Parents' Guide to

Rocky III

By Charles Cassady Jr., Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Boxing saga begins to go lightweight; violence, racism.

Movie PG 1982 99 minutes
Rocky III Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 8+

Based on 5 parent reviews

dioptric
dioptric Adult
March 27, 2012
age 9+

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.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
1 person found this helpful.
ron_dugger
ron_dugger Adult
February 28, 2019
age 6+

I agree with Isaac

This movie is an amazing addition to the Rocky series and it beyond pisses me off that this website has the balls to give it a 2. GO ROCKY WOOOOOOOO
See all 5 parent reviews

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?

Our review:
Parents say (5):
Kids say (20):

Rocky III allocates no human qualities of athletic competition to the Clubber Lang character; he's a one-dimensional bully with no backstory 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 original 1976 Rocky was more than just a sports action flick; it had a solid character-building message in its tale of the 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.

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 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 have 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.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • 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. 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.

  • How does Rocky III settle into a story formula clearly established by Rocky II?

  • How does this movie continue the recurring themes of the Rocky movies: the value of working hard and of grit and determination, and how perseverance can lead to overcoming the obstacles in one's path?

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