Rocky: The Knockout Collection (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)

Rocky movies mean the world to me.  Let me start by saying that.  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.  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 this “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 my beefs 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 4-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 4 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 great!  I can shadow box you like none other!

*

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.

*

“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.

Audio 

Alright, here’s where things really get fun!  Before I jump into each of the audio categories for every film below I will start each one off by telling you up front exactly what is wrong with them.  And at the time of this writing it is unknown if a recall will be issued for these discs.  It’s the right thing to do for the customers in my opinion, but it will be costly.  A software update would be so much easier.  LOL.

*

Rocky (3)

I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the original theatrical audio on Rocky is actually a down mix of the 5.1, NOT the original mono track.

• 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)

Next up on the list audio mishaps Rocky II has 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 sucks!

• 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)

Here we have  the pitch issues seeming to have affected all the foreign language tracks.  You read that right.  Rocky III has all of the foreign language audio tracks at the wrong pitch.  Thankfully the English one is fine!

• 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)

Thankfully there are no errors here to report.

• 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.

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 five disc set that contains 3 dual-layered 4K discs for Rocky I-III, a fourth triple-layered 4K disc with Rocky IV and The Ultimate Director’s Cut and a fifth Blu-ray Disc that contains the following extras.  There’s also a redemption page for these films to be enjoyed digitally, but all you’re getting is a 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 all have residue on them.  Trust me when I say clean your discs before you play them.  How pretty huh?

*

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

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DISC 5:

• 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: 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 should be will all the quality control finds be fixed?  Will discs be recalled?  Yes the video is going to look prettier than previous releases, but maybe you should wait to see what happens with the quality control issues.  I personally would prefer the individual Best Buy steenbok releases, but those come at a heftier cost.  For everyone else on the fence, rest assured, I’m sure Amazon will have a sweet deal on this collection later in the year.  Until then…yo Adrian…I did it!  I conquered this box set!

So 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 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 Knockout Collection

Consists of the First 4 Films

on 4K UHD Blu-ray

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