A rewatch of the Creed 4's story are raised, the Rocky franchise becomes one of the more long-lasting as it nears its 10th installment.

When Rocky and Creed movies in order as of 2024 somewhat lessens the stain of this aforementioned movie after the legacy sequels went a long way to redeem it.

Rocky Balboa’s Story In Creed 1 & 2 Makes Rocky 5 Way Better In Retrospect

The Worst Rocky Movie Is Not As Bad As It Once Was

A split image of Creed 3 and Rocky 5

The movie in question is Rocky V. Rocky V is almost unanimously considered the worst in the franchise, primarily due to the underdeveloped plot and the shift away from boxing to return to Rocky's street-based roots. The character of Tommy Gunn, Rocky's protégé and one of his opponents, was also regarded as a misstep, with Rocky V sending the franchise into a period of limbo. All that said, the development of Rocky Balboa as a character in Creed and Creed II makes his journey in Rocky V more enjoyable when viewing it retroactively.

Rocky and Apollo Creed posing together in the ring.
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Rocky V is all about the titular character becoming a mentor rather than a fighter. Although the movie itself goes back on this by having Rocky engage in not one, but two street fights by the end of the story, this is still the main focus. Rocky's mistakes during this journey make his son, Robert, estranged from him, leading directly into the stories of Rocky Balboa, Creed, and Creed II.

Rather than being an installment that ruined a character and left him in cinematic limbo, Creed and Creed II turned Rocky V into a necessary point of the character's overall arc...

The latter two especially focus on Rocky as a mentor and show him overcoming his past mistakes to reconnect with his son. Through Rocky's mentorship of Adonis Creed, his mistakes with Tommy Gunn are rectified. Furthermore, the rekindling of his relationship with his son made Rocky's familial errors from Rocky V simply another step in his journey in retrospect. Rather than being an installment that ruined a character and left him in cinematic limbo, Creed and Creed II turned Rocky V into a necessary point of the character's overall arc, making it a lot better when rewatching the entire franchise.

Thanks To Creed, A Rocky Movie Marathon Has More Good Films Than Bad Ones

Now that the Creed trilogy is complete, a marathon of the franchise is filled with more good films than bad ones. ittedly, Rocky V is the only movie in the franchise that is mostly disliked. That said, Rocky III and Rocky IV could still be classed as lesser-made movies regarding quality, despite often being viewed as some of the franchise's most impactful stories. Regardless, Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky Balboa, Creed, Creed II, and Creed III vastly outweigh the other entries in the Rocky franchise, meaning it is definitely comprised of more good than bad.

Rocky V Film Poster

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Rocky V
PG-13
Drama
Sport
5.0/10
Release Date
November 16, 1990
Runtime
104 Minutes
Director
John G. Avildsen

Cast

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Facing financial ruin and health issues, Rocky returns to his roots to train a promising young fighter. As he struggles to rebuild his life, tensions rise with his protege, culminating in a dramatic street fight that forces him to confront his past and reclaim his legacy.