Isaacs Picture Conclusions

ROCKY 2 (1979) FOUR TOP HATS

ROCKY2A Before we get into this one, I would like to make a few notes about this poster I found. Just look at that!! That doesn’t look ANYTHING like Sylvester Stallone!! What the fuck?? I also like how Apollo isn’t even wearing boxing gloves. What is this shit? Put up your dukes! Put up your dukes! I said put em up!! LOL Ridiculous.

Well… I guess if you make a movie for under a million and it grosses over 100 mil, and wins Best Picture at the Academy Awards, you better grease out a quick sequel right? And – you better make it pretty much the same. If it’s fun once it’s fun again, right? Well – I remember seeing this in the theater with my mom (too) and we had the same reaction. Heartbreak, sadness, inspiration – I mean watching Rocky in the hospital reading to his comatose wife is really sad and when she comes out of it and tells him to “go win” – I mean how can you not be moved by that. Or when he finally catches that fucking chicken??? Or when gets up as the bell rings?? I mean – you CAN’T not like that. But in the end, it’s just the same as the first. Complete with the inspirational run down the streets and up those steps, this time with hundreds of kids running behind him. I don’t see how anyone CAN’T like it. But… it is the same story….ROCKY2B Firing up in the closing minutes of the first fight, this sees our two contenders being whipped up and sent to the hospital. Creed is pissed and, even though in the after-fight hug in the first one he said “there’s no rematch, there’s no rematch….” an hour or so later he’s sitting in a wheelchair screaming to Rock that “Rocky’s a chump and a fraud and he wants a damn rematch!” This sets off a series of melodrama in which Rocky talks A WHOLE FUCKING LOT. Instead of the ice skating scene from the first one we get a big dramatic scene at a Zoo. We also see Rocky trying to adjust to life outside of boxing: failing to do TV ads, failing to drive his new Trans-Am well, wearing a dumb jacket.ROCKY2C We also see them get married and, sorry this pic is so small but this was all I could find, we get something hilarious out of the first two movies. After his wedding, his old loan shark boss pulls him to the side. The conversation goes something like this:

LOAN SHARK: Hey Rock! How much did you make after the fight?
ROCKY: About 37,000 (he was actually paid 100,000)
LS: The government takes it’s share, don’t they?
ROCKY: Yeah, I guess so.
LS: Say, how about you invest that money with me. In some condominiums.
ROCKY: Condo… Condo? Con?

(and then with a completely befuddled and innocent expression)ROCKY2D

ROCKY (whispers): I don’t use em…. ROCKY2EI don’t want to go off sounding like I don’t like this movie – I do – I love it – but it’s the same thing as the first. If you read what I wrote about ROCKY – you know I love it. I love love love love it. This one is good too… it’s just….. the same thing…..

 

44 comments

  1. garylee828

    I think Rocky 2 is a good example of a sequel that naturally stretches the original, therefore is justified in making. I actually caught Rocky 2, 3 and 4 on AMC a few weeks ago and watched them back to back. Rocky 3 & 4 are the cash-grabs, where as I feel Rocky 2 was very much warranted. After part 2 the series started to get silly. Parts 3 & 4 weren’t terrible or anything, but they just felt tacked-on and like they were forcing drama to make a movie; especially part 4 with Apollo and Drago. Parts 3 & 4 were fun movies, but got very silly in certain elements. Of course, Rocky 5 was terrible! But then Sly came and closed the franchise with “Rocky Balboa” that did away with the silliness from the previous 3 and was almost as good as the first 2.

    I gotta disagree with you about the poster, though. That thing is $$! 🙂

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      • garylee828

        The reason the poster is good is b/c it captures the essence of an era where boxing was truly great; it looks like a poster for a Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, George Foreman type fight – back when boxing was epic! Not like today, where you hardly have any strong fighters and when you do have a couple they can’t set a fight up b/c the money isn’t right, etc.

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  5. Zoë

    Dear PSC,

    I am so glad to hear that you had fun with this one again! Few movies manage to get away with churning out the same thing as its predecessor. Meh.

    Nice quote! 😛

    Love,

    JB

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  6. Anna (Film Grimoire)

    I’ve only ever seen the first one! So I haven’t heard that hilarious quote but I’m going to seek it out! That definitely doesn’t look like Stallone on the poster. Way too much Photoshop on his muscular cheeks. I also love the Shitfest header with the beer!

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    • theipc

      HEY!

      I’ve been awful busy the last three days 😦 I got your email and you ARE FUCKING AMAZING!!! Love you in that way that I can.

      XO in the most platonic way possible.

      #maybenotplatonicwhat

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