Rocky I-VI Ultimate Knockout Collection (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)

Rocky movies mean the world to me.  I know…I know.  I sound like a broken record the number times I have said this now.  The Rocky films are sacred to me and have personally got me through some tough times in life, which I’ll elaborate on in a moment.  However, is the price of admission here to get these films on the 4K UHD Disc format worth it?  I think that’s the more relevant question to be addressed here.  Truth be told when these were announced I didn’t even get excited especially after how botched up The Rocky Knockout Collection was last year (see HERE).  I’ve been so disappointed with the quality of some of the catalog films I have seen recently on 4K Disc that I just wasn’t whet with anticipation here.  But come on man!  We’re talking Rocky Balboa.  So let me do this.  Let me set aside some of the problems I have with the last “Knockout” release for the moment and tell you about my love for the Rocky and now Creed film franchises.  Deal?  Don’t worry.  We’ll get to any beefs I may have soon enough.

The Rocky film franchise contains some of my earliest childhood memories and in my opinion some very damn fine cinematic moments.  Its patriotism alone is as symbolic to America as the flag is.  Heck, the franchise may be even more symbolic of America than even apple pie.  I know.  That’s all my opinion.  That’s fair.  However, these are some of the most motivational movies ever spliced together…once again in my opinion.  When will I ever get another chance to share my innermost personal thoughts on them again?  I know I said that years ago when the Blu-ray box set was released (see HERE), but let’s pretend this is the first time you’re reading all of this.  And so my journey begins.

I think it goes without saying that one could bill this 6-movie, 4K UHD Blu-ray box set as the greatest boxing saga of all time and that Sylvester Stallone portrays one of the most inspirational characters in cinematic history.  I think that’s very plausible to say.  But what the Rocky movies always meant to me is having this everyday kind of hero, or underdog if you will, who is determined to achieve greatness against all seemingly impossible odds.  Let’s also not forget about all the iconic ear candy and motivational music that accompanies Rocky flicks that I could go on and on about, but I digress.  Many years ago, at the ripe age of 36 years old, I found myself in a very similar situation as Stallone’s legendary character.  I have never been in horrible shape in my life, but I’ve never been in stellar shape either previous to this story below.

Once upon a time, out of the blue, my application I submitted to become a FBI Special Agent got selected and I found myself at the Cleveland FBI field office for my first of many interviews to come.  Congratulations!  I passed round one, but now came the hard part.  The physical fitness regimen.  You don’t know how many times I vomited, wanted to give up and fell under utter despair and disbelief while just trying to qualify for the physical agility exams, but after weeks of trying I finally did.  I then had three months to get in what I call “Rocky” shape to pass the PFT, what they refer to as their Physical Fitness Test.  All the interviews, security clearances, polygraphs, written exams and background checks were nothing compared to the PFT.  I enlisted the help of a personal trainer, ate right and was out there six days a week giving it my all in the gym and on the track, while also working a full time job and writing here.  I did this not to prove all the naysayers in my life wrong, but to prove to myself that I could do it and if nothing else…go the distance…just like Rocky did.

Despite many injuries, setbacks, bouts of unbearable stress and against all odds really at my late age (37 is the cutoff) compared to the other spring chicken recruits, I shattered the scores not once, but twice on the PFT exams.  Do you want to know what my motivational secret was?  The Rocky franchise of films.  I studied them religiously and even emulated Rocky’s self-determination to achieve my fantastical goal of passing the seemingly impossible PFT exam, where others around me, even ten years younger, simply failed.  When I crossed that finish line during my first PFT and I knew that I had passed I raised my arms like Rocky did after beating Apollo Creed and I thought to myself, yo Adrian I did it.  That was a very emotional moment for me and that’s how much these movies mean to me.  You get it now?

I think it goes without saying that you already know that this set contains at least 6 Rocky movies to cover.  But wait!  Are there not 6 Rocky films in the franchise?  Okay!  Now we’re getting into some of my beefs!  Sadly, there’s no Rocky V or even one of my favorites of the franchise, Rocky Balboa.  WTH, right?  It even omits the inclusion of any Blu-ray copies of the film from this “Knockout” collection.  Keep that in mind that you are ONLY getting the films on 4K Disc here albeit Digital Copies are included.  I think the majority can get past all that, but what I have a hard time with are all the quality control problems this set comes with.  It’s not like software where you can just issue a firmware update and fix everything magically.  Oh no!  You have several messed up audio tracks, mislabeled extras and even a video frame resolution mishap to contend with.

Rest assured everything I briefly mentioned up above we will cover in more details down below where the quality control issues are more relevant.  But for now though I think I’ll start with the individual films first, briefly discuss them and then just go with the natural ebb and flow like the majority of our Disc reviews around here as we traverse through the 5 standard categories.  The good thing about this review is the fact that I don’t think there’s many people out there who have not seen these films so that makes my task of summarizing them that much easier and BRIEFER. So ding, ding!  That was the sound of the ringside bell indicating Round One has begun.  Fight!

