Rocky III (1982)

After winning the ultimate title and being the world champion, Rocky falls into a hole and finds himself picked up by a former enemy.

Director:

Sylvester Stallone

Writer:

Sylvester Stallone

Stars:

Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sylvester Stallone	...	Rocky Balboa
Talia Shire	...	Adrian
Burt Young	...	Paulie
Carl Weathers	...	Apollo Creed
Burgess Meredith	...	Mickey Goldmill
Tony Burton	...	Duke
Mr. T	...	Clubber Lang
Hulk Hogan	...	Thunderlips
Ian Fried	...	Rocky Jr.
Al Silvani	...	Al
Wally Taylor	...	Clubber's Manager
Jim Hill	...	Sportscaster
Don Sherman	...	Andy
Dennis James	...	Wrestling Commentator
Jim Healy	...	Wrestling Commentator

Storyline

Sylvester Stallone returns to the character which made him famous in this wildly successful sequel. Rocky III starts with the Italian Stallion so famous that his likeness is everywhere, including pinball machines. Fame and complacency soon cause Balboa to lose his title to young thug Clubber Lang ( Mr. T ), who inadvertently causes the death of Rocky's beloved trainer, Mickey (Burgess Meredith), before their first championship bout. After sinking into a depression, Balboa must regain the love and support of his family, as well as the elusive "eye of the tiger," the hungry need to beat the opponent which former foe Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) teaches him during this film's training sequence. In the end, Balboa faces off against Lang for a second time.

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Plot Keywords:

boxing movie | hit in the face | sweaty face | beating | rematch | 

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Taglines:

Rocky III - An American Tradition...

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Genres:

Drama | Sport

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

The exercise machine Rocky was using while training for his first fight with Clubber Lang was called the Real Runner due to the running motion with the ability to increase the the resistance. They were wildely used for strength training in the early eighties.

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Goofs

During the final bout, immediately before Rocky knocks out Lang, the position of the two fighters alternates from the middle of the ring (in long shots) to up against the ropes (in close-ups) and back again.

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Quotes

Apollo Creed: So I predict that the champ's gonna take this one.
Sportscaster: Now wait a minute! Do you really think the champ can hit that hard?
Apollo Creed: Why do you think I'm sitting out here with you?

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Crazy Credits

"Rocky" is actually displayed on screen three separate times at the start of the film (first scrolling onto the screen from right to left (along with the number III), then spelled out with fireworks, and finally in simple text at the bottom right of the screen (again with III), several minutes later).

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Alternate Versions

CBS edited 3 minutes from this film for its 1985 network television premiere.

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Connections

Referenced in The Fire in the Stone (1984)

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Soundtracks

Gonna Fly Now
Music by Bill Conti
Lyrics by Carol Connors and Ayn Robbins

User Reviews

Wow, Look Who's Still Got It!

30 minutes shorter than its predecessors-- according to audience reactions I still disagree with, that's the same curse that held "Superman IV" in Hollywood Purgatory (or maybe lower).

Thank heavens "Rocky III" is still an enjoyable piece of work!

For Stallone's second shot in the director's chair, he pits his famous character against Clubber Lang, a testosterone-oozing Mr. T. The trouble is, has Rocky grown complacent in light of his massive celebrity?

While it does stick to something of a formula, R3 still comes out swinging, with more humor and better drama than the first two, but doesn't reach the cheer-inspiring fever pitch of the second.

A worthwhile entry.

Details

Official Sites:

Instagram MGM

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 May 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rocky, Part 3

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Budget:

$17,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,431,486, 30 May 1982

Gross USA:

$125,049,125

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$125,052,686

Company Credits

Production Co:

Chartoff-Winkler Productions, United Artists

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby 70 mm 6-Track

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1