9 Movie Sequels That Ruined Great Characters

Most of the hate for the Rocky franchise is reserved for its fifth instalment and while it’s true Rocky V is an absolutely awful movie when you think about it, it was Rocky IV that really did a number on the iconic fictional boxer.

In the original Rocky, Sylvester Stallone played the boxer as an everyman underdog – a relatable and sympathetic character we could all root for. That shtick stayed the same for first two sequels even though, admittedly, the quality of the series went downhill after the first film.

Yet in Rocky IV we see the underdog elevated to unrealistic levels taking on Ivan Drago and somehow winning even though the Russian brick sh*thouse had previously punched the infinitely tougher Apollo Creed to death. Most ridiculously his victory over Drago wins over the Soviet crowd and is presented as Balboa metaphorically punching an end to the Cold War. That’s just plain silly.

To be fair, the character clawed his way back to respectability with the back-to-basics Rocky we saw in Rocky Balboa and Creed but unfortunately the regrettable legacy of Rocky IV (and yes, Rocky V too) unfortunately live on.