 

Films 

Since we’re all familiar with the Rocky series I think it would be in all our best interest here if I practice brevity.  While I’ll discuss the films on an individual level, I’ll keep my usual level of chatter and whimsical remarks to a bare minimum as I deliver a clear and concise discussion of the basic meat and potatoes of what goes down in each film.  Hopefully in turn that will reflect in the overall score I posted above.   I know I’m a little biased with this overall film score because I grew up and was nurtured/weened from them, but if you disagree with me in my way of thinking, then I guess that’s your problem.  Ha!

*

Rocky

This obviously is the film that started it all, the Rocky phenomena of the Italian Stallion, and explosively launched the career of then a pretty much unknown screenwriter, actor  (although he had a few under his belt such as Death Race 2000) and avid bodybuilder, Sylvester Stallone.    The 1976 American sports film was directed by John G. Avildsen and of course stars Stallone, who also wrote this timeless classic.  Rocky (Stallone) is a Philadelphia club fighter who seems to be going nowhere in life, a familiar story for most of us.  However, when a “bout” of fate puts him in a ring with the world heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), Rocky knows that it’s his one shot, a once in a lifetime opportunity to not so much as to come out a winner between the two fighters, but to “go the distance.”

Rocky was made on a one million dollar budget and ended up grossing over $225 million at the global box office and even went on to win the coveted Oscar prize of Best Picture (there’s a reason why this simple script is praised and talked about year after year in various screenwriting courses and books).  Not bad for a relatively nobody star/screenwriter, huh?  The film also stars the likes of Talia Shire as Adrian, for without her none of these movies would have been possible (every man needs a woman to motivate and light a fire under them), Burt Young as Adrian’s brother Paulie and the famous Burgess Meredith as Rocky’s trainer Mickey.  As I alluded to a sentence ago with Adrian’s character all three of these aforementioned names were just as much as responsible for Rocky’s success as he was for himself, including the diehard competitive nature of his antagonist, Apollo Creed.  However, they didn’t have one key characteristic that Rocky had…his heart.

As you will see throughout the franchise, there’s no greater sports figure to embody in the world of cinema than Rocky Balboa.  He truly has a heart of gold as you have come to known and see prominently on display across all six films…err I mean four (sarcastically) of this saga.  They just don’t make them like this anymore (that includes the new Creed III which I found to be very meh in my first viewing of).

*

Rocky II

Three years later we have another go with Rocky as this time out Stallone is not only the writer, but also the director too!  Our story picks right up after the events of the first film where a captive viewing audience witnessed a near miracle as underdog club fighter Rocky Balboa went the distance with Apolllo Creed.  And naturally, just like we saw in the Mike Tyson days of boxing, fans cried for a rematch. But Rocky, having sustained massive injuries in the bout, announces his retirement and tries a life at product endorsement (aka acting), a life he’s clearly not cut out for and like us all born without a silver spoon in our mouth, has to go back to work and pick up whatever punishable, physical labor he can find to provide for his new bride, Adrian, and his future child on the way.

Apollo Creed, on the other hand, can’t move on in life and will do anything he can to prove the naysayers and his inner demons wrong once and for all that his initial fight with Rocky was a fluke and that he is the undisputed heavyweight champ.  And although Rocky tries to make a new life for himself, Rocky agonizingly realizes that he can’t escape his true calling and that boxing may truly only be the only thing he is ever good at in life. The ring beckons him back once more, and Rocky must prepare for the fight of his life, but at the disapproval of not only Mickey at first, but of his wife who succumbs to serious health problems while carrying their child.  It’s not until the drama settles and that emotional moment that puts me in tears every time where Adrian whispers to her man “win,” that Rocky is able to regain the necessary focus to train and ultimately topple Creed in a boxing match forever known as World War II.

*

Rocky III

What else can I say but this is where it happens some 3 years later!  No, I’m not talking about Rocky’s tragic fall from the top and resurgence back up, but that of the iconic smash hit “Eye of the Tiger,” written by Survivor at Stallone’s request.  That tune is an inspiration to so many that I can’t even begin to think about how many lives it has touched and changed over the course of all these years, can you?  So this time out, Stallone is back as the director and writer as life couldn’t be better for Rocky Balboa. He scores ten consecutive wins, lands lucrative endorsement contracts and basically is on top of the world. I know I would be.  And hell yeah, we even get treated to a match with wrestler Hulk Hogan in it here!

All things change when Clubber Lang (Mr. T) shows up and accuses Rocky of picking selective handicapped fights and ultimately K.O.s him in a humiliating defeat, it becomes clearly apparent that he has lost his edge, mirroring Creed’s downfall in the previous two films in underestimating his opponent.  And if that’s not worse enough, Mickey dies in Rocky’s arms.  It is here in ultimate sorrow and desperation where Rocky receives encouragement from an unlikely ally, Apollo Creed. With Creed’s help, Rocky strives to regain the “eye of the tiger” before confronting Lang in a grueling rematch for the world heavyweight championship.  It will see Rocky not only receive and embrace the much needed support and love from his leading lady, Adrian, but also return to basics and a new way of attacking his opponent via the training, cardio and tutelage of Creed.  Anyone want to guess how this one plays out?

