In a documentary detailing the making of Rocky IV: Rocky vs. Drago, Sylvester Stallone discusses many of the original film’s perceived missteps. In 1976, Stallone wrote and starred in what is now considered to be one of the most inspiring movies ever made, which was nominated for a handful of Oscars, winning Best Picture and Best Director. Director John G. Avildsen’s Rocky introduced audiences to its titular Italian Stallion, a Philly slugger whose lack of education and means didn’t leave him many options other than working as a leg-breaker for a two-bit loan shark. Ultimately, in his fateful exhibition with the heavyweight boxing champion of the world, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), Rocky proves he’s not just “another bum from the neighborhood.”
Rocky’s cultural impact led to the Stallone-helmed follow-ups, Rocky II, III, and IV. The latter film—which sees Rocky battle the seemingly invincible Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) to avenge the death of Apollo—was released in 1985, made $300 million worldwide, and remains the highest-grossing entry in the series to date. While Rocky IV is beloved by longtime fans of the franchise, the installment is a far cry from the original Rocky film and its sequel Rocky II, which were grounded in realistic, gritty 1970s drama. Rocky III, and even more so, IV, were products of the hyper-muscular 1980s. With over three decades worth of hindsight, Stallone went back and fixed what he disliked about the original version of Rocky IV, restoring scenes that were cut, tweaking existing scenes, and cutting those he was never happy with. Rocky IV: Rocky vs. Drago director’s cut was in theaters for a one-night event on November 11 and is now available on-demand.
In John Herzfeld’s The Making of Rocky vs. Drago by Sylvester Stallone via Sly Stallone Shop on YouTube, Stallone opens about mistakes he feels he made in his initial approach to Rocky IV’s story. The writer/director talks about how the 80s were a “very transitional time for filmmaking” that was heavily influenced by MTV. Read what he had to say below:
“In the 80s, it was a very transitional time for filmmaking and TV, where MTV started to form how people viewed things. Quick cuts, flash, smoke on the screen, backlit - a lot of that Flashdance look,” said Stallone. “And I thought "you know what, I want to go there." And I got very caught up in the kind of like, superficial kitschiness at the time, like the robot, the music and some of the stuff, what was the hit tunes. And then I went back and go, ‘this is kind of a sad story.’ I lose my best friend. Drago himself is a tragic character: he's the Frankenstein monster, he's been put together, and then when he outlasts his usefulness is just in the scrap heap. So I tried to find all those moments - little bits where I talked to my son, where I threw in an ad-lib about how you've got to do things for yourself because that's what will drive you crazy when you get older. So those little moments, to me, really were lacking in the first one...It was considered the oddball, even though it made the most money. It was like the tacky montage. Now I want to bring it back into the cinema and lose that stigma and go ‘this is a valid drama.’ It's not just a montage of silliness.”
It would appear that Stallone addressed much of Rocky IV’s camp in his director’s cut. Some of the version's most notable changes include cutting Sico the Robot, which Paulie (Burt Young) received as a birthday present, including more Drago, and adding Mickey (Burgess Meredith) footage and an internal monologue to the final fight. That being said, the most important parts of Rocky IV that fans adore remain intact in the director’s cut, which also does make some major thematic and character improvements.
Regardless of whether you view Rocky vs. Drago as making the overall experience of Rocky IV significantly better or merely a retooling of nostalgia, Stallone’s director’s cut is nevertheless an interesting exercise in hindsight. Stallone has been very open regarding his creative regrets, especially concerning Rocky V—which is viewed by many to be the franchise’s weakest installment. Though the film attempted to bring the franchise back to its roots, it fell flat in comparison to its predecessors. However, like its protagonist, the Rocky franchise endures—2006’s Rocky Balboa more than made up for the sour taste left by Rocky V and Creed saw Rocky pass the torch to the son of Apollo before Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) took on Drago’s son in Creed II.
Source: Sly Stallone Shop
