Rocky V contains a genuinely personal narrative about dwelling on former glories while missing what's happening now, though that story gets lost in a screenplay that feels unnecessarily complicated. The choice to strip Rocky of his financial security through an unconvincing plot point seemed unnecessary. He’d already experienced hardship; taking away everything he achieved made his journey feel like a step backward. The storyline would have worked just as well if he'd remained successful. What I found most compelling was the film’s exploration of Rocky’s aging and sudden decline in importance. No longer able to compete, the very essence of who Rocky was—his boxing background—begins to fade. He gradually loses his grip on himself, both professionally and personally, which causes him to lose perspective and focus solely on regaining that lost relevance. This leads to some genuinely affecting conflicts with his son. The film was heading toward a 3.5-star rating until the last twenty minutes, when it veered into an unexpected action movie featuring a bar fight. It transformed what had been a realistic story, recalling the feel of the first film, into something that felt jarring and unearned. I believe a more fulfilling conclusion would have involved Rocky simply abandoning boxing altogether, rather than resorting to physical confrontation. Director John Avildsen’s style returns here, with this installment feeling most like the original. The performances are generally strong; Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, and Sage Stallone—who was remarkably well-cast opposite his father—particularly stood out. Tommy Morrison delivered a serviceable performance, but Richard Gant was simply terrible. His presence felt cartoonish and didn’t fit with the rest of the film; I disliked seeing him on screen. I ended up enjoying this entry more than many others because of its serious tone and interesting portrayal of Rocky Balboa after his boxing career, though it could have been significantly improved with a more polished script. Score: 60% Verdict: Decent

Source on TMDB