*

Rocky IV + Director’s Cut

If there was ever a Rocky film that haters of in your face patriotism on display would disdain, Rocky IV is just that (just look at the movie’s original poster on the left) and so much more in this feature once again written and directed by Stallone.  We already know that Rocky proudly holds the world heavyweight boxing championship, but what happens when a new challenger steps forward, Drago (Dolph Lundgren), who’s a six-foot, six-inch, 240-pound fighter (or should I say freak of nature?) who has the backing of the Soviet Union.?  Does Rocky fight him?  Hell no!  Apollo Creed wants to get back in the limelight and challenges Drago to an exhibition fight to prove once and for all that the USA is number one.

Let’s just say everything goes down hill for Creed after James Brown performs “Living in America.”  Creed sadly dies in the ring while Drago and his wife (Brigitte Nielsen)  show no signs of remorse.  Rocky seeks vengeance on Drago and agrees to a fight on Christmas Day in Drago’s homeland of Russia without the blessing of the woman who’s been by his side the past three films, Adrian.  He leaves her behind as he embarks on his long international journey.  You see, this time, the jams are still getting churned out and pumping as Rocky’s training regimen takes him to an icy Siberia, where he prepares for a globally-televised match in the heart of Moscow.

This is where our story gets a little whacky and a bit unbelievable (more so than other times in the series) because the fight is like nothing you have ever seen before.  Admittedly so, can one man ever take a beating like Rocky does?    He gets pummeled.  But let’s face it.  He has a lot on the line here.  Not only must he fight in honor of his fallen friend and defend himself, but also the honor of his country!  So while critical reception on this one is mixed, there’s no denying that it was the most successful films in the franchise financially speaking.  And it’s Rocky!  How can you bad mouth a Rocky film?  That’s blasphemy!

As an added note this collection also includes Rocky Vs. Drago: The Ultimate Director’s Cut.  I call it more of a cash grab, but it is what it is.  I prefer the original version.  However, for anyone who is curious as to what all the changes are in this alternate cut I would like to refer you to visit Screen Rant’s most excellent post on it HERE.

*

Rocky V

And here’s the one Rocky feature that no one ever wants to talk about or admit happened, 1990’s Rocky V.  Yeah sure, I’d be happy too forgetting it never happened like Superman Returns tried to do with part’s 3 and 4, but the reality of the situation is like it or not it did happen.  This time out Stallone is the writer again, but John G. Avildsen has returned to the franchise to helm the picture once again (odd that he comes back for the worst one).  So upon returning home from his latest triumph in Russia (think Rocky IV), Rocky learns that all of his money has been lost by an unscrupulous financial advisor and to make matters worse, his fight-related injuries force his retirement from the ring. Therefore, Rocky, Adrian and his son Rocky Jr. (Sage Stallone) are forced to move to back to the all too familiar low-rent neighborhood in South Philadelphia.  Are you still with me?

I’m just checking because this is where things take a turn for the ugly, for a Rocky movie that is.  Rocky must resolve the deep-rooted resentment his son has for him and the bitterness gets even worse when he trains Tommy Gunn (former real life boxer Tommy Morrison), a young boxer who Rocky takes under his wings, but soon rises to national prominence way too quickly for Rocky who wants to protect him much the way Mickey did of him.  However, you know these young people.  They are all so reckless and impatient and Tommy’s no different.  He wants the title now and leaves Rocky.  Tommy gets what he wants, but ultimately gets a lashing for it too as people say he won against a paper champion since the champ never won the belt in a fair fight against Rocky.  When Tommy publicly taunts Rocky to fight him in the ring, Rocky declines.  However, one blow to Paulie and Rocky’s back in the ring so to speak.

Word of caution.  Don’t touch Paulie!  The only difference here is that the ring is not in a sports arena.  It’s an outside brawl.  Rocky fights once more.  It wasn’t the most fitting end to this franchise to say the least, but it wasn’t no Star Wars sequel either so pick your poison.  I choose Rocky V!  But we all know what happened to Tommy Morrison is real life, right?  However, I digress because below is something I find real interesting.

In the original script, Rocky is killed during the final fight with Tommy, dying in Adrian’s arms in the street.  Through most of the filming and production, this was to be the outcome.  However, it wasn’t until the film was nearing completion that Stallone decided against Rocky’s death and went with the current ending we all have now.  According to him, the director and the studio had second thoughts.  Eventually, Stallone rewrote the ending, saying that he decided to change it because Rocky was supposed to be about perseverance and redemption, and having him die in a street brawl would be against the roots of the series.  Pretty interesting, huh?  I do have to admit I really like this alternate ending, but then again we would not have the next phenomenal movie to discuss now would we?

*

Rocky Balboa + Director’s Cut

Thirty years after the clang of the first bell (16 years after his retirement from the ring), Rocky Balboa dons his gloves for the last time…we think!  LOL.  Does Grudge Match count?  I sure hope not!  So I guess you can say in the production of this film Rocky goes back to his roots as Stallone picks up the writing duties and directing once again, and I couldn’t be happier about it.  Since retiring, Rocky reminisces about his glory days for the locals at his Philly diner, Adrian’s (Adrian has since passed).  However, his quiet, simple world is suddenly rocked when the current reigning heavyweight champ , Mason “The Line” Dixon (Antonio Tarver), loses by a K.O. victory to a virtual, in-his-prime Rocky in a computer-simulated match.  How’s that for the use of technology in modern day filmmaking?  Pretty good if you ask me!

