To begin with, Rocky V opens up by putting Rocky the champ as far down as he could possibly go in life. First, Rocky is told in the first few scenes of the film that because of the seemingly endless amount of slow motion, montage style punishment he had received in the last few movies that he would be unable to continue fighting. So right off the bat Rocky, our champion, is laid low, made a regular civilian again, and not the proud champion he once was. Second, even with Rocky's seemingly unfortunate retirement, the audience could get the impression that life won't be all that bad for the Rock, after all he could just live out the rest of his days in his mansion, with Adrian, his kid (who had seemingly aged seven years since Rocky IV only a year earlier), Paulie and their pet robot. Haha, no no, this is Rocky V, and those behind this film (mainly Sly himself) won't let Rocky get off that easily. In what could be the most emotionally gripping moment in the history of film, we learn that Paulie, Rocky's longtime friend, brother-in-law and all around goofy sidekick, had given away Rocky's power of attorney. Although this event is never quite fully explained, even as the shouting and crying ensue, it's clear that the legal mix-up on Paulie's part has destroyed the Stallion's immense personal holdings, forcing the family to sell all their personal goods including the robot, sell their home, and move back to the crappy part of Philly where Rocky started out.

So there you have it, Rocky in Rocky V is the biggest underdog yet in the series, but this time the opponent is life and confusing legalese. Now that the Rock is back to his roots, he finds himself at the bottom of the barrel again, starting all over. However, this time, Rock's trip out of the crappy part of Philly can't be accomplished by his own two hands and raw egg drinking skills. Rocky turns again to the only thing he knows, boxing, as the solution to his woes and beginnings of his depression. To return to the ring, metaphorically, Rocky befriends a young talented boxer, a hardnosed street tough who reminds him of himself. Tommy "Machine" Gunn becomes Rocky's closest friend. Through a relationship formed over boxing and a training montage, Rocky shows Gunn all he knows about the sport that gave him so much. Soon, under Rocky's tutelage, Gunn becomes one of the premier fighters in the U.S. ready to contend for the heavyweight belt, but then Rocky V crushes the Rock again in another stunning display of high priced lawyers and businessmen out to destroy his dreams. The Don King-esque George Washington Duke comes on the scene offering Gunn absurd amounts of money and fame, things that the Rock doesn't have. Gunn does eventually leave the Rock for fame and glory with Duke, seemingly crushing Rocky's last hope at redemption. Rocky returns from his short burst at the old life, back to his present bad life, where his kid is wearing an earring and cusses at him and where Adrian can't inspire the Rock to pull himself out of this battle. At this point, the audience couldn't be any lower; they have seen their champion laid low by legal machinations, scheming agents and a betrayal by a man whom Rocky thought was the spitting image of himself. The man who was once suplexed by "Thunderlips the Ultimate Male " (Terry "Hulk" Hogan) has just been metaphorically suplexed by life into the gutter of forgotten heroes.

But wait, what kind of Rocky movie is this, you say? When is Rocky going to lift logs, do countless sit-ups, run up mountains and dance triumphantly on the top of the stairs at the Philadelphia Art Museum, en route to defeating his seemingly insurmountable opponent in thrilling fashion? The problem that Rocky V presents the audience, and the champ, is this: no matter how many trees you lift, eggs you drink or even chickens you catch, even if you eat lightning and crap thunder, you simply can't step into the ring without "power of attorney." Indeed, the situation is quite dark for a Rocky film (further, as a part of movie trivia, one should note that Sylvester Stallone, the sole creative force behind Rocky V, wanted the Rock to die at the end, which indeed would have significantly changed the direction of the film, and I believe taken away from its status as "greatest ever"). Luckily for us, Sly thought otherwise and we get the most cathartic scene in the history of American film.

After leaving Rocky to side with the heartless corporation that is George Washington Duke, Tommy Gunn finds he isn't satisfied with his championship belt, as he knows that he could never be tougher than Rocky. So, without the consent of his manager, Gunn goes down into the dark streets of Philly searching for his former friend and mentor. Rocky had said that Gunn had no heart, and he was hell bent on proving him wrong. The confrontation occurs at a local eatery where the Rock is presumably reminiscing about better days before "power of attorney." Now here is what the Rocky fans needed: the fight. Rocky can't beat life, but he can gain some redemption by beating the snot out of Tommy Gunn. And beating the snot out of Tommy Gunn is exactly what the Rock does. In a tremendous street fight, Rocky destroys Gunn, montage of slow motion punches after montage, culminating with a vicious shot, which sends Gunn careening into a city bus. After this victory the audience is allowed to breathe again. Much like the effect of Greek tragedy, the audience had been on a downward spiral throughout the film and now is able to release their tension and fears and be embraced by the city of Philadelphia, just as Rocky is again, and all are left with the belief that even attorneys couldn't make this an unhappy ending.

So there you have it, Rocky V, a stunning achievement in story telling, a bold step for a timeless series, and a brilliant encapsulation of the triumph of the individual over insurmountable odds. So do yourself a favor, put on some Beast aftershave, snuggle up with your pet robot and pop Rocky V into the DVD player and enjoy the greatest film ever made.