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Blu-Ray review: Rocky: The Undisputed Collection
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Synopsis ~ This holiday season, a “nobody” becomes a “somebody” when Rocky: The Undisputed Collection unveils all six powerhouse films together on stunning Blu-ray Disc.
This definitive collection enshrines the rags to riches tale of Philadelphia club fighter Rocky Balboa and his unwavering tenacity to go the distance.
~ Rocky
Rocky (Stallone) is a Philadelphia club fighter who seems to be going nowhere. But when a stroke of fate puts him in a ring with the world heavyweight champion, Rocky knows that it’s his one shot at the big time -- a once in a lifetime opportunity to “go the distance” and come out a winner!
~ Rocky II
After club fighter Rocky Balboa (Stallone) goes the distance with the world heavyweight champion, boxing fans clamor for a rematch. But Rocky, having sustained massive injuries in the bout, announces his retirement. Though he tries to make a new life for himself, Rocky realizes that he can’t escape his true calling. The ring beckons once more, and the “Italian Stallion” must prepare for the fight of his life.
~ Rocky III
As Rocky Balboa (Stallone) fights his way into the hearts of millions, life couldn’t be better. He scores ten consecutive wins, lands lucrative endorsement contracts and becomes famous throughout the world. But when Clubber Lang (Mr. T) K.O.s Rocky in a humiliating defeat, it becomes apparent that the “Italian Stallion” has lost his edge. Considering hanging up his gloves, Rocky receives encouragement from an unlikely ally: his old nemesis, Apollo Creed (Weathers). With Creed’s help, Rocky strives to regain the “eye of the tiger” before confronting Lang in a grueling rematch for the world heavyweight championship.
~ Rocky IV
Rocky (Stallone) proudly holds the world heavyweight boxing championship, but a new challenger has stepped forward: Drago (Dolph Lundgren), a six-foot, six-inch, 240-pound fighter who has the backing of the Soviet Union. This time, Rocky’s training regimen takes him to icy Siberia, where he prepares for a globally-televised match in the heart of Moscow. But nothing can truly prepare him for what he’s about to face -- a powerfully charged fight to the finish in which he must defend not only himself, but also the honor of his country!
~ Rocky V
Upon returning home from his latest triumph, Rocky (Stallone) learns that all of his money has been lost by an unscrupulous financial advisor. To make matters worse, his fight-related injuries force his retirement from the ring. So Rocky, his wife Adrian (Shire) and his son Rocky Jr. (Sage Stallone) move to their old low-rent neighborhood in South Philadelphia. There, the fighter must resolve the deep-rooted resentment held by his son, a bitterness that grows when Rocky trains Tommy Gunn (Tommy Morrison), a young boxer who soon rises to national prominence. When Tommy turns against his mentor and publicly taunts him, Rocky knows he must fight once more.
~ Rocky Balboa
30 years after the clang of the first bell, Rocky Balboa dons his gloves for the last time…and delivers “a knockout” (US Weekly)! Armed with a highly credible, heart-wrenching story, Sylvester Stallone leaps “back in the ring with a champ” (Rolling Stone): this “triumphant final chapter for one of the most iconic characters in the history of motion pictures” (Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times)! Since retiring, Rocky Balboa reminisces about his glory days for the locals at his Philly diner, Adrian’s. But his quiet world is suddenly rocked when the current reigning champ (Antonio Tarver) – after losing to a virtual, in-his-prime Rocky in a computer-simulated match -- challenges the “out-to-pasture” stallion to the real thing! Not one to back down, Rocky commits to the unthinkable: He agrees to the fight of his life…and pushes himself to the breaking point to go the distance one last time.
Studio: MGM Studios
Running Time: 532 minutes
MPAA Rating: Various
Number of Disks: 7
Special Features:
- Feeling Strong Now! Trivia Game
- Three Rounds with Legendary Trainer Lou Duva featurette
- Interview with a Legend – Bret Sugar (Author/Commentator and Historian)
- The Opponents
- In The Ring: Three-Part Making-Of Documentary
- Steadicam: Then and Now with Garrett Brown
The Rocky legacy has inspired countless audiences and has certainly earned its rightful place in the annals of Hollywood, so its no surprise that this stunning Blu-Ray collection lives up to the reputation of the powerhouse boxing juggernaut. No true Rocky fan will surely need this review, but nevertheless it goes without saying that no true fan should be without this remarkable lineage.
Hungry for more and more, fans may be just a tad disappointed at the amount of extras included though. Granted, there are quite a few included, but dealing with a vault full of what encompasses 6 films, I can’t help but think what might have been.
As it stands though, the extras that are included are both fascinating and entertaining, with in-depth interviews, a 3-part “Making Of” documentary which is a great addition and sure to be a hit with fans, and even a comprehensive Steadicam history which gives film fans a new perspective on just how technical and focused these talented filmmakers must be.
So if you’re looking for the Heavyweight Champion of Rocky collections, and you’re not afraid to see him bleed in HD, then Rocky: The Undisputed Collection is certainly a fitting title.
Additional Resources:
Actors: Sylvester Stallone | Talia Shire | Burt Young | Burgess Meredith | Carl Weathers
Director: John G. Avildsen
Writers: Sylvester Stallone
Theatrical Release: December 3, 1976
DVD Release: November 3, 2009
Genre: Drama
Supporting Cast and more Writers found HERE
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