Rocky’s pretty pumped about that virtual fight and decides to maybe go back in the ring and grab some low key fights.  Paulie thinks he’s crazy.  And Mason, well he just can’t shake his loss, virtual or not.  So needless to say as the Rocky formula goes Mason challenges the Italian Stallion to the real thing! Not one to back down, Rocky commits to the unthinkable and he agrees to the “newest” fight of his life…and pushes himself to the breaking point to go the distance one last time with his son by his side (Milo Ventimiglia) in the ring against Mason in Las Vegas for a charity exhibition bout that, as the formula goes again, Mason wasn’t too prepared for.  And you know what?  This is the fitting end for me.  This title is perfect in every which way and I can’t believe I am saying this, but not too far fetched either.  It just goes to show you that no matter how hard life knocks you down, winners are the ones who get back up (I wish I could always practice what Rocky preaches in this flick).  Rocky says it better in the film, but you know what I’m getting at here.

Years ago I remember listening to the audio commentary by Stallone on the standalone Blu-ray release of Rocky Balboa and I could have sworn by now we would have seen a director’s cut of this one, but that’s what double dipping down the road is eventually for, right?  Maybe in 4K?  The wait is no more!  It’s here!  The Director’s Cut of the film features an additional 14 minutes not seen in the theaters, but I digress momentarily.

So what I also love about this film besides its heart, guts and glory to give it your all in life even when you get knocked down is unlike the fifth film in the franchise, Rocky Balboa brings things full circle.  It features the return of two minor characters from the original movie: Marie, the young woman that Rocky attempts to steer away from trouble (as an Easter Egg she can also be seen in the background crowd of the street brawl in Rocky V), and Spider Rico, the first opponent that Rocky is seen fighting in the original film. Rocky Balboa also holds many references to people and objects from previous installments in the series, especially the first as we already discussed.  And God!  How did I not hear about that extra call to be part of the ending credits on the steps of the Philadelphia art museum?  I would have loved just to be a fly on the wall.   It’s truly remarkable!

“I know your story is far from over Rocky, as we later saw in CREED, but from the bottom of my heart thank you for everything, from your blood, sweat, tears and determination to the heart your story instills in me, I’ll always be your biggest fan.” – Brian E. White

*

Video 

So we’re trying something a little different here on the site when it comes to discussing the audio and video presentations of said discs.  To make it a little painless for us to write them and you to ultimately read, understand and take away the required information you came here for, we’re going to break things down into required categories we have to fill out.  This way you get all the information in a straight forward layout and it spares us from having to find different ways in which to say the same thing over and over that we have the last two hundred reviews.  We think it’s simple, clean, concise and directly to the point and we hope you like it!  So with the cat out of the bag now, let’s take a closer look at the video presentations found on each of the 4 4K UHD Blu-ray discs in this set.

*

Rocky (4)

This is supposedly sourced from the same 4K scan the last Blu-ray was in the “Heavyweight” collection.  Let’s find out if it’s worth your money or not in the video department when it comes to this one and all the others.

• Encoding: HEVC / H.265
• Resolution: 4K (2160p)
• HDR: Yes
• Dolby Vision: Yes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Clarity/Detail: The levels of fine detail and sharpness is a step up.   You could say things are a bit clearer, but let’s face it.  Rocky was shot this way and meant to look mean and gritty, is it not?  We don’t want a waxy Predator release on our hands!  Although there are some shots that were smoothed out a bit, but nothing overly distracting.  It looks the way it should naturally from a 70’s film perspective.
• Depth: Because of the grain being less intrusive here as opposed to the original Blu-ray transfer, the depth of field is much improved to my eyes.
• Black Levels: Comparing this to the first Blu-ray transfer of Rocky, the blacks look a bit deeper here overall and nice contrast due to the HDR element at play.
• Color Reproduction: Besides the noticeable improvements to depth and black levels, the color correction is probably most prevalent.  Things just look more natural now.  And I like that!  But let’s face it, Rocky was never about being a colorful movie.  It’s about being gritty!  But the reds and yellows do pop!
• Flesh Tones: The skin tones generally look natural and lifelike throughout.
• Noise/Artifacts: The grain structure remains intact, thankfully, but not at the risk of minimizing the depth of field or clarity.  I want to say that all the anomalies such as the specks and such are gone, but let’s just say for argument’s sake they are kept to a bare minimum here.  There’s no banding or pixelization or anything else like that.

*

Rocky II (4)

• Encoding: HEVC / H.265
• Resolution: 4K (2160p)
• HDR: Yes
• Dolby Vision: Yes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Clarity/Detail: Here’s why I love the Blu-ray format.  For a film of this age, things are remarkably sharp here from facial details to individual beats of sweat in the fight scene.  You gotta love it!  But on the flip side, there are moments of softness here too.
• Depth: Obviously the three-dimensional pop is hard to achieve on a picture of this age, without a complete remaster, but things are quite crowd pleasing here.  It is what it is.  You hate that saying, huh?
• Black Levels: These don’t disappoint as they are deep and pleasing…for the most part.
• Color Reproduction: The colors, particularly the reds and yellows, are vibrant and vivacious.  The HDR really brings out the colors, which are mostly muted throughout.
• Flesh Tones: The skin tones are all natural and accurate throughout the flick’s runtime.
• Noise/Artifacts: There’s also a lot of grain here, but that’s fine as it’s relatively unobtrusive and to be expected too.

