In 1985, the fourth film in the Rocky boxing franchise released to a starving audience who wanted to see who their Italian Stallion would be fighting next. Rocky IV earned the largest box office, to date, of any of the Rocky or Creed films, though the critics were divided. The first two Rocky films were hailed as earnest dramas, filled to the brim with heart and humanity, while packing a punch during the fight scenes. Rocky III introduced more fantastical obstacles/villains for Rocky to fight, with stars like Hulk Hogan and Mr. T entering the ring. So, by the time Rocky IV came around, introducing a towering Russian colossus of a man, many felt like the franchise was spiraling out of control. 

Rocky IV was the first Rocky film I had ever seen. As a kid, I didn’t understand the backstory of the characters, I didn’t connect with the weight of certain scenes, and I didn’t really care. All I knew is that this was a David vs. Goliath style story, backed by an incredible adrenaline pumping soundtrack. When I grew older, I experienced the entire Rocky franchise, and while I understand why some people thought Rocky IV to be too big and dumb for the series, I have never shared that sentiment. A brief look into the fighting world today will show you that once a fighter gets to a certain level, fantastic elements have to be introduced into their career in order to keep the public’s interest. Rocky’s journey is no different. 

While Rocky 4 was the shortest film of the franchise, I always admired how it didn’t waste time. The opening 16 minutes or so featured a pair of exploding gloves (one dressed in American colors, the other in Russian), a quick recap of the final moments of Rocky 3, and a little birthday party for Paulie which included a robot. Soon after, we’re right into Creed’s fight with a new Russian contender, followed immediately by Creed’s funeral, and Rocky’s trip to Russia for revenge. The film was short and sweet, but when a Director’s Cut with apparently 40 minutes of restored footage was announced, I couldn’t help but feel intrigued. Having seen a workprint version of Rocky 5 which added scenes and elements to the story that I believed improved on the film, I figured that a longer version of Rocky 4 with additional scenes could potentially flesh out the story. 

The Good

Having seen the original theatrical cut more times than I can count, I was quick to notice differences in this new version. The film opens with a longer recap of the 3rd movie with more call backs to conversations with Rocky & Creed, reminding you of their bond. We also get to see more present-day conversations between the two as Creed tries to convince his friend to let him fight the new Russian boxer. 

I will say that my absolute favorite part about this film is the Creed Vs. Drago fight. Stallone added footage, as well as rearranged some footage to add close to a minute onto the fight, and it looked great. This gave me very high hopes for the rest of the film. That expansion of the fight, plus a later discussion between Rocky and the boxing commission, felt like a welcome additions to the original film. Small creative variations like changing the flashback scenes to black-and-white during Rocky’s late-night drive were interesting and didn’t detract from the overall purpose of the montage.

The Bad

While Rocky 4: The Ultimate Director’s Cut does feature a couple other new scenes, the bulk of the footage is merely alternate takes of scenes we saw in the original. Alternate takes, with alternate dialogue or camera angles, are often used to give the Director some choices in the editing phase. Sometimes those alternate takes are intriguing, but in the case of Rocky 4: The Ultimate Director’s Cut, it was clear to me that these were always the lesser option compared to the original theatrical cut. In practically every instance when the original scene is replaced with an alternate cut, I felt that all the heart of that particular scene was lost. 

Rocky’s speech at Creed’s funeral held more passion and sentiment in the Theatrical cut than in this new version. Rocky’s bedside conversation with his son held more heart than the alternate cut used here. Even small moments like Tony Burton’s “Do it, Do it” speech suffered from an alternate cut that removed the emotional weight. Possibly the biggest grievance of them all was the alternate version of the final speech which, when paired with missing cheers and music queues, falls absolutely flat on its face when compared to the roaring triumphant sense of the original. 

Other noticeable changes in Rocky IV: The Ultimate Director’s Cut include the complete elimination of Paulie’s robot from the entire film, as well as much of the footage featuring Rocky’s son at home. Most of Brigitte Nielsen’s lines have been erased, which made me wonder if Stallone’s personal history with her influenced the cuts. The chipmunk Christmas song was replaced with background score, and the exploding gloves title sequence was replaced by scrolling text. Even the iconic “he’s cut, he’s cut!” line from the exciting moment when Rocky finally makes some progress in the fight against Drago is missing in this new version. While Creed’s fight felt longer, Rocky’s fight with Drago was definitely cut differently and noticeably uses the same footage multiple times throughout the fight to make it seem longer. New crowd cheers and fight noises are added to the sound mix that sometimes worked, but most times felt like they were out of sync with what was actually happening on the screen. 

At the end of the experience, Rocky IV: The Ultimate Director’s Cut has the exact same runtime as the original theatrical version. Of course, a “director’s cut” doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be an extended version. When fans were told that 40 minutes of unseen footage was used in the making of this new cut, however, I don’t think the majority expected so much of the original film to be dissected, replaced or straight up removed. With the addition of unpolished footage and a jumble of odd editing choices, I truly wonder what was the point of it all. Compared side by side, the original version is clearly the better version on all accounts. This new “ultimate” cut feels like someone’s bootleg collection of all the lackluster takes that were discarded for a reason. If you don’t believe me, Rocky IV: The Ultimate Director’s Cut is now available on digital, and you can check it out for yourself. Sadly, I was disappointed in this cut, and give it a rating of 2 out of 5. 

Mental Health Moment

Sometimes after watching a film, I can immediately think of a mental health connection that can be made. With this film, however, the only thought that really came to mind was to not second guess yourself. As a writer, I’m always tempted to go back, dissect, and “edit” my works again and again and again. In fact, I’ve met several would-be authors who have told me that they’ve been working on a book for 5-10 years, but can never get past the first few chapters. Sometimes, you need to just believe in yourself and put away the temptation to “fix” things or “improve” things. Yes, first drafts are always rough, but if you never at least finish a first draft, you’ll never finish anything. 

There’s always room for improvement, but once something is accomplished, it can be all too easy to look negatively on that accomplishment. Filling your head with thoughts like “I could have done this better,” or “it’s not that good,” or other versions of self-doubt, won’t help you improve. Recognizing ways to better yourself is not the same as ruminating over something so much that it becomes unhealthy for our mental state. While I can think of some instances when reexamining a past project could be beneficial, there’s also a chance that you’re just wasting your time and potential for newer things. Look to the future instead of living in the past.

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Victims and Villains is written (and produced) by Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey and others, and edited by Cam Smith. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. We do not own nor claim any rights.

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