History Film / RockyIV

[[caption-width-right:300: [[WhenYouSeeIt What is Duke doing]]?!?

[[quoteright:300: [[AccidentalInnuendo What is Duke doing]]?!?

[[TheOneWith The one]] with the robot.

[[TheOneWith The one]] with JamesBrown singing.

* ImprovisedTraining: The entire training sequence. Rocky has to train for his fight without the benefit of sparring, so instead, he hardens himself up in the Russian winter as best he can instead.

* {{Jerkass}}: Koloff, who alternates between boasting about Drago's invincibility and mocking American culture. Even Drago turns on him during the final fight.

** The atmosphere is positive in the beginning. Apollo and Drago will just have a demonstration match, trying to improve the relation between the US and the USSR. However, Apollo is constantly mocking the abilities of Drago, while he has limited knowledge about Drago at that point. This annoys and ultimately enrages Drago and his party, resulting in a hostile atmosphere. Subsequently, Drago does not hold anything back in their fight.

* RobotBuddy: Paulie gets one for a birthday present "because he doesn't have any friends" (ouch). He later teaches it to sound and act like a devoted RobotGirl (ew). Pretty much a rolling BigLippedAlligatorMoment throughout the whole movie. RogerEbert has some fun making light of the fact Rocky is somehow in possession of some advanced artificial intelligence.

''Rocky IV'' is a 1985 American sports film written and directed by Creator/SylvesterStallone, who also starred in the film. The film co-stars Creator/DolphLundgren and it's the fourth entry in the ''{{Franchise/Rocky}}'' film series.

Rocky is pitted against Russian super-athlete Ivan Drago in a heavily UsefulNotes/ColdWar themed film, which mostly revolves around the two fights with Drago. In the first, the once-again retired Rocky coaches Apollo for an exhibition match with Drago that leads to Drago killing Apollo in the ring. In the second, Rocky uses good ol' fashioned patriotism to beat down the cold-hearted Russian as an act of revenge. The film's success led to a [[Film/RockyV fifth entry]] released on 1990.

* ArtisticLicensePhysics: Ivan Drago has a measured punching pressure of over 2000 psi. Considering the average size of someone's fist, this would equate to roughly '''15000 pounds of force'''.
** To put this in perspective, a T-Rex's bite power was estimated at 7700 pounds of force...

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: 1980s Cold War culture to the max.

* DeathSeeker: An interpretation of [[spoiler: Apollo Creed. He's fed up with retirement and growing old gracefully, and wants to go out fighting like a warrior.]]

*** Apollo's reaction shows that he is suddenly aware that he's in some trouble. Bad trouble.

* ArtisticLicenseSports: In reality, Ivan and Apollo's fight would have been stopped very quickly. It doesn't matter if the towel was thrown in or not: the referee is obligated to end the match immediately if he fears for a boxer's well-being. By the conclusion of the first round, it was blindingly obvious Apollo was in danger.

* ArtisticLicense: In reality, Ivan and Apollo's fight would have been stopped very quickly. It doesn't matter if the towel was thrown in or not: the referee is obligated to end the match immediately if he fears for a boxer's well-being.

* JustToyingWithThem: In the bout with Apollo, Drago pointedly doesn't throw a single punch or guard at all for several moments. Until his corner coach yells [[PreAsskickingOneLiner let 'er rip]] (in Russian). Cue the [[NightmareFuel horrific]] [[CurbStompBattle slaughter]].

* JustToyingWithThem: In the bout with Apollo, Drago pointedly doesn't throw a single punch or guard at all for several moments. Until his corner coach yells [[PreAsskickingOneLiner let 'er rip]] (in Russian). Cue the [[Nightmare Fuel horrific]] [[CurbStompBattle slaughter]].

* JustToyingWithThem: In the bout with Apollo, Drago pointedly doesn't throw a single punch or guard at all for several moments. Until his corner coach yells [[HarbingerOfAsskicking let 'er rip]] (in Russian). Cue the [[Nightmare Fuel horrific]] [[CurbStompBattle slaughter]].

* ImprovisedTraining:
** Also, the entire training sequence. Rocky has to train for his fight without the benefit of sparring, so instead, he hardens himself up in the Russian winter as best he can instead.
*** The Russians also "improvise" a bit of training. With juice.

%%* CasualtyInTheRing: [[spoiler: Apollo]].

%%* InternationalShowdownByProxy

'''''Rocky IV''''' is a 1985 American sports film written and directed by Creator/SylvesterStallone, who also starred in the film. The film co-stars Creator/DolphLundgren and it's the fourth entry in the ''{{Franchise/Rocky}}'' film series.

Rocky is pitted against Russian super-athlete Ivan Drago in a heavily UsefulNotes/ColdWar themed film, which mostly revolves around the two fights with Drago. In the first, the once-again retired Rocky coaches Apollo for an exhibition match with Drago that leads to Drago killing Apollo in the ring. In the second, Rocky uses good ol' fashioned patriotism to beat down the cold-hearted Russian as an act of revenge.

Rocky is pitted against Russian super-athlete Ivan Drago in a heavily ColdWar themed film, which mostly revolves around the two fights with Drago. In the first, the once-again retired Rocky coaches Apollo for an exhibition match with Drago that leads to Drago killing Apollo in the ring. In the second, Rocky uses good ol' fashioned patriotism to beat down the cold-hearted Russian as an act of revenge.

* {{Flanderization}}: In ''Rocky'', Apollo Creed's patriotism is for show. He denies that his "underdog" idea is patriotic and insists that it is intelligent. In ''Rocky IV'', he puts on a similar song-and-dance routine, but this time, it is a genuine expression of extreme patriotism, a quality not before seen in Apollo. It's possible that the increased ColdWar tension of the 1980s (and/or fighting a Soviet as opposed to other Americans) brought it out in him.