Sylvester Stallone wrote, directed and stars in Rocky IV, the fourth film in the franchise and the one where the Cold War steps into the ring. It runs 91 minutes. Dolph Lundgren plays Ivan Drago, a Soviet Army captain and boxer billed at six-foot-four and 261 pounds, and the film premiered in Los Angeles on November 21, 1985.
Trailer, via Amazon MGM Studios.
Drago Lands in the United States
Drago comes to America with his wife Ludmilla, his trainers and his manager Nicolai Koloff, who promotes the fighter as proof of Soviet superiority. Former heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, played by Carl Weathers, challenges him to an exhibition. Rocky Balboa has doubts about the size of the opponent and about Apollo coming out of retirement, but he agrees to train him.
Apollo Creed’s Las Vegas Entrance
The exhibition happens at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. Apollo enters with a patriotic show, James Brown performing “Living in America,” showgirls and all. He lands punches that do nothing. Drago answers with devastating force. By the end of the first round, Rocky and trainer Duke Evers beg Apollo to stop. He refuses.
A Blow in the Second Round
Drago pummels Apollo in the second round. A savage blow drops him, and he lies twitching on the ground. The match is called for Drago, who shows no regret to the media: “If he dies, he dies.” Apollo dies from his injuries. Rocky surrenders his championship to challenge Drago himself, and Drago’s camp agrees to an unsanctioned 15-round fight in Moscow on Christmas Day.
Training in a Remote Cabin
Rocky trains in a remote cabin in Siberia, without his wife Adrian, who disapproves of the match. The bout is televised worldwide from Moscow.
Three Things the Film Wastes
- Apollo Creed, killed off as a plot engine rather than a character.
- Ludmilla Drago, an Olympic swimming champion with nothing to do.
- Adrian, written out of the second half entirely.
The film treats Apollo’s death as a device, and the training montage does the work the script will not. Stallone’s last directorial effort until Rocky Balboa in 2006, it is also the first in the series not scored by Bill Conti; Vince DiCola took over. The authentic punching in the fight scenes put Stallone in intensive care. That commitment shows. The politics do not. Drago is a wall, not a character.
Hard Numbers
- Runtime: 91 minutes
- Release: November 21, 1985 (Los Angeles premiere)
- Drago billed at: six-foot-four, 261 pounds
- Fight: 15 rounds, Moscow, Christmas Day
- Score: 4.0 of 10
The Cold War framing dates the film more than the boxing does. It is a 91-minute montage with a fight attached, and the fight is the only part that still lands.
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