Adams Movie Reviews

addition, adding even more... tension between Godrey and Irene. Godrey is appalled that Irene would enter his private domain and Irene, as ever, is oblivious to all disapproval, having only eyes for Godrey. The radio play is an interesting extra, reuniting the two stars, plus Gail Russell is back as the conniving Cornelia. Also, a young David Niven is in the radio play, as Godfrey's friend Tommy Gray. The commentary is interesting, sometimes more for film students than fans, but still a good addition. Outtakes from any film made in the 1930's are rare, so these, although brief, are a bonus.
All in all, the digital transfer itself is worth the money, the rest of these extras are just gravy for the collector. I highly recommend this disc, for those who cherish the immortal screwball comedy films and the discerning fans of William Powell and Carole Lombard.

I am extremely impressed with the attention to detail that Criterion put into restoring this movie. The audio in particular is a vast improvement from the VHS version, which I also own.

Contrary to another reviewer who complained about the price, I thought the extra money was WELL WORTH IT.

My only complaint is that I can't buy more quality (Criterion) DVD classics from this era - especially the William Powell & Myrna Loy collaborations.

You get what you pay for, in this case a premium price gets you a premium restored product.

addition, adding even more... tension between Godrey and Irene. Godrey is appalled that Irene would enter his private domain and Irene, as ever, is oblivious to all disapproval, having only eyes for Godrey. The radio play is an interesting extra, reuniting the two stars, plus Gail Russell is back as the conniving Cornelia. Also, a young David Niven is in the radio play, as Godfrey's friend Tommy Gray. The commentary is interesting, sometimes more for film students than fans, but still a good addition. Outtakes from any film made in the 1930's are rare, so these, although brief, are a bonus.
All in all, the digital transfer itself is worth the money, the rest of these extras are just gravy for the collector. I highly recommend this disc, for those who cherish the immortal screwball comedy films and the discerning fans of William Powell and Carole Lombard.

I am extremely impressed with the attention to detail that Criterion put into restoring this movie. The audio in particular is a vast improvement from the VHS version, which I also own.

Contrary to another reviewer who complained about the price, I thought the extra money was WELL WORTH IT.

My only complaint is that I can't buy more quality (Criterion) DVD classics from this era - especially the William Powell & Myrna Loy collaborations.

You get what you pay for, in this case a premium price gets you a premium restored product.

addition, adding even more... tension between Godrey and Irene. Godrey is appalled that Irene would enter his private domain and Irene, as ever, is oblivious to all disapproval, having only eyes for Godrey. The radio play is an interesting extra, reuniting the two stars, plus Gail Russell is back as the conniving Cornelia. Also, a young David Niven is in the radio play, as Godfrey's friend Tommy Gray. The commentary is interesting, sometimes more for film students than fans, but still a good addition. Outtakes from any film made in the 1930's are rare, so these, although brief, are a bonus.
All in all, the digital transfer itself is worth the money, the rest of these extras are just gravy for the collector. I highly recommend this disc, for those who cherish the immortal screwball comedy films and the discerning fans of William Powell and Carole Lombard.

I am extremely impressed with the attention to detail that Criterion put into restoring this movie. The audio in particular is a vast improvement from the VHS version, which I also own.

Contrary to another reviewer who complained about the price, I thought the extra money was WELL WORTH IT.

My only complaint is that I can't buy more quality (Criterion) DVD classics from this era - especially the William Powell & Myrna Loy collaborations.

You get what you pay for, in this case a premium price gets you a premium restored product.

addition, adding even more... tension between Godrey and Irene. Godrey is appalled that Irene would enter his private domain and Irene, as ever, is oblivious to all disapproval, having only eyes for Godrey. The radio play is an interesting extra, reuniting the two stars, plus Gail Russell is back as the conniving Cornelia. Also, a young David Niven is in the radio play, as Godfrey's friend Tommy Gray. The commentary is interesting, sometimes more for film students than fans, but still a good addition. Outtakes from any film made in the 1930's are rare, so these, although brief, are a bonus.
All in all, the digital transfer itself is worth the money, the rest of these extras are just gravy for the collector. I highly recommend this disc, for those who cherish the immortal screwball comedy films and the discerning fans of William Powell and Carole Lombard.

