3 Reasons why you need the 4K UHD Rocky Knockout Collection on 4K UHD

One of the most enduring film characters of the last 50 years has been Sylvester Stallone’s boxer with a heart of gold, Rocky Balboa. The character has had a tremendous showing since his debut in 1976 debut, appearing in 5 sequels (Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, Rocky V and Rocky Balboa) and a reboot and its sequel (Creed and Creed II). The franchise has seen its star Sylvester Stallone (Sly) nominated for 3 Oscars, 2 for playing the iconic character and 1 for his incredible screenplay that he wrote for the first film. There is no denying just how important the character is to so many people across the world, with the story proving to be a fantastic representation were a Mount Rushmore of movie characters, you better believe that Rocky would be there, smack bang, right in the middle. After decades of being on top, Sly has decided to hang up the gloves, retiring the character with his satisfying ending in Creed II, reuniting with his estranged son. Some behind the scenes issues with the rights of the character has also seen Sylvester Stallone angered with the studio resulting in his exit. Creed III is hitting theatres this week on March 3, so Creed III releases 03/03/23 (you can see what they did there), well done Metro Goldwyn Mayer and Warner Bros marketing teams. To celebrate that film's release, Roadshow has released a stunning ‘Knockout Collection’ of the first four films, with a never-before-seen Directors Cut of Rocky IV included in the set and in my opinion a far superior version of the film. To celebrate this incredible release, I will be breaking down why you need to add this set to your collection. These three elements are the reason why everyone loves Rocky. So, without further ado, let’s do this, here are the three reasons why you need to own Rocky: The Knockout Collection on 4K Ultra HD.

ADRIANNNNN – The legacy of Rocky Balboa –

As mentioned, Rocky Balboa has cemented himself in pop culture as a universal icon. I think almost everyone, from all around the globe, young or old, could hum the Rocky theme. It’s been parodied, used in other mediums, and played to death during inspirations montages, its iconic.  The original film is also endlessly quotable: “Cut me, Mick”, “Adrian!”. There’s just so man. The enduring nature of Rocky Balboa has become a memorable character archetype in itself. His character is willing to do whatever it takes to be on top, which is incredibly inspiring. Rocky has served as the inspiration to many movie characters, sports figures or otherwise, which shows the longevity of this character and his importance. His ‘never give up, never surrender’ attitude, serves him well throughout all six Rocky films and even the two latest Creed films as well. He is an audience surrogate, allowing us to project ourselves into his situation, putting us right there in the ring. I have always found the character of Rock endearing in that way, and I believe that is why he is such an iconic character and a truly inspirational figure, fictional or otherwise. The more you learn of how Sylvester Stallone did to get this film made, is inspiration in itself, showing that he had a dream, followed that dream and in the process, created one of the best movie characters of all time. Rocky and Sly are both battlers and we love them for it.

It’s the eye of the tiger – The soundtrack –

One of the most iconic parts of the Rocky franchise is the use of music. This even carries through to the recent Creed films as well, which both have amazing film scores and soundtracks, including an awesome track ‘Runnin’ featuring A$AP Rocky, Jacob Banks and the film's composer Ludwig Goransson. With the Rocky films, It is not just Rocky’s iconic theme, it’s the soundtrack and the use of songs to evoke emotions from the audience throughout the film series. Yes, some of the tracks are dated, but they feel as if they are a product of the time, A nice time capsule of the 1970s and 1980s. Everyone knows ‘Eye of The Tiger’ by Survivor because of its use in Rocky III, and this may just be the most iconic song used throughout the franchise, however, Eye of the Tiger isn’t the only rock classic to come out of the franchise. Throughout the films we also got "Heart's on Fire" by John Cafferty, “Gonna Fly Now” by Bill Conti, “No Easy Way Out” by Robert Tepper and “Living in America” by James Brown. There are so many rock classics to choose from, but these are without a doubt the highlights of the series. The music used throughout the series is almost as iconic as the film's title character. After you’ve read this, you will no doubt be watching the movies and then listening to a Rocky playlist on Spotify. You’re welcome.

The original underdog story and the American dream –

The story of Rocky Balboa is timeless. I’ve spoken about the legacy he has left behind and the impact he has had on popular culture. As touched upon, the strengths of the story lie in the character of Rocky and trials and tribulations he must overcome, every time he enters the ring. of a man coming to America in search of the American dream. Rocky is the original underdog. His back is constantly against the wall for the entire series. Whether it's fighting Clubber Lang, taking on Ivan Drago, dealing with the death of his best friend Apollo Creed, mourning the death of his coach and wife, rekindling a troubled relationship with his estranged son or overcoming cancer, Rocky battles his way through all of this throughout the series. Yet, he never breaks. His spirit is unrivalled and a huge reason why the Rocky films are so enjoyable.

You can probably tell by now; I just adore the Rocky films. They are classics and for good reason. From its loveable and memorable characters, its epic boxing matches, and its incredible and uplifting story. I love these films and I hope now that they have received a 4K Ultra HD treatment, more people will go back and revisit these incredible films. Be sure to head on over to Sanity to pick-up your copy today, you won’t want to miss it and also subscribe to Sanity’s newsletter mailing list, so you won’t miss out on Creed III, which is in cinemas this week and headed to home media later this year.  

Buy the Rocky and Creed Movies and Collectable Merch here

Christopher Pattison wrote this blog post for Sanity. See more from Chris here