*

Rocky III (4)

• Encoding: HEVC / H.265
• Resolution: 4K (2160p)
• HDR: Yes
• Dolby Vision: Yes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Clarity/Detail: Detail fluctuates throughout this presentation from strong to weak at times.  Make no mistakes there are some fine moments for this pore whore to enjoy complete with the tiniest beads of sweat or even grease, but there are also soft shots to speak of too.  Facial details are prominently on display here too.
• Depth: The depth of the scene obviously goes hand and hand with the detail mentioned above.
• Black Levels: Luckily for me, I have no reservations about the black levels employed throughout.  They really look great including the shadows.
• Color Reproduction:  The colors are pretty bold and vibrant just like in the second film transfer above.
• Flesh Tones: Thankfully, the skin tones are all accurate and naturally looking throughout.
• Noise/Artifacts: While there are no apparent issues other than the white specks mentioned above in the second film (notably the funeral scene), grain does become problematic in places.  Again, I’m perfectly fine with this as I expect this from a movie of this age.  It does not detract from my enjoyment of it, which is the main reason I can live with it until they remaster this one fine day and I’m forced to buy it again.  LOL.

*

Rocky IV (4)

Okay so there’s one mess-up here to report on.   One shot in the theatrical cut of Rocky IV opens up to 1.78:1 instead of 1.85:1 (the shot appears at about 10:17 into the film).  Basically the 1.85:1 matting briefly disappears for roughly 7 seconds before reverting back to normal (one shot of Rocky washing his car while talking to his son).  This scene doesn’t appear during the Director’s Cut.

• Encoding: HEVC / H.265
• Resolution: 4K (2160p)
• HDR: Yes
• Dolby Vision: Yes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Clarity/Detail: There is a level of satisfaction here with crisp and clear visuals throughout.  It’s no modern day transfer, but things look nicely in tune here.  It’s  a step above the transfers of Rocky II and III.  You get to see Rocky’s stubble on his face sharply transform as he goes all grizzly in preparation for his fight with Drago.  I also feel comfortable in my masculinity commenting on the beads of sweat that glisten on both boxer’s bodies in the final fight scene.
• Depth: When things are good this one pops!  However, there are some signs of blurriness at play occasionally too.
• Black Levels:  The black levels throughout are nicely deep and inky.  There are no problems here to report on.
• Color Reproduction: Things are quite vivid, colorful, bold and deeper here and why shouldn’t they be?  It’s the mid 80’s after all!  Contrast is consistent throughout.
• Flesh Tones: Skin tones look better than they did in the previous two installments.
• Noise/Artifacts: There are a few one-offs and anomalies in this presentation within a few scenes such as the mountain climbing scenes.  The white specks as opposed to the others above are very much minimized.  There are also varying levels of grain too.  So in contrast to the other two above, things look much better here at least.

*

Rocky vs. Drago: The Ultimate Director’s Cut (4)

As you can see down below this Director’s Cut deploys a different aspect ratio than the Theatrical version.

• Encoding: HEVC / H.265
• Resolution: 4K (2160p)
• HDR: Yes
• Dolby Vision: Yes
• Aspect Ratio: 2:35:1
• Clarity/Detail: There is a level of satisfaction here with crisp and clear visuals throughout.  It’s no modern day film, but things look nicely in tune here.  It’s  a step above the transfers of Rocky II and III.  You get to see Rocky’s stubble on his face sharply transform as he goes all grizzly in preparation for his fight with Drago.  I also feel comfortable in my masculinity commenting on the beads of sweat that glisten on both boxer’s bodies in the final fight scene.  There’s a lot of details in the print brought out here in 4K.
• Depth: When things are good this one pops!  However, there are some signs of blurriness at play occasionally too.
• Black Levels:  The black levels throughout are nicely deep and inky.  There are no problems here to report on.
• Color Reproduction: Things are bit cooler here in appearance in contrast to the Theatrical version.  You can tell some of the differences in a minor fashion when the new footage is worked in.
• Flesh Tones: Skin tones look better than they did in the previous two installments.
• Noise/Artifacts: There are a few one-offs and anomalies in this presentation within a few scenes such as the mountain climbing scenes.  The white specks as opposed to the others above are very much minimized.  There are also varying levels of grain too.  So in contrast to the other two above, things look much better here at least.

*

Rocky V (4)

• Encoding: HEVC / H.265
• Resolution: 4K (2160p)
• HDR: Yes
• Dolby Vision: Yes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Clarity/Detail: Compared to the Blu-ray transfer they did a great job on the restoration here.  Details are so much more prominent here.  It looks shockingly good!
• Depth: Same thing goes for the depth of field, which is significantly improved in this restoration.
• Black Levels: Black levels are consistent and deep throughout with equal contrast.
• Color Reproduction: Obviously, due to the story and environment, things look less colorful in this encode.  The final brawl in the street, mentioned above, pumps the colors up a little.  Just make a mental note to yourself, things are just darker overall in this one.
• Flesh Tones: I think the skin tones blend in nicely with the drab and everything appears in check.
• Noise/Artifacts: I have nothing negative to report here.  There are a few bits of noise in the final street brawl, but nothing too awful.

