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Rocky III
- Review Date: December 13, 2006
- PG
- Genre: Drama
- 1982
Common Sense Media says
Sly's boxing saga begins to go lightweight.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
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.
What's the story?
Conveniently forgetting the health problems that threatened him in Rocky II, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone, who also wrote and directed) reigns in ROCKY III as superstar World Heavyweight Champion prizefighter. He's on the verge of retiring undefeated when he's taunted by a contender, a ferocious Chicago brawler called Clubber Lang (Mr. T). Lang demands a showdown with Rocky. Rocky is shocked to find that his longtime trainer Mickey (Burgess Meredith) has been lining up easy opponents all along. Mickey thinks that the wealthy, comfortable Rocky has gone soft (never mind that Stallone never looked so muscular), that the good life has taken away the "eye of the tiger" needed to defeat a raw scrapper like Clubber. Rocky goes through with the fight, but Mickey suffers a seizure backstage. Rocky is knocked out, losing his title to the gloating Lang. Then a new mentor appears -- none other than Rocky's old foe, former champ Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), who takes Rocky to a seedy slum gym to try to restore the "eye of the tiger".
Is it any good?
The original 1976 Rocky was more than just a sports action flick. It had a solid character-building message in its tale of lowly Philadelphia boxer's underdog shot at the championship: It doesn't matter if you win or lose, as long as you try your best, or "go the distance" in Rocky-speak. By the time ROCKY III came around, that message was knocked right out of the ring. Rocky III allocates no human qualities of athletic competition to the Clubber Lang character. He's a one-dimensional bully with no back story or redeeming features. Which is too bad, because Mr. T -- with no major alteration to his persona or look or catchphrase "I pity the fool!" -- went on to be a kids' action hero on TV's The A-Team and even his own Saturday-morning TV cartoon.
The racial aspect of the movie is worth discussing with older kids. This was right before the rap and hip-hop explosion that combined urban black-American anger with pride and empowerment in music and movie characterizations. Mr. T, in his African-warrior hairstyle and gold chains, could well be a gangsta rapper-hero -- except he's just a few years too early. Would Rocky III had been a popular hit if Clubber Lang were better drawn, not just white America's worst nightmare of a hostile inner-city thug? In addition to Mr. T, Rocky III was a breakthrough for another star, the WWE idol Terry "Hulk" Hogan, playing a menacing but -- unlike Clubber -- secretly friendly wrestler with whom Rocky grapples in a silly charity match. This helped bring pro wrestling into the mainstream, which should indicate right there the overall level of the material.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about how the lesson in the original Rocky -- that it doesn't matter if you win or lose, as long as you "go the distance" -- compares with the more success-oriented mania in this sequel. Note how the Clubber Lang character is even acknowledged as a sort of up-and-coming contender, the way Rocky Balboa used to be, but unlike the Sylvester Stallone hero he's given barely any human qualities at all. Would this movie have been a box-office hit if he were a better-drawn character instead of just a trash-talking bully (one who also happens to look like white America's worst nightmare of a black ghetto thug)? You could also talk about the transformation of Apollo Creed from Rocky's nemesis to his friend and ally, and how that plays out in the final scene. Ask kids what they think happened next.
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Teen, 15 years old
November 7, 2011
AGE
Rocky 3 From Rags to Riches
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"
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Kid, 12 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
i love this movie
this is a great movie for kids of any age...
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Kid, 11 years old
August 17, 2010
AGE
amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rocky is a great movie just watch out for clubber's language clubber is portrayed bo mr.t go figure
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Kid, 9 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
good
this is a nice flim but bad because fighting and is bad
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Kid, 10 years old
May 23, 2010
AGE
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Adult
March 27, 2012
AGE
Rocky 3 cheesy and a far cry from the previous classics
Short review but I'd stick to the other Rocky movies besides this more of a silly film (It gets sillier with the fourth!) Some racial undertones but it's rocky. Don't look to deep at it besides Apollo is Black and portrayed as a friend of Rocky ( Suddenly.) Hulk
Hogan fight I feel is more slapstick but it's Hulk Hogan in a Rocky movie so what do you expect? Rocky is very admirable and sticks up for Adrian when she is harassed by Clubber. For younger kids there is a small bit of sexual material. Anyone older the age of 8 would probably see Clubber as being wrong when he's harassing Adrian and handle the skimpy outfits the women have on maturely (Depends on your kid though.) Rocky is a good role model and is determined to stand up for what he believes in and work hard to get there. Clubber is clearly shown as evil and is treated as the opposite of Rocky's morals which is shown clearly. Not a good film but if your kids want to see it wait till they're just about to hit 10.
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| Topics: | sports and martial arts, misfits and underdogs |
| Studio: | MGM/UA |
| Director: | Sylvester Stallone |
| Cast: | Mr. T, Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Run time: | 99 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | May 28, 1982 |
| DVD release date: | February 10, 2005 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
| MPAA explanation: | sports violence, trash talk |
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