Rocky IV
| Rocky IV | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Sylvester Stallone |
| Produced by |
Robert Chartoff Irwin Winkler |
| Written by | Sylvester Stallone |
| Starring |
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| Music by |
Vince DiCola Themes by: Bill Conti |
| Cinematography | Bill Butler |
| Edited by | John W. Wheeler Don Zimmerman |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | MGM/UA Entertainment Company |
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Release date
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Running time
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91 min |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English Russian |
| Budget | $28 million |
| Box office | $300.4 million |
Rocky IV is a 1985 American sports film written, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone. The film co-stars Dolph Lundgren, Burt Young, Talia Shire, Carl Weathers, Tony Burton, Brigitte Nielsen, and Michael Pataki. Rocky IV remained the highest grossing sports movie for 24 years before it was overtaken by The Blind Side. It is the fourth and most financially successful entry in the Rocky film series.
In the film, the Soviet Union and their top boxer make an entrance into professional boxing with their best athlete Ivan Drago, who initially wants to take on World champion Rocky Balboa. Rocky's best friend Apollo Creed decides to fight him instead, but is fatally beaten in the ring. Enraged, Rocky decides to fight Drago in the Soviet Union to avenge his friend and defend the honor of his country.
Critical reception was mixed, but the film earned $300 million at the box office. This film marked Carl Weathers' final appearance in the series. The film's success led to a fifth entry released on November 16, 1990.
Ivan Drago, a Russian Soviet boxer, arrives in the United States with his wife, Ludmilla, and a team of trainers from the USSR and Cuba. His manager, Nicolai Koloff, takes every opportunity to promote Drago's athleticism as a hallmark of Soviet superiority. Motivated by patriotism and an innate desire to prove himself, Apollo Creed challenges Drago to an exhibition bout. Rocky has reservations, but agrees to train Apollo despite his misgivings about the match. He asks Apollo whether the fight is against the Soviet, or "you against you?"
During a press conference regarding the match, hostility sparks between Apollo and Drago's respective camps. The boxing exhibition takes place at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. Apollo enters the ring in an over-the-top patriotic entrance with James Brown performing "Living in America" complete with showgirls. The bout starts tamely with Apollo landing several punches that have no effect on Drago. It soon turns serious though, as Drago starts to retaliate with devastating effect. By the end of the first round, Rocky and Apollo's trainer, Duke, plead with him to give up, but Apollo refuses to do so, and tells Rocky not to stop the match. Drago continues to pummel him in the second round, and despite Duke begging Rocky to throw in the towel, he reluctantly honors Apollo's wish. Eventually, Drago lands one final punch that knocks Apollo to the ground, killing him. In the immediate aftermath, Drago displays no sense of remorse commenting to the assembled media: "If he dies, he dies."
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Wikipedia