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Rocky III

Rocky III

The greatest challenge.

198299 minPGMidcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Director
Sylvester Stallone
Starring
Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers

Following Rocky Balboa's intense battle with his most powerful adversary yet – the ferocious Clubber Lang – Rocky joins forces with former rival Apollo Creed in an effort to get back his fighting spirit.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Rocky III?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Rocky III streaming on Paramount+ via Prime Video, Pluto TV (free) and Prime Video and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Rocky III?

Rocky III earns 9 badges, led by Word-of-mouth hit and Standout soundtrack.

Show 1 more
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content

Reception

Is Rocky III worth watching?

Rocky III's Midcredits score is the 79th percentile of all films, from 599K ratings across 6 sources. 67% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

79th percentile

Better received than 79% of films

82nd percentile among Drama80th percentile among 1980s
Acclaim (how much people like it)81st
Approval (how many liked it)75th

71 /100

81st percentile of all films

84th percentile among Drama84th percentile among 1980s

Critics 57 · Audience 71

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.0 — solid but not unanimous.

67% liked it

75th percentile of all films

77th percentile among Drama76th percentile among 1980s
67% rated it 7–1033% rated it 1–6

Critics 66% · Audience 74%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 1 Oscar noms · 3 wins / 9 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Music, Original Song
  • NominatedGolden Globes· Best Original Song - Motion Picture

98th percentile

599K ratings across platforms

98th percentile among Drama98th percentile among 1980s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 3% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$17M
Opening weekend$12M
Domestic gross$125M
Worldwide gross$125M

Returned 7.4× its budget — 98th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A slick, crowd-pleasing 80s popcorn movie that trades the original's heart for flashy entertainment.

Fans praised

  • Mr. T's menacing, charismatic Clubber Lang
  • energized pace and 'Eye of the Tiger' montages
  • Apollo's redemption arc and trainer chemistry

Detractors panned

  • cartoonish, one-dimensional villain lacking depth
  • loss of gritty realism and character nuance from first two
  • over-the-top spectacle (wrestling match, beach frolics)

What stands out

Sound and musicDivisive85

iconic 'Eye of the Tiger' anthem, punch sound design

PacingDivisive70

leaner runtime, quick montages, brisk fight-to-fight rhythm

TensionDivisive70

first fight shock defeat and Mickey's death raise stakes

ActingDivisive65

Mr. T steals scenes but lacks nuance; Stallone and Weathers have solid chemistry

Effects and spectacleDivisive65

brutal, stylized fights; Hulk Hogan wrestling cameo

CharactersDivisive55

Apollo's arc redeemed, Lang undeveloped, Paulie and Adrian reduced

Plot and storyDivisive50

formulaic rise-fall-rise structure, predictable rematch

Originality35

rehashes Rocky formula with bigger theatrics

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 16 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 5 points apart
  • Critics vs users 7 points apart
  • US vs non-US 7 points apart

Watch experience

What is Rocky III like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Moving and uplifting: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want to be moved and come out lifted.

It has a few laughs and leaves you fired up.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Moving and uplifting.

Moods
HopefulMelancholicTriumphant
Heaviest: middle
Warm humor
Register
Adventurous · 11% of filmsMelodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneRocky III is played straight and sincerely, with an earnest underdog spirit and a heightened, almost operatic style of boxing drama and montage; it doesn't undercut its own sentimentality.
The rideThe film moves from a celebratory, then anxious start to a deeply melancholic middle (Mickey's death, Rocky's depression) before building to a triumphant, hopeful conclusion.
StructureThe story unfolds in a straightforward, chronological rise, fall, and redemption arc, with no narrative tricks; it follows Rocky's journey from champion to defeated to triumphant.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Fired up.

The answer rests on this: Rousing · 10% of filmsHopefulBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you fired up by Rocky's triumph and the recovery of his fighting spirit, with a lingering sense of loss for Mickey and the warmth of newfound friendship.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterTyrant
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% (this title) · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Tyrant: A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).

21% of films fit this archetype

with Tragedy underneath

Why this archetypeRocky, complacent and softened by fame, must face a hungry, powerful challenger in Clubber Lang who strips him of his title and his mentor; the film follows his fall and his determined comeback to reclaim his title and self-respect.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfPurposeSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% (this title) · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% (this title) · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% (this title) · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Purpose · 9% of filmsGrief · 6% of filmsFriendship · 9% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeRocky must rediscover his purpose and hunger after fame and comfort make him complacent, while also processing the loss of his mentor, Mickey, and finding new strength through an unlikely friendship with Apollo.
StanceThe film celebrates the rediscovery of purpose and the bonds that help a person overcome loss and complacency, keeping the focus tightly on Rocky's personal journey.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral classicalRockForeground music · original score · Bill Conti
SettingPhiladelphia and Los Angeles boxing gyms, arenas, and Rocky's home
MusicThe iconic 'Eye of the Tiger' and the triumphant 'Gonna Fly Now' theme are central to the film's emotional beats.

Content guide

Is Rocky III okay for kids?

PG

Rocky III is rated PG. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (66/100), sexual content at mild (17/100), language at moderate (38/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (34/100) and frightening material at moderate (56/100). Overall it is heavier than 90% of PG-rated films.

Ratings in 14 other countries
  • UKPG
  • AustraliaPG
  • Germany12
  • FranceU
  • IrelandPG
  • JapanG
  • South Korea12
  • Brazil12
  • Denmark11
  • GreecePG
  • ItalyT
  • Norway15 år
  • Spain16
  • Sweden15
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 42% of all filmsHeavier than 90% of PG-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
heavy for a PG-rated film
heavier than 95%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 36%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 74%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
heavy for a PG-rated film
heavier than 75%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
heavy for a PG-rated film
heavier than 84%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Rocky III have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Rocky III?

Cast

2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen.

Sylvester Stallone
as Rocky Balboa
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Talia Shire
as Adrian
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Burt Young
as Paulie
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Carl Weathers
as Apollo Creed
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Mr. T
as Clubber Lang
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Burgess Meredith
as Mickey Goldmill
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Tony Burton
as Duke
Hulk Hogan
as Thunderlips
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Ina Fried
as Rocky Jr.
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Al Silvani
as Al

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Rocky III?

Movies like Rocky III include Rocky IV (1985), Rocky (1976) and Driven (2001). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films written or directed by Sylvester Stallone, and all are sports underdog stories.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

5 of these 12 share its subject: purpose. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Rocky III?

175 other films share the rarest tag below, up against: athlete. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.