemingly impossible to beat Clubber Lang, who could literally smash you to pieces. And just when you think there couldn’t be a tougher opponent, in steps the stoic, almost robotic Ivan Drago in Rocky IV.
While this may be an unpopular opinion, the fourth film is actually my favorite of the franchise. It is a return to this idea of a downfallen man who must pick himself up and overcome insurmountable odds. I especially love the juxtaposed training montages of Drago’s high-tech training and Rocky’s rustic methods—all set to an awesome 80’s soundtrack. It’s also interesting because this is the first time we see Rocky competing surrounded by a crowd that is not rooting for him.
The fifth film was a bit of a miss for me. While it does have some nice character development for Rocky, I found the overall story weak and the fighting disappointing. However, the final film was a nice return to form to close out the franchise. Rocky Balboa does a great job of calling back to moments and characters from the earlier films, while also giving viewers the underdog story that we look for in this kind of film.
As for the Blu-ray, the discs come nicely packaged in a slim six-disc case with a slipcover. The video presentation is for the most part really good, though the earlier films still show quite a bit of grain. The first film gets a new transfer for this release and looks better than ever. The picture quality of the films gets progressively better (though the third film looks excessively grainy at times and is probably the worst-looking of the set). All of the films contain a 5.1 soundtrack, which makes that booming iconic theme sound great, and allows the viewer to feel like part of the crowd during the boxing matches.
While I don’t believe there are any new bonus features for this release, all of the various bonus features found on previous releases of Rocky and Rocky Balboa (and there are a lot of them!) can be found here. There are no extras on the discs for films 2-5, but many of bonus features on disc 1 apply to the first five films. Pretty much anything and everything you could want for bonus features is included.
The Rocky films still hold up quite well today, and this collection is definitely worth checking out!
What’s Included:
Films: (635 min)
- Rocky (1:59:40), Rocky II (1:59:10), Rocky III (1:39:38), Rocky IV (1:31:31), Rocky V (1:44:10), Rocky Balboa (1:41:47)
- 1080p / Widescreen 1.85:1
- Audio: Disc 1: English DTS HD-MA 5.1, English DD 1.0, Spanish DD 1.0, French DTS 5.1, Castillian DTS 5.1, German DTS 5.1, Italian DTS 5.1, Portugese DD 1.0, Russian DD 2.0 /
Discs 2-5: English DTS HD-MA 5.1, English Dolby Surround, Spanish, Castillian DTS 5.1, French DTS 5.1, Portugese, German DTS 5.1, Italian DTS 5.1, Czech, Hungarian, Turkish /
Disc 6: English PCM 5.1 (Uncompressed), English 5.1, French 5.1 - Subtitles: Disc 1: English SDH, Spanish, French, Castillian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish /
Discs 2-5: English SDH, Spanish, Castillian, French, Portuguese, German, Italian, Hungarian, Turkish, Slovenian, Danish, Finnish, Dutch, Norwegian, Indonesian, Swedish, Croatian, Greek, Chinese, Hindi, Hebrew, Korean, Polish, … /
Disc 6: English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras:
- Rocky (Disc 1)
- “8mm Home Movies of Rocky” (1975) (8:13)
Director John G. Avildsen and Production Manager Lloyd Kaufman provide an amusing commentary over this behind-the-scenes footage of the filming of Rocky. They talk about the interesting production tricks they employed explain how these movies were taken to show producers that they needed to film in Philadelphia rather than in LA. - Three Rounds With Legendary Trainer Lou Duva (4:31)
World Champion Manager Lou Duva talks about how he got started in training boxers and how boxing has changed over the years. - Interview with a Legend – Bert Sugar: Author/Commentator and Historian (6:47)
Sports Writer Bert Sugar talks about boxing, its role in films and how Rocky reinvigorated the sport. - “The Opponents” (16:10)
A discussion of the opponents Rocky faces in the ring in the first five films, and the cast who played them. Includes interviews with producer Robert Chartoff and stars Carl Weathers (“Apollo Creed”), Dolph Lundgren (“Ivan Drago”) and Tommy Morrison (“Tommy Gunn”). - In the Ring: Three-Part Making-of Documentary (1:14:59)
The cast and creators talk about the script, the characters, casting the film, and working with the director/other actors. Includes footage from director John Avildsen’s home movies, and interviews with producers Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler, writer/actor Sylvester Stallone, director John Avildsen and stars Carl Weathers (“Apollo Creed”), Talia Shire (“Adrian”) and Burt Young (“Paulie”). Play All or select from “Part I”, “Part II” and “Part III”. - Steadicam: Then and Now with Garrett Brown (17:35)
Cinematographer Garrett Brown, talks about inventing the Steadicam, and using it to film Rocky, including the iconic Art Museum steps scene. - Make Up! The Art and Form with Michael Westmore (15:18)
