Rocky III
The third instalment of this boxing franchise swaps gritty realism for 80s excess.
PRE-GAME 🥊
Welcome back to Balls on Film! 👋🏻
I’d like to thank my cousin, John, for stopping by again this week for another takeover. John is joining us to review the Rocky franchise, and this week he’s here to talk all things Rocky III. We’ll be back with Rocky IV in a couple of weeks too, before we break for Christmas and New Year. There’s not a lot of sports movies set at Christmas, but a boxing match on Christmas Day is about as close as you’ll get.
If you’re unfamiliar with his work, John writes comics and his work includes And Then Emily Was Gone, Oxymoron: The Loveliest Nightmare, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #6 and Glasgow-based crime thriller Sink, all to critical acclaim. His horror anthology series Hotell has been optioned for film, with an adaptation from writer/director Elle Callahan currently in development.
We’re doing things a bit differently this week during halftime, with the 2024 Balls on Film Holiday Gift Guide. Admittedly there’s not a ton of sports movie-related stuff out there (Blu-rays and DVDs not included), but there’s still quite a few gift ideas out there for the sports movie fan in your life. Check it out during halftime! 🎅
With that, I’ll hand over to John. I’ll be back for the half time Holiday Gift Guide!
John: Hello! Thanks to my cousin, James, for inviting me back again to cover Rocky III. Let’s get to it.
FIRST HALF 🥊
Shattered by the loss of his trainer Mickey and a humiliating defeat to Clubber Lang, Rocky Balboa turns to an unlikely source of support - his former adversary Apollo Creed, who helps reignite his passion for boxing.
I've always had a great affection for Rocky III. Of course, it's pure cheese. The story of Rocky Balboa was always a fairy tale, but by part 3 any semblance of a grounded veneer has been cast aside, 70s grime and grit giving way to 80s aspirational excess. Rocky may have struggled to read the lines in a commercial in Rocky II, but here he has become a slick celebrity living the dream life, upgrading to a luxurious mansion and driving around in a range of flash cars and motorcycles. And given director Sylvester Stallone's flair for musical montages and ropey power ballads, and much of the movie plays out with the aesthetic of a 1980s music video.
And yet, I admire Rocky III for at least attempting something different. Rocky II tried a rehash of the dynamics of the first film, and while still watchable, it definitely felt like gas was running out of the tank and attempting to tell the same story a third time over would be impossible. And so Stallone overhauled the whole franchise, and cleverly inverses the character dynamics to make Rocky into the complacent champion on the other side of a hungry young challenger rising up from a hard life to face him. And as an actor, Stallone plays the idea of Rocky's heart not being in it and him doubting his abilities very well. Talia Shire gets more to do as Adrian than she did in the sequel. And of course, Burgess Meredith is as superb as ever.
If I were to put my finger on just what kind of change the series goes through starting with Rocky III, I'd argue that it feels less like a boxing movie than it does a wrestling movie. And that's not just because of the fun, ridiculous battle between Rocky and Thunderlips (Hulk Hogan, in a performance that would turn him into the biggest pro wrestling star on the planet), a boxer VS wrestler showcase that turns violent when the boxer questions if the wrestler is a "real" fighter, in a battle that actually drew inspiration from a real life exhibition contest between wrestling legend Andre the Giant and boxer Chuck Wepner - which also involved the boxer getting tossed out of the ring and into the crowd! No, the wrestling connection runs deeper.
While Apollo Creed was clearly a tribute to Mohammed Ali, Mr. T's Clubber Lang feels like a classic old-school wrestling heel in the vein of a "Superstar" Billy Graham, with his trash-talking nastier and more personal than Creed's fighting talk in the previous films. It's even reflected in the crowd reactions, with the mad cheers and signs for Rocky and the chorus of boos for Lang pure pro wrestling theatre. Even Apollo Creed's involvement feels like a classic wrestling storyline, with the "heel" turning "babyface" to help the top babyface he formally feuded with defeat the newer, nastier heel.
The end result of Rocky III is a film that's nowhere near as sophisticated as the original Rocky. But in its place it offers a whole lot of fun, as well as a broad connection to the core emotions and character relationships that made that first film so special.
Rocky III is available to rent or buy via most digital stores.
HALFTIME 🥊
Let’s take a break for halftime.
THE BALLS ON FILM 2024 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 🎄 🎅 ⛄️ 🎁
There’s not a lot of sports movie-specific gifts out there, but there’s a few things that I wanted to share here, that I thought would make good gifts for the Balls on Film reader in your life.
BOOKS
Baseball: The Movie
’s comprehensive guide to all things baseball movie-related is a must read, and should be at the top of your list this year if you know someone who loves sports movies - or even as a gift for yourself.No Crying in Baseball
A must for fans of one of my favourite sports movies. There’s so much behind the scenes info and it’s a really well-paced read.
SPORTS MOVIE FUNKO POPS
Who doesn’t love a Funko Pop? Whether it’s for your office desk or you’re an avid collector, there are so many sports movie-themed ones out there. Here are just a few of my picks:
Jimmy (A League of Their Own) - Amazon US / UK
Dottie (A League of Their Own) - Amazon US
Ricky Vaughn (Major League) - Amazon US / UK
MISC.
Here’s some more stocking stuffers if you need any last-minute gift ideas…
No Crying in Baseball T-shirt - Homage
I’m a huge fan of Homage. Their pop culture and sports shirts are second to none. This is one of my favs.
How Can you Not Be Romantic About Baseball T-shirt - Rotowear
I own so many Rotowear shirts at this point, but this one featuring the famous line from Moneyball is a must.
Ted Lasso Box Set - Amazon US / UK
I know you can watch it on Apple TV+, but Ted Lasso is one I’d want to own and have on my shelf forever.
Let me know in the comments if there are any sports movie gifts I’ve missed, or if you’ve picked up anything cool!
A quick reminder: if the newsletter isn’t going to your inbox, and going to junk mail instead, please be sure to locate the mail in your junk folder, and mark it as not spam. Alternatively, just reply to any email from me with a quick hello, and it shouldn’t happen again!
Let’s get back into the ring.
SECOND HALF 🥊
Let’s jump into some awards and bonus content.
BEST SCENE 🏆
This scene where Rocky confronts his fears with Adrian on the beach is a great one.
BEST LINE 🏆
Apollo Creed: “See that look in their eyes, Rock? You gotta get that look back, Rock. Eye of the tiger, man.”
MVP AWARD 🏆
This one goes to Burgess Meredith. I love the “wreckin’ machine” line.
IMDB TRIVIA HIGHLIGHT 🏆
According to an interview given by Mr. T, he attended the movie's premiere with his mother. During the scene where he yells lurid remarks at Adrian, his mother turned to him and said, "I did not raise you to talk to a lady like that." She then stormed out of the theater.
BEST LETTERBOXD REVIEW 🏆
Sounds about right.
BONUS FEATURE 💿
Here’s Sylvester Stallone talking with Jim Whaley on Cinema Showcase to talk about the film. It’s a really interesting watch.
POST-GAME 🥊
James: Thanks to John for joining us again this week! I hope you all enjoyed his take on Rocky III. Let us know what you thought of the movie in the comments!
Next week we’re going to turn to something a little different with Cool Runnings! It’s not quite a Christmas movie, but there’s lots of snow at least! We’ll then dive into Rocky IV the following week, which features a boxing match that takes place on Christmas Day. After that, I’ll be taking a break for a couple of weeks over Christmas and New Year.
See you guys next week! 👋🏻
~James
Thanks for the shout-out, James!
Whoo, hello, cousin John! I love SINK! Didn't know you two were related, ha ha.