*

Rocky Balboa + Director’s Cut (3.5)

• Encoding: HEVC / H.265
• Resolution: 4K (2160p)
• HDR: Yes
• Dolby Vision: Yes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Clarity/Detail: I remember this one fondly back in 2007 looking absolutely stunning on the Blu-ray format like it still does now.  Back then, this Blu-ray disc, particularly the Las Vegas skyline filmed in HD along with the ending fight scenes, and the Casino Royale disc were my reference when trying to make DVD watchers see “blu.”  I would say don’t hurt your eyes.  Feast them on this.  You have to understand though.  This was released during the Red vs. Blu wars so Sony came out swinging with this reference encode that still holds up quite nicely in my opinion.  You would be hard pressed to find anything at all to complain about here in the clarity and detail category.  The final fight, filmed in polished HD, echoes how you would view a modern day fight on a pay-per-view broadcast.  It’s simply gorgeous, breathtaking and extremely chiseled.  Here’s the bad thing though.  They crammed both cuts of this film on the same 4K UHD disc (not to mention the extras too) and you can see it sadly.  There’s some signs of compression, but not awful.  But here’s the thing…DNR has been applied make it feel less gritty and as a result losing some of its detail.  The extra scenes in the Director’s Cut are also a tad noticeable.
• Depth: DNR kind of hampers things here, but there are still plenty of moments where there’s a sense of three-dimensionality.
• Black Levels: Black levels are exceptionally deep and inky here.  No complaints!
• Color Reproduction: Things were shot with a higher contrast and color toned in post so that explains the over saturation at times.
• Flesh Tones: I’m fine with the skin tones throughout.  Skin tones looked pumped up, yes, but natural too.
• Noise/Artifacts: There used to be a thin layer of veneer grain throughout that reminds you that you’re watching a classic.  There are still a few moments, but otherwise, this transfer is clear of any excessive noise, artifacts, white specks or anything else that would tragically plague a presentation.

Audio 

Alright, here’s where things really get fun!  The audio!  Punches have to make some sound, right?  And what about those killer montage tracks?  Cue the motivational music, maestro!

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Rocky (3)

In my Knockout box set review (see HERE) I reported that the original theatrical audio on Rocky is actually a down mix of the 5.1, NOT the original mono track.  That has been fixed here.

• Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 & 2.0, English Dolby Digital Descriptive Audio, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH/Spanish/French
• Dynamics: You weren’t expecting any miracles here, were you?  This is the best this one’s going to sound.  It’s a drama after all!  The songs are where it’s at.  Those are the dynamic moments in this track!
• Low Frequency Extension: There’s not too much to brag about here.  The LFE is kind of hollow.  Punches are not as robust as they are in later films mostly due to the effects back then.
• Surround Sound Presentation: Rocky is a very front heavy presentation.  There’s no doubt about it.  Things sound as good as possible here.  However, that’s not to say we don’t hear some trains passing, kids singing and audience applauding.
• Dialogue Reproduction:  Voices are strong and carry for the most part, but there are occasional lines muffled in the mix.

*

Rocky II (2.5)

In my Knockout box set review (see HERE) I reported that Rocky II had all of its audio tracks at the wrong pitch. All included mixes and dubs are pitched too low by about 4%, which affects everything…music, dialogue, etc.  That is fixed here!  Hallelujah!

• Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 & 2.0, English Dolby Digital Descriptive Audio, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH/Spanish/French
• Dynamics: Let’s face it, Bill Conti’s score is the highlight of these films back in the days, and that’s no exception here.
• Low Frequency Extension: It’s pretty much what you would expect here from the dramatic environmental aspects of the track in relation to the scenery and of course later, the blows/thuds that are exchanged.
• Surround Sound Presentation: The motivational music bleeds minimally, but harmoniously in the rears.  There is also some environmental ambience going on in the surround mix from the blows that are traded to the cheering of the crowd and factory noises.  Make no mistake, during the more dramatic scenes, this track gets quite front heavy.
• Dialogue Reproduction: Dialog is for the most part clear and understandable.

*

Rocky III (3)

In my Knockout box set review (see HERE) I reported here that we a pitch issue that affected all the foreign language tracks.  Rocky III had all of the foreign language audio tracks at the wrong pitch.  Thankfully this is fixed here!

• Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 & 2.0, English Dolby Digital Descriptive Audio, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH/Spanish/French
• Dynamics: Obviously, the “Gonna Fly Now” and “Eye of the Tiger” is generously in your face, but things for the most part here are mediocre like in the second installment above.  It’s above average, but nothing to really write home about.  The punches do sound better though!
• Low Frequency Extension: Probably one of the best examples of bass would be found in the rumble of Rocky’s motorcycle.
• Surround Sound Presentation: Like I mentioned above in Dynamics, things are almost identical to Rocky II‘s audio here.
• Dialogue Reproduction: For the most part, things are intelligible.  However, there are a few lines that do unfortunately get lost in the shuffle here.

