One might think a question common among Rocky connoisseurs would be 'Has Rocky jumped the shark?' but the more honest question is 'When did Rocky jump the shark'. If you asked me I would say somewhere between III and IV.
For those unfamiliar with the Rocky films, Rocky Balboa (played by Sylvester Stallone) is an Italian American boxer. In the first two movies Rocky rises to be the heavy weight champion of the world and in the third movie he has to defend and regain his title against a stronger opponent. The Rocky films are the typical underdog overcoming stifling odds movies.
Rocky III was certainly a entertaining film, the question however is whether 3 is too much or just enough. It was good to see most of the cast from the original Rocky back for round three (no pun intended), especially Apollo Creed played by Carl Weathers. As we see in later rocky films the loss of the original cast really takes away from a film sequel.
If Rocky III was better than it was bad then the appearance of Mr. T as Clubber Lang is what tipped the balance. At times Mr. T's acting was over the top but generally he added an element to the movie that lends it re-watchability. With such great quotes as 'I pity the foo[fool]!' Rocky III will at least be remembered, even if not favourably.
In the end I really can't say whether Rocky III was a worthy film or not. It had qualities of a great film, but at the same time it had several of the tell-tale signs of being a series that was dragged out for too many sequels and should be put to rest. In the end I would say it's worth a watch, but you should make up your own mind.
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