Make-up Designer & Supervisor Michael Westmore talks about planning and creating the visuals for the fight scenes. He demonstrates the creation of Rocky and Apollo’s facial appliances and fake blood. - Staccato: A Composer’s Notebook with Bill Conti (11:37)
Composer Bill Conti talks about creating the sound of the film, and that iconic Rocky theme. - The Ring of Truth (9:35)
Art Director James Spencer talks about creating the look of the film, and the challenges of working on location versus creating sets from scratch. - Behind the Scenes with John G. Avildsen (12:27)
Director John Avildsen shows some 8mm footage he took of the make-up tests and fighting tests they did in preparation for the film. - Tribute to Burgess Meredith (7:47)
Actors Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young, Carl Weathers and Lee Grant recall what it was like working with the legendary Burgess Meredith. - Tribute to James Crabe (3:37)
Director John Avildsen recalls what it was like working with cinematographer Jimmy Crabe. - Video Commentary with Sylvester Stallone (28:52)
On the 25th anniversary of the film, Sylvester Stallone reflects on writing and creating the film, and portraying the role of Rocky. - Sylvester Stallone on Dinah! (1976) (17:17)
Sylvester Stallone’s 1976 appearance on the talk show Dinah! to discuss the film. - Stallone Meets Rocky (2:59)
Fun short from 1990 where the actor Sylvester Stallone meets his character of Rocky. - Commentary by writer/actor Sylvester Stallone (1:59:40)
The star of the film provides an interesting behind-the-scenes commentary throughout the film. - Commentary by Boxing Legends Trainer Lou Duva and Commentator Bert Sugar (1:59:40)
These two men give a fun audio commentary, providing an interesting and different perceptive throughout the film. - Commentary by Director John G. Avildsen, Producers Irwin Winkler, Robert Chartoff, Actors Talia Shire, Carl Weathers, Burt Young, and Steadicam Inventor Garrett Brown(1:59:40)
This audio commentary was recorded for the 25th anniversary home video release of the film. It switches between the director, producers, stars and Steadicam inventor, whose tracks were recorded separately. - Rocky Theatrical Trailer (3:34)
- Rocky Teaser Trailer (1:35)
- Rocky TV Spots
- Introducing Sylvester Stallone (:32)
- Critical Acclaim #1 (:32)
- Critical Acclaim #2 (1:02)
- Commentary with Sylvester Stallone (1:41:47)
The star of the franchise provides an interesting and entertaining behind-the-scenes commentary throughout the film. - Delete Scenes & Alternate Ending (23:19)
A nice collection of 8 deleted/alternate scenes. I think I actually would have preferred most of the alternate scenes. Play All or select from “Paulie Paints”, “Breakfast”, “Andy’s Bar (Original)”, “Paulie’s Girlfriend Moves His Things”, “Rocky & Steps”, “Paulie Breaks Down”, “Rocky Sparring” and “Alternate Ending”. - Boxing’s Bloopers (1:31)
A short gag reel with flubbed lines, missed marks and a doggy malfunction. - Skill vs. Will: The Making of Rocky Balboa (17:47)
A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film. The cast and creators talk about giving the franchise a proper finale, casting the film and being directed by Sylvester Stallone. Includes interviews with writer/director/star Sylvester Stallone, producers Kevin King, Charles Winkler and David Winkler, co-producer Guy Reidel, production designer Franco-Giacomo Carbone, mayor of Philadelphia John F. Street, professional fighter Antonio Tarver (“Mason ‘The Line’ Dixon”), and actors Burt Young (“Paulie”), Milo Ventimiglia (“Robert Jr.”) and Garaldine Hughes (“Marie”). - Reality in the Ring: Filming Rocky’s Final Fight (15:38)
A behind-the-scenes look at the planning, filming and training for Rocky’s final fight, and making the scenes more realistic. Includes interviews with Sylvester Stallone, boxing technical adviser Rob Sale, co-producer Guy Reidel, producers Charles Winkler, David Winkler and Billy Chartoff, director of photography Clark Mathis, and professional fighter Antonio Tarver (“Mason ‘The Line’ Dixon”). - Virtual Champion: Creating the Computer Fight (5:08)
Sylvester Stallone narrates footage from his motion capture, plaster casting and digital body/face scanning sessions with Antonio Tarver, as well as his directing of the virtual fight. Also includes the final, uncut version of the virtual fight. - Previews
Select from trailers for “Casino Royale”, “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby”, “Stranger Than Fiction”, “Gridiron Gang”, “The Pursuit of Happyness” and “Coming to Blu-ray”.
Rocky Balboa (Disc 6)
Final Thoughts:
The Rocky film franchise still holds up quite well today, and the films look and sound better than ever. This collection contains all 6 films along with a wealth of bonus material. Those who already own these films won’t really find anything new in this release, but for those who don’t, this is definitely the most complete, most compact version available.