*

Rocky IV (4)

• Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 & 2.0, English Dolby Digital Descriptive Audio, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH/Spanish/French
• Dynamics: This is a slight improvement over the past two films in our discussion here with much better sound effects and oomph.    This one just sounds like it has more depth for some reason.  I don’t know.  Maybe it has to do with the sheer size of Drago?  What do you think?  LOL.  The flick’s pop anthem songs pump you up through their reproduction here.
• Low Frequency Extension: The bass or low end is utilized much more here than in the previous installments, hence the extra oomph mentioned above.
• Surround Sound Presentation: Ambient noise, especially crown participation in the fight scenes is most prevalent here.
• Dialogue Reproduction: Dialogue is clear and intelligible.

*

Rocky vs. Drago: The Ultimate Director’s Cut (4)

• Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH/Spanish/French
• Dynamics: This is a slight improvement over the past two films in our discussion here with much better sound effects and oomph.    This one just sounds like it has more depth for some reason.  I don’t know.  Maybe it has to do with the sheer size of Drago?  What do you think?  LOL.  The flick’s pop anthem songs pump you up through their reproduction here.
• Low Frequency Extension: The bass or low end is utilized much more here than in the previous installments, hence the extra oomph mentioned above.  Also, compared to the theatrical version the LFE is more impactful in this Director’s Cut.  The punches land even harder!
• Surround Sound Presentation: Ambient noise, especially crown participation in the fight scenes is most prevalent here.  Like the theatrical cut this one is still very front heavy.
• Dialogue Reproduction: Dialogue is clear and intelligible.

*

Rocky V (4)

• Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English Dolby Surround, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, French DTS 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH/Spanish/French
• Dynamics: From the opening montage music you get the feeling that things are going to be better this time around…and they are!  Not leaps and bounds, but dynamically better…haha yes!  The most disappointing aspect of this track is the minimal use of the classic Conti score in favor of hip-hop.  Boo!  The final fight scene obviously offers the most bang for your buck here.
• Low Frequency Extension: Body blows are more devastating here giving it a deeper sound this time around.  The bass also kicks in too here with the new hip-hop music employed here.
• Surround Sound Presentation: There is a little more ambience going on here most notably the trains behind you.  I have them where I live so believe me I notice them whenever I hear them in this track.  However, it gets most impressive here with the final fight scene between Rocky and Tommy, regardless whether you love or hate the movie or this moment.  LOL.
• Dialogue Reproduction: The dialog is always clear and understandable throughout.

*

Rocky Balboa + Director’s Cut (5)

• Audio Format(s): English: DTS-HD MA 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH/Spanish/French
• Dynamics: This one trades the old Blu-ray’s PCM track for a DTS-HD MA one.  However, there is little to no difference to my ears.  This DTS-HD MA track still kicks a$$ like the PCM one.  And guess what?  Bill Conti’s themes are back bigger and better here!
• Low Frequency Extension: The Big Bad Wolf shows up here with fantastic reproduction of the robust Conti themes.  Wait until you hear the thuds of the blows in the final match.  Ba da boom!  Get knocked out with this one!
• Surround Sound Presentation: Finally!  The rear channels are constantly alive from the inhabitants and ambience of Philly to the roaring crowd in Vegas.
• Dialogue Reproduction: The dialog representation is perfect throughout here.  I have zero qualms with this one!  Everything is loud and clear.

Extras 

I have to admit that I’m kind of bittersweet in this section.  Don’t get me wrong, there’s a wealth of bonus materials that will keep you quite busy and engaged for hours on end (if you count all the commentaries), but that’s just it.  There’s actually a reduction of bonus and promotional materials, which were originally released on the “Heavyweight” Blu-ray collection I covered once upon a time HERE.  That also includes the aforementioned mislabeled extras and the fact that there are no 1080p Blu-ray releases included within this set.  So essentially this is a 7 disc set that contains 6 4K UHD discs that have the movies (with Rocky Balboa having some HD extras on it) and the same Blu-ray bonus disc from the 4K set before.  There’s also a redemption page for these films to be enjoyed digitally, but all you’re getting is a Fandango Vudu presentation.  Sadly they do not port over in Movies Anywhere.  Boo!  If that is not enough to disgust you, then check this out.  The discs and plastic spindles within the case still have residue on them.  Trust me when I say clean your discs before you play them.  How pretty huh?

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DISC 1:

• Commentaries – Here were have a total of three separate audio commentary choices that include the following selections below.  You can also select subtitles for the spoken audio commentary track too in a slew of languages.  I have no idea if I will ever use this option again, but love that it’s there for you.
  • Writer/Actor Sylvester Stallone – What’s not to love about a Stallone commentary track.  Yep.  You heard him right!  They only had 5 days to shoot this in Philly.  This audio track was recorded during the filming of Rocky Balboa.  I don’t know about you, but I can listen to Stallone talk about these movies forever.  It was really interesting to hear about the one scene that determined whether or not Stallone would be replaced as the main actor or not.  Thankfully he nailed it!  And what about the Hertz truck they forgot to move out of the one scene.  LMAO!
  • Boxing Legends Trainer Lou Duva and Commentator Bert Sugar
  • Director John G. Avildsen, Producers Irwin Winkler, Robert Chartoff, Actors Talia Shire, Carl Weathers, Burt Young and Steadicam Inventor Garret Brown

