The Rocky installments are remarkable Hollywood productions that merit their near-universal recognition as must-see boxing movies. A lot happens in these films, including Apollo Creed getting beaten to death in the ring by the Soviet boxer, Ivan Drago, and Adrian dying of cancer. Given such developments, it is easy to assume this is the darkest franchise ever. However, there are no Raging Bull levels of gloom here. The characters never take themselves seriously. They joke, have fun, and make plenty of absurd choices.
The attempt to manufacture humor and maintain a feel-good tone has resulted in plenty of cheesy moments throughout the franchise. While these scenes don’t soil the quality of their respective films, they leave audiences cupping their cheeks in disbelief. Whether it is the titular character attempting to make wisecracks or the supporting characters reacting to various situations in a goofy manner, there is no shortage of over-the-top scenes.
Rocky Shouts at Adrian’s Brother Through the Window, Telling Him He is With His Sister.
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Midway through Rocky, the titular character starts building a connection with Paulie’s sister, Adrian Pennino. played by the legendary Burt Young. When Adrian expresses reservations about spending time in the boxer’s apartment, he opts for a bold way to handle the situation. He simply opens the window and shouts “Yo Paulie, your sister is here with me! I’ll call you later, all right?”
There are many ways for a man to make a woman feel comfortable inside his apartment. Shouting at her brother through the window isn’t the first thought that would come to many peoples’ minds, but Rocky does it anyway. He is confident because he knows Paulie, but the shouting feels awkward. Nonetheless, the action fits with Rocky’s personality. He is not only fearless but also tends not to worry about anything.
Rocky Touches a Cow’s Carcass and Says “Moo!”
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During Rocky’s first meeting with Paulie inside the meat locker, he briefly stops talking to touch a carcass and whispers “Moo,” as a way to imitate the sound of cattle. This surprises Paulie a bit, but he continues with the conversation, offering to help the boxer out in exchange for him advertising his meat-packing business.
The scene has aged poorly because there is currently a strong emphasis on animal rights. Rocky’s decision to mock a dead cow won’t sit well with most activists. Even at the time of the film’s release, the scene still felt unnecessary because it made Rocky seem juvenile.
A better scene involving deceased cattle can be found a few minutes later. In it, Rocky, uses a dead cow as a punching bag, because its flesh is more similar to that of a human. This gives him a proper idea of how his punches in the boxing ring will feel.
The Ring Turns Into a Jail Cell
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Michael B. Jordan was free to impose his artistic vision and showcase his skills as a first-time director in Creed III. Well, he might have gone a bit overboard. During Anderson’s epic fight with Jordan, the ring briefly transforms into a dream space. The fans in the stand get cut off, and all the audience can see are the two boxers throwing all they have at each other. Shortly after the audience falls away, the ring transforms into a jail cell, alluding to Anderson’s time behind bars.
Anime productions are full of fight scenes where the crowd falls away, allowing the camera to only focus on the two opponents. However, the style doesn’t fit well here because the Rocky movies are more rooted in reality. Fans can appreciate the effort, as it’s clearly a way to make the franchise look more artsy than it usually is, but rather than amplifying the fight’s intensity, it makes it look more cartoonish, ruining what could have been one of the best movie confrontations.
Rocky Begs Adrian to Catch Him When Thunderlips Throws Him Out of the Ring
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Crossover fights have become popular lately, thanks to Floyd Mayweather, Francis Ngannou, and many more. Well, Rocky can claim he did it first, at least in fiction. In Rocky III, Rocky meets up with the professional wrestler, Thunderlips (Hulk Hogan) for a ratings-shattering duel. As expected, Rocky’s situation gets overwhelming. At one point, Thunderlips grabs Rocky and throws him out of the ring. Fearing a hard landing, Rocky looks at Adrian and yells “Catch me!”
Rocky should know better than to ask Adrian to catch him. After all, she is neither as strong nor as heavy as him. It would make more sense for Rocky to be caught by someone like Micky. Still, it’s cute for someone to serve as a landing pad for their lover when they are in danger of hitting the ground and breaking their limbs. The hilarious development accentuates the affection and trust that the two have for each other.
Mickey Trains Rocky by Making Him Chase a Rooster
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Cinema is packed with many great training montages and Rocky chasing a rooster in Rocky II isn’t one of them. Here, Stallone’s obsession with animals continues. As the film’s sole screenwriter, he happily wrote the sequence where Mickey orders Rocky Balboa to chase a rooster to boost his speed. Fans are even treated to an iconic line to cap off the cheesiness: “I feel like a Kentucky Fried idiot!”
According to Pets on Mom, a chicken can run at a maximum speed of 9 mph, while humans have been recorded hitting speeds of up to 45 mph. Using a rooster to boost a boxer’s speed, therefore, doesn’t seem wise. Even worse is how Rocky celebrates with the bird like a trophy after catching it. And even though the line “Kentucky Fried Idiot” sounds funny, it isn’t a good joke because it doesn’t mean anything.
Rocky Looks Up When Adonis Says His Phone Is in the Cloud
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After agreeing to train Adonis, the son of his former friend Apollo, Rocky has plenty of fun with the young man. The banter between the two leads to some memorable Creed moments, notably one where Adonis takes a picture of the training schedule that Rocky has printed out for him. Rocky advises the young boxer to keep the piece of paper since the phone might break, but Adonis reminds him the image is in the cloud. Well, Rocky doesn’t allow what a cloud is, so he looks at the sky.
Watching Rocky tilting his heading toward the sky to find Adonis phone is hilarious yet silly. This moment is a perfect reminder that Rocky Balboa is a relic of the ‘70s and ‘80s. He just doesn’t fit in the modern world, so it makes sense for him to pass the torch to Adonis. And as cheesy as the scene is, it’s believable because it’s normal for older people to be oblivious about the latest technological developments.
Paulie Asks Why Thunderlips Is Being Carried Through the Crowd
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Rocky III mines some humor from its supporting cast member, Hulk Hogan, who is 6’7 tall. As the wrestler’s character, Thunderlips, is walking through the crowd on his way to the ring, Paulie asks why he is being carried. Mickey then informs him that he is actually walking. He looks like he is being carried because he is too tall.
The scene is necessary as it prepares audiences for the threat. Because Thunderlips is too tall, he is likely to give Rocky a hard time in the ring. Through Paule’s words, the hopelessness swirling around Rocky’s camp is also highlighted.
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