Ahead of rewatching theCreedmovies, oneRockyinstallment that simply cannot be skipped is also considered the worst in the franchise. Many of the individualRockyandCreedmovies are ranked among thebest boxing movies of all time, but not all of them get such a warm reception. The installments mentioned among thebestRockymoviestend to be the first two, as well asRocky Balboa.
WhereCreedis concerned, the first is often regarded as the crown jewel. That said, all three films are highly regarded as a solid continuation of theRockyfranchise, to the point where thestory ofCreed 4is highly anticipated. AlthoughCreed 4is confirmed, it is unclear when the film will enter production. Moreover, it is unclearwhether Rocky himself will be inCreed 4. Regardless, a rewatch of the entire franchise will likely be on the cards, and there is oneRockymovie that cannot be skipped, even if it is regarded as the worst entry.
Rocky V Is Easily The Worst Rocky Movie
The Fifth Installment Is The Weakest
The movie in question isRocky V,which many would agree is the worst movie in the franchise. The first two movies are fairly beloved, and whileRocky IIIandRocky IVhave their issues, they are mostly exciting, fun movies.Rocky Balboawas considered one of the stronger entries, largely due to the immensely disappointingRocky V. Of all the movies in the series,Rocky Vhas the most inherent issues and, above all else that went wrong, suffers from being simply boring in a way that its predecessors and successors were not.
What Went Wrong With Rocky V: Why It’s By Far The Franchise’s Worst Movie
Rocky V is considered the worst Rocky movie, and here’s a breakdown of everything that went wrong, causing it to gain its infamous reputation.
Firstly,Rocky V’s plot is driven by an illogical decision from Paulie. The lapse in judgment that saw the Balboas lose their wealth kickstartedRocky V’s entire nostalgia-based story, with the latter suffering from being uninteresting and the former being made worse as a result. The focus on Robert was also not compelling, and Tommy Gunn is one of the least interestingRockyvillains.Rocky Vis also the only movie without the narrative tension of building to a climactic fight, with the final street fight only proving why the film is the worst in the series.
Rocky’s Story In Creed Only Makes Sense If You Watched Rocky V
Big Elements Of Rocky’s Later Life Stem From Rocky V
Despite the film being the worst in the series,Rocky Vis vital to understanding the titular character’s story for his appearances in theCreedmovies. For this reason,Rocky Vcannot really be skipped when rewatching the entire nine-movie marathon. Without the film, important context that ties to Rocky’s arc is missing and makes bothRocky Balboaand theCreedtrilogy less rewarding as a result. WhereCreedis concerned, the film focuses on Rocky being a famous retired boxer, but one who does not live a lavish life and instead runs his restaurant, Adrian’s, alone.
Regardless of how badRocky Vmay be, no one can deny how important it is to the overall series…
Rocky does not speak to his son and does not seem to be someone living in luxury after a successful boxing career. Therefore,skippingRocky Vand going straight fromRocky IVtoCreed, for example, will make little sense.Creed IIthen explores the fallout of Rocky and his son Robert and their subsequent reconciliation. WithoutRocky Vand the storyline of Rocky and Robert’s relationship beginning to fall apart, this plot fromCreed IIwould be less impactful. Regardless of how badRocky Vmay be, no one can deny how important it is to the overall series.
Rocky Balboa & The Creed Movies Helped Redeem Rocky V
By Treating Its Plot Points With Reverence
All of that being said,Rocky Vis still a weak movie, butRocky Balboaand theCreedtrilogy certainly went a way to redeem it somewhat. Thankfully, the four movies that followedRocky Vchose to treat the developments of the characters and overall franchise with respect rather than dismissing them. A common trope in modern Hollywood is for rebooted franchises to disregard lesser installments and follow on from more beloved entries, be itTerminator: Dark Fatefollowing on fromT2: Judgment Dayor 2018’sHalloweenbeing a direct sequel of the original of the same name.
WhenCreedwas being developed, it would have been easy for the film to only addressRocky,Rocky II, Rocky III, andRocky IV. However, Ryan Coogler took even the less intriguing developments ofRocky Vand implemented them intoCreed,just as Stallone did when makingRocky Balboain the 2000s. In doing so, elements ofRocky Vhave certainly been redeemed, even if the film itself is still underwhelming. Regardless of its individual quality, the worstRockymovie has to be rewatched beforeCreed.
