Not a bad little slugger of a round-up package, but nothing really heavyweight. This "Ultimate" edition is little more than a repackaged version of the box set that came out in 2001 to commemorate Rocky's 25th anniversary. Only a few embellishments to the Rocky extras and nothing at all for Rockys II-V.
Sure, the series may have got progressively sillier with the first three sequels (the ill-advised, phoney grittiness of film five is pretty much expendable) but they're still belting bouts of over-sugared Hollywood nonsense.
DVD Extras:
"Ultimate"? Lazy, more like. No Mr T commentary for Rocky III. Nothing from Dolph Lundgren for Rocky IV... For such a universally loved series, there's a distinct lack of care and attention. All the bonus stuff is top-heavy in favour of the original Rocky, as is the extra disc accompanying it. Still, the cut-and-paste commentary (with no input from Stallone himself) does have its moments: the producers saying they wouldn't have taken the film on if Rocky had won the final fight; Carl Weathers' tale of how he conned his way into the part; Rocky director John Avildsen's memories of guerilla filmmaking on the streets of Philly. It all neatly complements a timeless, blueprint sports movie that feels hardier and tougher with every passing year.
The tributes (especially for Burgess Meredith) are as sugary as you'd expect, but Avildsen's 8mm stuff is fascinating, as he explains how he used the test footage not just to sharpen up the fight choreography but also to motivate his stars ("We used it to help Sylvester lose some weight, because I would always zero in on his waistline...").
The three new featurettes work well, with Garrett Brown's history of the Steadicam a surprisingly involving 15 minutes of Hollywood history, but you'll still be shocked at the lack of input from Stallone himself. We look forward to next year's inevitable 30th Anniversary Remastered Collector's Bumper Definitely-Ultimate-This-Time-Honest Edition.