I am extremely impressed with the attention to detail that Criterion put into restoring this movie. The audio in particular is a vast improvement from the VHS version, which I also own.

Contrary to another reviewer who complained about the price, I thought the extra money was WELL WORTH IT.

My only complaint is that I can't buy more quality (Criterion) DVD classics from this era - especially the William Powell & Myrna Loy collaborations.

You get what you pay for, in this case a premium price gets you a premium restored product.

addition, adding even more... tension between Godrey and Irene. Godrey is appalled that Irene would enter his private domain and Irene, as ever, is oblivious to all disapproval, having only eyes for Godrey. The radio play is an interesting extra, reuniting the two stars, plus Gail Russell is back as the conniving Cornelia. Also, a young David Niven is in the radio play, as Godfrey's friend Tommy Gray. The commentary is interesting, sometimes more for film students than fans, but still a good addition. Outtakes from any film made in the 1930's are rare, so these, although brief, are a bonus.
All in all, the digital transfer itself is worth the money, the rest of these extras are just gravy for the collector. I highly recommend this disc, for those who cherish the immortal screwball comedy films and the discerning fans of William Powell and Carole Lombard.

I am extremely impressed with the attention to detail that Criterion put into restoring this movie. The audio in particular is a vast improvement from the VHS version, which I also own.

Contrary to another reviewer who complained about the price, I thought the extra money was WELL WORTH IT.

My only complaint is that I can't buy more quality (Criterion) DVD classics from this era - especially the William Powell & Myrna Loy collaborations.

You get what you pay for, in this case a premium price gets you a premium restored product.

addition, adding even more... tension between Godrey and Irene. Godrey is appalled that Irene would enter his private domain and Irene, as ever, is oblivious to all disapproval, having only eyes for Godrey. The radio play is an interesting extra, reuniting the two stars, plus Gail Russell is back as the conniving Cornelia. Also, a young David Niven is in the radio play, as Godfrey's friend Tommy Gray. The commentary is interesting, sometimes more for film students than fans, but still a good addition. Outtakes from any film made in the 1930's are rare, so these, although brief, are a bonus.
All in all, the digital transfer itself is worth the money, the rest of these extras are just gravy for the collector. I highly recommend this disc, for those who cherish the immortal screwball comedy films and the discerning fans of William Powell and Carole Lombard.

I am extremely impressed with the attention to detail that Criterion put into restoring this movie. The audio in particular is a vast improvement from the VHS version, which I also own.

Contrary to another reviewer who complained about the price, I thought the extra money was WELL WORTH IT.

My only complaint is that I can't buy more quality (Criterion) DVD classics from this era - especially the William Powell & Myrna Loy collaborations.

You get what you pay for, in this case a premium price gets you a premium restored product.

Yikes!

Granted, she didn't have much to work with in the way of dialogue, now did she?

This is truly disenheartening when one reflects that Stallone is a good writer, both of plot and of dialogue. "Rocky", "Rocky II", "First Blood", "Cliffhanger", and "The Lords of Flatbush" are all testaments to this fact. So what happened? Why the absense of good dialogue? Where's the plot? "Where's the beef?", to quote a colloquialism popular at the time of this film's release?

Well, as Gene Siskel remarked, there was a time in Stallone's career when he devoted more energy to expanding his biceps that to writing great films. Sadly, "Rocky IV" stands as a testament to the late Mr. Siskel's insightful observation.

Granted, in a film of this nature, one can't expect too many plot surprises. It is, after all, a film about a boxer who boxes. Still, what made "Rocky" and "Rocky II" so compeling was Stallone's ability to add a very human story of triumph over not just external adversity, but also over one's internal feelings of worthlessness. Both Rocky Balboa and Adrian (portrated by gifted actress Talia Shire) are shown stepping out of the roles the world would prescribe for them and instead embracing one another. In so doing, they triumph over the worldly adversities imposed upon them.

Stallone tries to re-create that in "Rocky IV", but doesn't quite make it.

