Following Rocky Balboa's intense battle with his most powerful adversary yet – the ferocious Clubber Lang – Rocky joins forces with former rival Apollo Creed in an effort to get back his fighting spirit.
Ratings
Curator score: 4.6/10
IMDb: 6.9/10
Letterboxd: 3.54/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 65%
Metacritic: 57
TMDB: 6.9/10
Director
Sylvester Stallone
Production
United Artists, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Winkler Films
Cast
Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Mr. T, Burgess Meredith, Tony Burton, Hulk Hogan, Ina Fried, Al Silvani, Wally Taylor, Jim Hill, Don Sherman, Dennis James, Jim Healy, Ray Gedeon, Gene Crane, Stu Nahan, Bill Baldwin, Jimmy Lennon Sr.
Where to watch
Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A big, crowd-pleasing sequel that trades some of the first film’s grit for speed, swagger, and pure underdog adrenaline. It’s lighter and more commercial than Rocky, but the Apollo-Rocky dynamic, the training montages, and Clubber Lang’s menace make it one of the franchise’s most rewatchable entries.
Best for
fans of inspirational sports movies
viewers who want a high-energy 80s crowd-pleaser
people who enjoy rivalry-to-friendship dynamics
audiences who like iconic training montages and pump-up soundtracks
Skip if
you want the raw realism of the original Rocky
you dislike melodramatic sports storytelling
you prefer villains with more depth than pure force of nature
you’re not in the mood for glossy 80s excess
Overview
Rocky III is the franchise at its most polished and pop-minded, but that’s also part of its charm. Stallone leans into spectacle, sentiment, and momentum, turning the film into a glossy comeback story powered by bruised pride and renewed purpose.
Worth noting
The movie’s biggest asset is the Apollo-Rocky relationship, which gives the sequel a surprising emotional charge. Their banter, rivalry, and mutual respect are the heart of the film, while Clubber Lang functions as a terrifying embodiment of everything Rocky has started to lose.
Bottom line
It’s less grounded than the original, but it knows exactly how to deliver a rush. The training sequences, the music, and the final stretch are engineered for maximum audience lift, and the result is one of the most rewatchable entries in the series.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Patrick Willems (3★) · 2656 likes
“So, Sly, what’s your big idea for the third Rocky movie?”
“Well I was thinking in this one…”
[Stallone leans back in his chair and takes a drag of a cigarette]
“…Rocky fights a really mean guy.”
Sam (4★) · 2651 likes
The sexual tension between Rocky and Apollo is off the scale
You owe me a favour 😏😏😏
Matt Singer (4★) · 1349 likes
“You know, Stallion? It’s too bad we gotta get old.”
“Ah, just keep punching Apollo.”
Sydney🚀 (4★) · 1283 likes
Rocky and Apollo being yoked out of their minds sprinting on the beach in short shorts and tank tops is transcendent American cinema
Josh Simpson (3.5★) · 1180 likes
Can you imagine the baby oil budget for this film?