This week on Fabulous Film and Friends we’re concluding our discussion of the Rocky/Creed franchise with a full discussion of not one, not two but three Rocky Sequels and spinoffs: 1982‘s Rocky III directed by and starring Sylvester Stallone, along with Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and in a star-making role, Mr. T. as well as 1990’s Rocky V, directed by John G. Advilson starring all the surviving Rocky regulars including Burgess Meredith with Boxer Tommy Morrison, Richard Gant, and Stallone’s son Sage in supporting roles double-teaming against 2023’s Creed III, directed by Michael B. Jordan and starring Mr. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Phylicia Rashad, Florian Munteanu, and Wood Harris.
I’m joined by a duo of macho, cigars and beefsteak loving bare-knuckle brawlers, Author George Young, and Actor Gordon Alex Robertson.
Before we begin round the final round, the synopses:
Rocky III picks up Rocky’s story after he wins the rematch against Apollo Creed and becomes world heavyweight champion of the world. At which point the film launches into a pulse-pounding montage of Rocky’s rise to fame and fortune as he grows ever so flabby and soft while unbeknownst to him in the periphery is a young and ferocious boxer named Clubber Lang who is itching to destroy Rocky in a title bout. And destroy him he does, taking down Rocky’s long time manager Mickey with him who dies of a heart attack right after Rocky is defeated. Broken and beaten, Rocky find an unlikely ally in his old nemesis Apollo Creed who hatches a plan to train Rocky to fight Clubber in a rematch, this time with Rocky learning Apollo’s lighting quick fighting style.
Rocky V takes place immediately after Rocky IV ends and within ten minutes of screen time Rocky has lost his money and has brain damage and is forced to both retire and move back into the South Philly neighborhood where it all started. He is hounded by a greedy promoter named George Washington Duke who wants him to risk everything for one more fight. Additionally, a huckleberry fighter from Oklahoma named Tommy “The Machine” Gunn seeks Rocky out as a mentor and trainer and after some hemming and hawing Rocky obliges and teaches Tommy the ins and outs of championship boxing. But since Rocky won’t budge Duke recruits Tommy and pits master against student.
Creed III begins with Adonis Creed, now retired from boxing and caring for his wife and family while also training and promoting future Heavyweight champions at the Delphi Gym --the same gym where his father trained. One day Diamond Damien Anderson, a childhood friend from the Foster Care system who went o jail because he was defending Adonis in a fight in front of a liquor store, returns from jail asking Adonis to help him get back into boxing. Going against his better judgment but racked with guilt because of Damien’s incarceration, Adonis agrees to take on Damien. Damien nearly murders Adonis’ chief protégé in the ring and takes the title of Heavyweight Champ and in doing so begins to exact revenge and forcing Adonis’ hand toward an inevitable confrontation in the ring.