Parents need to know that this movie, in typical Hollywood fashion, glorifies the brutal sport of boxing as the way our champ hero proves his intrinsic worth. While previous films in the Rocky series (and other boxing dramas) showed the wounds inflicted and talked up the long-term physical damage associated with pugilism, this one shows the two-fisted violence with no consequences. It's more like pro wrestling -- which, by the way, got a big plug, with cameo by Hulk Hogan -- and should probably be put in the same class.
Positive messages:Rocky Balboa remains a hero here, literally star-spangled, and Apollo Creed has also turned into a good sport. In fact, they're pretty much too good to be true, with the nemesis Clubber Lang such a figure of pure evil he may as well breath fire. There's an uncomfortable racial subtext in the gentlemanly white boxer vs. the bestial black one, though Apollo Creed as a mentor figure takes some nasty edge off.
Violence:Rocky and Clubber Lang take a pounding in their fight scenes, and Rocky gets tossed around by a wrestler. Still, it's more cartoony and WWE-like than bloody.
Sex:Both the villainous Clubber Lang and a pro wrestler named Thunderlips boast of their sexual prowess. Scantily clad girls are ringside.
Rocky III is the section in Rocky's life when everything turns out amazing due to his hard work and courage during the rematch with the champ. This movie shows what it is like to have everything rather than to start out with nothing like the previous movies. This movie however has more action than drama than the previous two and will be acceptable to kids 9 and up. This story tells us about how Rocky turns into a "civilised fighter" and loses his "Eye of The Tiger". This movie introduced the world to survivor's Eye Of The Tiger"