Rocky 3 finds the champ at the top of his game, with 10 successful defences of his title behind him he’s fighting exhibitions against wrestlers, starring in TV ads and unveiling statues of himself.
Meanwhile rising up the ranks is James ‘Clubber’ Lang, a hungry and aggressive fighter who’s got his eyes on the belt round Rocky’s waist. When Lang persuades Rocky to accept the challenge the champ’s fame comes back to bite him and he’s unprepared, losing his title. This, and some other factors, lead Rocky down a spiral of depression, but will help from an old rival get him out of this low point and back to the title?
As with most of the Rocky films this is another classic, must see fight movie. It takes a more unusual look at the life of a champ, how the fame and media obligations impact on the training and lead to the loss of the belt – something still relevant today, as we’ve seen it several times in with champions in the UFC. It still has plenty of standard Rocky features; inspiring features about heart, finding the desire to fight and, of course, training montages. If you somehow haven’t seen Rocky 3 get out there and watch it as soon as you can.
“Pain!”
– Clubber Lang when asked what he predicted for the fight with Rocky
Our Rating
4 stars out of 5
I like the direction they took with III, but I don’t think the execution was quite there. It sacrifices that sense of grounding that makes the better Rocky films work.