During a discussion with my roommate, I realized I'd only ever seen Rocky and Rocky Balboa, but none of the movies in between. I decided to watch the entire series in order over about a week, and since I was doing it, figured I'd post my thoughts here. Feel free to post your thoughts about the various Rocky movies as I watch them (but don't jump ahead since spoilers actually will be spoilers for me).

Rocky:
It's been years since I've seen the first Rocky. The things that hit me the most was how much of a sexual predator Rocky seems to be on his first date with Adrian, and how little time is actually spent focused on boxing. Also, I forgot how much Talia Shire plays Adrian like she's mentally challenged, like she's got the mental development of a six year old. The fight at the end is still a classic, though, and it's refreshing to see Stallone looking like a regular human being instead of a steroid commercial.

Currently watching Rocky II, will return with my thoughts tomorrow.

I think he's like that cuz of what environment he's popped out of. Deep down...he's a really kind and gentle guy but growing up in his surrounding and w/ what his previous employment was..it almost seems normal for him to be like that around that world.

Rocky to me is a stand alone film. It has a very distinct tone. Avildsen really did some nice work on this film. I've seen the rest of the series but they don't come anywhere close to capturing the magic of the original. In fact I find them entirely disposable.

This is one of my favorite movies and Stallone one of my favorite actors. Not because of his skill (although he does show his talent in Rocky/Rocky 2/Copland/Rocky Balboa), but because he's just a likable guy with charisma. I see the movie differently than you do I guess because I disagree with most of interpretations...

Didnt seem like a sexual predator to me... to me he seems like the typical awkward/horny guy.

Basically, you're saying she's retarded lol. She was abused by Paulie. This made her the way she was. She was also awkward and quiet... but I wouldn't say "mentally challenged".

The only time I ever thought Stallone was on the juice/HGH was in Rocky Balboa and the last Rambo. He was huge in those movies. Everything before he was just ripped up which is achieved by diet and weight lifting. He was very strict with his diet during the making of Rocky 3, which is when he started getting very muscular. I read something about his body fat being down to like 3% for Rocky 3, which is crazy low. People who have never lifted a weight in their life automatically accuse muscular dudes of being on roids out of jealousy.

Rocky 5 was disposable, yes. All the others are not. You don't think Rocky Balboa recaptured the magic of the first one? How about the second to last scene after the fight when he's walking out of the arena and turns around for one last goodbye to the crowd? That scene almost has me in tears every time I see it lol.

1,2, and Balboa make a trilogy for me. The rest are forgetable.

I love all of them (except for 5) and Stallone was must-see movie watching for me growing up. Actually, he's recaptured the magic IMO with his last couple of films.

As corny as it is, I watch Rocky IV EVERY SINGLE TIME it's on TV. I literally stop what I'm doing and watch it. Best training montage ever!

We'd all be speaking Russian right now if it weren't for Rocky IV. That movie single handedly ended the cold war.

I'm really really glad that Sly made Rocky Balboa to finish off the franchise properly. Rocky V isn't so bad when you realize that something much better will follow it. Great franchise!

"I should've broken your thumbs!"

'Rocky' is a classic American film that is fantastic, and deserved the Best Picture Oscar and the numerous other awards it won. That was Stallone's baby from the start, and he really gave a great performance in a great film.

All the other films were lousy and should not have been made.

Same here.

I'm not a big fan of II and don't like V at all, the rest I love.

Love 3 and 4

Taxi Driver, dude. AND Network.

I like Rocky though.

It was all those blows to the head from Carlo that did it.
Spoiled guinea brat.

"You're gonna love Picasso" shut the F up ya little douchebag

One of the 'too rare' times the Academy got it right. Neither stands up to 'Rocky' as a film. This is not the way it's widely perceived today, thanks to every other Rocky movie being tripe and tarnishing the first. Maybe that's what skews your perception of the film too?

I do agree that Finch and Dunaway gave stellar performances and deserved the awards they won for 'Network', and of course DeNiro gave a fantastic performance in 'Taxi Driver'. But terrific performances do not make a film the best in whole.

I know this has all been said before, somewhere, but when ROCKY came out, it was the first real crowd-pleaser to grip the nation in a very long time. After years of Vietnam, Watergate, '70s paranoia and counter-culture, and feel-bad movies about America (think the DIRTY HARRY movies, CHINATOWN, THE CONVERSATION, PARALLAX VIEW, etc. and even two other Best Pic nominees of '76, ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN and NETWORK), ROCKY was an old-fashioned story about a guy from the wrong side of the tracks who made good. Stallone had been bouncing around in supporting roles for years and finally showed up in a role he wrote himself that resonated with audiences and brought out the best in him. (Ironically, he only ever really clicked with audiences as Rocky and Rambo.) I remember seeing ROCKY at an advance screening at which Stallone and director Avildsen came out afterwards for a Q&A and there was real excitement in the room and he was genuinely charming and gracious. (How long did that last?)

I know a lot of critics harped on Rocky for being so feel good. Others compared it (favorably) to Capra's work. I think the fact that it won over stuff like All The President's Men and Network shows that tastes were changing even before Star Wars ushered in the era of the blockbuster.

Rocky I is still a classic to me after all these years. Rocky II and III are enjoyable sequels, IV is ridiculous but Rocky training in Russia is still entertaining. V is terrible and should be put in the awful sequel landfill with The Phantom Menace and Superman IV. VI was pretty good, and sort of redeemed Stallone after the Rocky V debacle with many fans like me.

Rocky I works for me everytime I watch it, as perfect as a movie can get for me.

I'm not ashamed to admit that the ending of Rocky makes me cry every single time I watch it. ```

Rocky IV has a favorite sequence of mine, the Living in America portion; that shit was awesome. And I do like the stylized sped-up frames of the street fight in Rocky V but that's it.

this...

Rocky II:

Starting with a recap of the first film's fight that goes on way too long, Rocky II is an interesting examination of what happens to Rocky Balboa after he gets his shot at stardom. I found the bad eye plot point to be a good reason for Rocky not to return to fighting, but it gets glossed over once he decides he will start fighting (throughout the final fight Mickey keeps shouting at him to protect his eyes, but Rocky still gets beat to hell with no noticeable effect on his eye). Adrian becomes a more interesting character here, even if the coma subplot felt a tad melodramatic. The fight wasn't quite as thrilling as the one in the first film, but it ends spectacularly, with both Apollo and Rocky fighting to get up at the same time.

I did think the freeze frame shots were silly, as was the stuff with half the city running after him while he trains. But overall, I thought this was a very effective sequel that did a good job of giving closure on the first film's fight.

Are you watching the films on AMC? I only ask because it seems that they are running I-V one per night this week.