*

DISC 6:

• Audio Commentary – This one features writer/director Sylvester Stallone.  I love this track!
• Deleted Scenes (HD) – Only an alternate ending (3:38) and “Paulie’s Girlfriend Moves His Things” (1:17) are included here because basically all the other deleted scenes are now baked into the Director’s Cut.
• Skill vs. Will: The Making of Rocky Balboa (HD, 17:47)
• Reality in the Ring: Filming Rocky’s Final Fight (HD, 15:37)
• Virtual Champion: Creating the Computer Fight (HD, 5:08)
• Fight Makeup (HD, 1:33)

*

DISC 7 (Blu-ray):

• 8MM Home Movies of Rocky (HD, 8:13) – This 1975 “home movie” so to speak is narrated by Director John G. Avildsen and Production Manager Lloyd Kaufman.  It starts out asking you to imagine Rocky without Philadelphia.  The producers wanted to shoot in LA.  Lloyd, President of Troma Entertainment now, shows us the scene where he’s drunk and Rocky picks him up.  We even get to see Lloyd’s wife Pat, who later went on to become the film commissioner in NY, on the set.  She’s a nice lady.  I met and talked with her in length a few years back at Comic-Con, but I digress.  As you can imagine, this footage is quite rough due to the 8mm quality of it.  It’s basically some behind-the-scenes footage set to some score with a few clips thrown in here and there and narrated by John and Lloyd.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad to have anything we have never seen before involving these films, but it’s not the showstopper that will make you take notice and declare you want to double dip.  Oh what the heck?  Why not?!  You get to learn that all meals on set involved pizza.  LOL.  Did you know that Rocky was the second movie ever to use the unknown product of the Steadicam?  Now you do!
• Three Rounds With Legendary Trainer Lou Duva (SD, 4:44) – The famous boxing trainer shares his insight on boxing and training.
• Steadicam: Then And Now With Garret Brown (SD, 17:25) -You didn’t think this one was about anything other than the Steadicam being shown off with footage from Rocky, right?  Along with a brief history, you get to see how this technology was utilized in the production of the original film.
• Make Up! The Art And Form With Michael Westmore (SD, 15:08) – If you want a 15-minute look at the importance of makeup in Rocky, then the universe says your wish is my command.
• Staccato: A Composer’s Notebook With Bill Conti (SD, 11:26) – I LOVE this one and rightfully so since it involves the motivational and unmistakeable score of Rocky.  This one will PUMP you up as it goes into talking about how the music relates to the underlying themes at play here.
• The Ring of Truth (SD, 9:48) – Art Director James Spencer talks about achieving the look of Rocky.
• Tribute To Burgess Meredith (SD, 7:56) – Stallone and others talk about the late great Burgess Meredith who passed away in 1997.
• Stallone Meets Rocky (SD, 2:59) – I’m not sure why this even exists?  It’s real life Sylvester Stallone meets the character of Rocky with a painting of Rocky Balboa as a backdrop.  Rocky thanks Sly for inventing him.  Sly says he wants to race up the steps in Philly.  At the end Rocky holds up the Oscar Award.  Dumb!  I don’t want to spend anymore time talking about this extra.  I hate it.
• The Making of “Rocky vs. Drago”: Keep Punching (HD, 58:29) – This one is displayed on the back cover as an extended edition of this behind-the-scenes documentary, but the version on this disc is actually 30+ minutes shorter than the free version found on YouTube (you can view that one HERE).
• Trailers (14:05) – Here you will find trailers for all four original films plus Rocky vs. Drago.

*

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Summary 

If you made it this far in my review, congratulations!  In hindsight, I believe the only true question here is Rocky: Ultimate Knockout Collection worth the upgrade?  You tell me!  How much do you absolutely worship and idolize Rocky?  For some, that’s a very silly question!  I know people like my old friend Tony, who literally embodies the man with his kind heart and physical ruggedness to him, that would double dip on this set without a second of any hesitation whatsoever.  So who are you?  Are you a consumer who has to always have the best deal before you pull the trigger or are you a doer like my friend Tony and going to show me what you can do?  You don’t have to answer that.  It’s only meant to be thought provoking, making a point and of course, rhetorical.

The real question though is it truly worth it?  On one hand you get the audio fixes on the first four films, but you’re only getting two movies here you didn’t have and sadly the best one to me, Rocky Balboa, has its issues now in the video department (see above).  Ugh.  What a disappointment!  Is that worth the $100 price tag they are charging for this set now?  It’s not to me.

But if you like what you see on this page here, please help support our site and my little, exhaustive typing fingers and click HERE to bring Rocky: The Ultimate Knockout Collection home today!  Thank you very much!

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DISCLAIMER: This 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review was judged and graded using 4K certified Ultra HD setups.  The screenshots above are not 4K resolution and have been used via publicly accessible images on the web.  Make sure to check out all our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray reviews archived HERE.

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Rocky: The Ultimate Knockout Collection

Consists of all 6 Rocky Films + MORE

on 4K UHD Blu-ray

ORDER NOW!

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