Rocky: Heavyweight Collection

All six Rocky films—a series that ultimately spanned 30 years—are collected in this new Blu-ray set. Sylvester Stallone was a struggling young actor when he wrote the original Rocky (1976), an underdog tale of a small-time Philadelphia club boxer (Stallone) plucked from obscurity and offered a chance to fight the champ, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). Directed by John G. Avildsen, Rocky became an underdog hit, earning 10 Academy Award nominations, and winning Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director. It also launched Stallone's screen career, and featured an iconic performance from Talia Shire as Adrian, Rocky's shy, shop-clerk girlfriend. Stallone directed the next three entries in the series: the rematch of Rocky II (1979); Rocky III (1982), with heavyweight champ Rocky taking on the hungry, angry challenger Clubber Lang (Mr. T); and Rocky IV (1985), in which Rocky turns cold warrior to fight brutal Russian champ Drago (Dolph Lundgren). John G. Avildsen returned to helm Rocky V (1990), which drops the family back into hard times and forces the retired Rocky into taking on a protégé in the form of Tommy “Machine” Gunn (Tommy Morrison). The narrative arc comes to a belated close in Rocky Balboa (2006), which takes the rough-hewn but pure-of-heart fighter out of retirement and back into the ring for an exhibition bout with cocky champion Mason “The Line” Dixon (Antonio Tarver), a man 30 years his junior (Stallone once again scripts, directs, and pounds sides of beef in an obligatory training montage). The original Rocky is a classic; the second and third expand on Stallone's success story; the fourth film is the nadir, steeped in Cold War jingoism; and the last two are unnecessary but mildly entertaining continuations. Extras include audio commentaries and behind-the-scenes featurettes for the first film. Collections that don't already have the Rocky: Undisputed Collection will want to consider adding this one. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)