Why? Because he's repeating himself. Rocky and Adrian have already proved themselves to be worthy, respectable people. That was accomplished by the end of "Rocky II". To have to continually demonstrate one's worthiness is, in effect, to express doubt in exactly what it is one is seeking to prove.

So, Rocky loses his best friend Apollo to a "Demonstration Bout" with Drago. He of course seeks to avenge his fallen friend, and the rest is easy to predict. Rocky must prove to those pesky Russians that they won't have the upper hand with us, etc.

The film ends with Rocky giving a speech about change, which is something he doesn't do at all in the film, so it is difficult to see how this speech ties into the plot.

To offer a few compliments to what is otherwise a bad review, let me say this: this film is beautifully photographed, and Stallone's boxing choreography is both exciting and riveting, as usual. This, however, ultimately adds to my poor assessment of this film, in a rather ironic way. You see, the direction and acting in the film are really quite good. What sucks is the plot and dialogue.

As Paul Newman said, "Give an actor a good script and he can move the earth". Well, considering the level of writing these actors had to work with, I suppose they were just doing the best they could. Even Stallone.

Brigette Neilsen comes along for the ride in this one as Drago's Ice Queen wife. Action Jackson, I mean Carl Weathers from the first three Rocky movies is now dead, killed by Drago in an exhibition fight. NoW Rocky must go to Moscow and fight Drago before a crowd of heartless, godless, and sinister Russians, oh can you feel the drama building?

"He's not a machine! He's a man!" screams Rocky's coach as Rocky finally lands one punch after 15 rounds of boxing. Though Rambo, I mean Rocky, looks like a leaky catsup bottle, his spirit and fighting desire carry him on to win. Of course at the beginning of part V, Rocky now has brain damage. I thought that was evident from Stallone's first scene in Rocky I.

At any rate, if you are a George W. Bush supporter who thumps his chest with a heavy fist and proclaims that all of America is represented by a few right wing knuckleheads, this movie is perfect for you.

Rocky IV, like always, picks up where the last one, Rocky III left off. Rocky has won back his title from Clubber Lang and him and Apollo are good friends. Rocky lives at home with his wife, son, and brother-in-law, is living a perfectly normal life, and best of all, no one has challenged him to any fights.

But now Russia has decided to throw it's hands in the ring. They land in america with the perfect fighting weapon: Ivan Drago. A man trained with computers and has a 2010 psi punch. But when Apollo overhears the announcement on his t.v., he wastes no time in setting up a match between the two men so that he can prove to the whole world that the U.S.A. are the real champs when it comes to boxing. But within the 2nd round, Apollo is knocked out and killed.

Now Rocky takes action to avenge his friend's death. He challenges Ivan to a boxing match held in Russia. He is to live and train in a cabin in the dead of winter to prepare for his greatest challenge ever. In fear of losing his life and leaving his wife and son alone, he still cannot get the words out of his head, "I am a fighter. We can't change who we truly are."

Rocky IV is definatly not the best Rocky movie. But it definatly deserves 5 stars. It stays original and still delivers very good performances from Sylvester Stallone and the rest of the returning Rocky cast. A must to complete the Rocky collection and a must for any true Rocky fan.

"ROCKY IV" runs for about 95 minutes. It is rated PG for violence and some language.

Yes, the plot is very simple, so what! THERE IS NO NEED FOR AN INTRICATE PLOT IN A PAULY SHORE MOVIE!!!

So, just sit back and enjoy this movie.

PS: My spoon is too big!

The shotgun approach to plot, though, is tiresome. Is this about feminism, lesbianism, modernism, or music? Ignorance and arson....well, we couldn't have a movie about the hills without some stereotypes, could we? Not to mention forced accents.

Charming, but could have been done better.

The setting of mountains of North Carolina were beautiful.

The movie could have done away with the homosexual subplot and focused more on the professor's "songcatching."

The shotgun approach to plot, though, is tiresome. Is this about feminism, lesbianism, modernism, or music? Ignorance and arson....well, we couldn't have a movie about the hills without some stereotypes, could we? Not to mention forced accents.

Charming, but could have been done better.

The setting of mountains of North Carolina were beautiful.

The movie could have done away with the homosexual subplot and focused more on the professor's "songcatching."