Rocky V - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray SteelBook

Here we are, Rocky V, the redheaded stepchild of the franchise. A film so bad that even the writer/star Sylvester Stallone calls it a mistake. Now, to be fair, I think conceptually Rocky V is solid. It was the first film made in the 1990s. It’s coming off of the ‘80s excess of Rocky III and the especially over-the-top foolishness of Rocky IV. At this point, the franchise had frankly devolved into music video montages. A grounded franchise reality check was due.

Unfortunately… things didn’t go well. It wasn’t a box office bust, but it wasn’t the franchise grand slam either opening behind Dances With Wolves and Home Alone. Critics rightly savaged the film and one of the key sticking points that stands out to me is a feeling of inauthenticity. After so much glitz and polish of the last two films, this film is desperately trying to go back to its gritty working-class roots and fails in almost every frame. On top of behind-the-scenes creative issues with the script, I’d say Stallone’s heart just wasn’t in it. Rather than embodying Rocky Balboa as he had for four films, he delivers a heartless imitation of a man pretending he has a heart. 

I give this film a fair shake every couple of years. I don’t avoid it, I don’t banish it, but because I don’t love it, it rarely makes the rewatch circuit. I hope that between viewings I’ll find something redeemable to help it grow in my estimation but I never do. It’s simply a bad movie. A well-intentioned film, but a bad one. 

This viewing I pinpointed where the film loses itself and never recovers. At about 27 minutes in, Rocky and his family has lost their house, sold everything, and moved back into the old Philadelphia neighborhood. This is when a new hip-hop-infused version of Take You Back kicks in and the film loses all sense of itself. Up to that point, Rocky V was working all right. Not great, but it had some flavor of the first two films. Once those beat-box funk overtones slip in over Frank Stallone’s tune, it’s all she wrote. Everything after is a parade of Hollywood-glitzed facade rough times. Say what you will about Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot - it at least doesn’t have Stallone pretending to be Rocky in a streetfight brawl. 

Ultimately the best thing I can say about Rocky V is is that in its failure it inadvertently set up one of the best sequels of the franchise with Rocky Balboa. 

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 

Rocky V hears the bell calling for its first 4K UHD release. The only way to get this one solo is with a two-disc 4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital SteelBook that mirrors the Black and White with red accents of the previous Best Buy-exclusive SteelBook sets. The film is pressed on a BD-100 disc, the included Blu-ray is the same 1080p BD-50 disc that’s been available for years now. The disc loads to the standard Warner Bros. static image main menu with basic navigation options. Even if the movie isn’t that great, the SteelBook is an attractive piece to help complete the collection. 

Like the previous franchise 4K discs, Rocky V punches out a beautiful 2160p 1.85:1 Dolby Vision HDR transfer. I gotta hand it to MGM and Warner Bros. for this disc, the film is hardly the fan favorite of the original six films, but they gave it one hell of a terrific restoration. From Rocky suffering in the shower to their move back to the old neighborhood to the notorious street brawl, the film looks terrific. Details and fine lines are crisp and clear without issue. Facial features, clothing textures, the Philadelphia shooting locations, all earn their time in the ring with a healthy cinematic film grain. No signs of smoothing or unsightly sharpening. The Dolby Vision grade, like past films, looks terrific highlighting the drab surroundings while letting key primaries shine. Skin tones a healthy and human without looking too pinked or peached out. Black levels are on point without crush issues with nice bright whites. Image depth was also quite impressive.

On the audio front, we have the same DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix returning for another round along with the original theatrical DTS-HD MA 2.0. Unlike the first set of four films, it sounds like a little more QC time was allocated for this release as this 2.0 track doesn’t sound like a mix-down of the 5.1. (We understand those discs have been corrected, corrected discs are being shipped out to fans who requested them and the new Ultimate Knockout 6-Film set should have the new corrected discs). However, I have to say of the two options, the 5.1 is the more enjoyable experience. Dialog is clean and clear for both, but the sound effects spread when Rocky is training fighters at Mick’s or the big fight with Tommy Gun, the LFE of the score and the late ‘80s/early ‘90s hip-hop gives us a weightier more immersive experience.  

Absolutely nothing in bonus features. Considering Stallone’s feelings about the film to this day - not that surprising.

Rocky V is one of those sequels that had the best of intentions but effectively killed its franchise. It took sixteen years for the final direct sequel to arrive on theater screens - largely because we needed that time to effectively forget as much as we could about Rocky V so Rocky Balboa could thrive. And in all honesty that is the best I can say about this film - it sets up one of the best sequels (if not the best) of the franchise. I keep trying to find things to like and enjoy about Rocky V but it never gets better for me. Amazingly enough, this film scores a winning 4K UHD SteelBook release. The Dolby Vision transfer is a beauty and the previous 5.1 DTS track still packs a punch. No extras may be a sticking point, but it is what it is. The SteelBook is lovely packaging for the fan who likes to keep their films in solo cases. Worth A Look