“Creed” — the seventh entry in the “Rocky” series — respects its elders while also doing its own thing. As the saga’s first film not written by Sylvester Stallone, and the first not directed by Stallone […]
Rightly ranked by IMDB voters as the best of the “Rocky” sequels (with a 7.2 rating), “Rocky Balboa” (2006) is a beautiful grace note to the fighting portion of the Italian Stallion’s career. (His training career appears […]
The “Rocky” films never drifted into the arena of spectacle as much as their reputation suggests. Even the most over-the-top entry, “Rocky IV,” includes acknowledgements of the heightened plot, like when the commentators note the […]
With its montages and Eighties arena-rock songs, not to mention the “U.S. versus U.S.S.R.” foundation that begs for the hoariest of subtexts to be added, “Rocky IV” (1985) is unquestionably the most stylized film in the series […]
Are the “Rocky” films more spectacle or substance? At first blush, the opening act of “Rocky III”(1982) suggests spectacle. Rocky fights professional wrestler Hulk Hogan – OK, technically “Thunderlips” – in a charity bout. It’s unclear […]
Life doesn’t become easy after your first success: Blowing up one Death Star doesn’t mean you’ve defeated the Empire. Dumping Shredder into a garbage truck doesn’t mean he won’t come back as a supermutant. And […]
The buzz is heating up for the seventh movie in a legendary film franchise that dates back to the 1970s. I’m referring, of course, to the “Rocky” series, which will continue with “Creed” on Nov. […]
The seventh “Rocky” film, “Creed” — which comes out on Nov. 25 – is on paper quite a departure from the first six, which were all written by Sylvester Stallone and directed by Stallone or John G. […]
After his first book, “Edge of Victory I: Conquest,” spent most of its time on Yavin 4 – one of the “home worlds” of “Star Wars” – Greg Keyes’ sequel, “Edge of Victory II: Rebirth” (2001), flies […]
The stories of Jaina, Jacen, Lowbacca and other “next generation” characters’ youthful days were explored in the “Young Jedi Knights” series, written for young adults. But that series doesn’t account for all the next-gen characters. […]