Why is it that Rocky 2 to 5 get the rough end of the stick when it comes to treatment on not only LD but on DVD and Blu-Ray as well? On LD the orignal got a remastered letterbox re-release with AC-3 while the sequels remained in pan & scan in stereo. On DVD the orignal gets audio commentaries and other special features while the sequels are practically barebones. Now on Blu-Ray its the orignal that gets remastered in 4K while the sequels are left with old average at best looking HD transfers (with the exception of Rocky Balboa since its the most recent).

I understand the orignal movie is the best with the strongest reputation and understandably so, but the sequels helped Rocky become the big hit series that it is, and yet I can't help but feel they have been disrespected across the 3 formats. Anyone else see what I mean? do you agree/disagree?

The director for all 5 of the Rocky films shot them Open Matte 1.37:1. I'm not going to get into the pros/cons of letterboxing versus open matte transfers, but I suspect when the first 4 films were issued in 1990 as "remastered" and the films reverted from CBS/Fox to MGM, I suspect the director did an open-matte frame rather than cropping to 1.85.

There is another rocky film coming, its called "creed"

Interesting, but regardless of the letterboxing, Rocky on LD still got AC-3 (and I'm presuming more time and money was spent on the remastering), and as stated on DVD and BD Rocky got special features and Mastered in 4K, not to mention steelbook re-release packaging, where as the sequels got none of these things.

Yep, and the trailers make it look better than I was expecting.

The reason is simple. Rocky is an American masterpiece like Taxi Driver or Annie Hall, and Rockys II-x range form mediocre to terrible like American Ninja or Witchcraft. This, in a rare turn of events, is actually not only the opinion of myself, but also most critics and the public at large. This is reflected in sales, so they skimp.

As much as I'd like a 3 hour documentary on how they made that robot, it's just not in the cards, fiscally speaking, I'm afraid.

Perfectly put .

I've never actually even seen Rocky. I have it on LD...it's not the remastered AC-3 edition...but I have it. I just stuck it in the pile hoping I'd watch it sometime. I'm currently reeling over the mysterious disappearance of Broken Arrow...which is one of those "lousy" action films I can mindlessly stare at.

I don't think the Rocky series is that different from most movie series including Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Deathwish or even Alien. By the time you get to part 5 or higher it is usually pretty stale! Generally the first movie in a series is often regarded as the landmark release and the sequels as merely derivative.

I actually enjoyed Rocky Balboa (aka Rocky 6)

All true. But I also suspect there was some of the "death of LaserDisc" involved. MGM had plans to several more Bond films in AC-3, but the bottom fell out.

Late to the party again. I who heartedly agree with sign. While I will add that I personally get entertainment value from the later Rocky movies, the first Rocky movie is legitimately a great film, in my (and probably a lot of people's) opinion anyway.

so even though it's listed as "P&S" it's an open matte/pan and scan hybrid?

If Rocky 2 to 5 are open matte presentations on LD I think that means you can zoom in on the image for it to fill a 16:9 screen and not crop anything in the process.

I've seen Rocky I-V on several occasions and it's not surprising I gets all the love. All though I enjoy them all
I had missed the creed movie coming, amazing!

The robot teasing Paulie is priceless though


Rocky IV is the best of the sequels though. A wonderful guilty pleasure, on the order of a Golan/Globus Cannon movie in unintentional comedy, IV has it all from a James Brown floorshow that leaves Drago in total shock to epic montages like "No Easy Way Out" (it gives Scarface's "Push it to the Limit" a run for the money!), and utterly insane 80's Cold War jingoism with a spectacular finale which must be seen to be believed.

My favorite summary of the film is the utterly random one DirecTV uses: "Champ Rocky Balboa trains in Siberia for a bout against a lab-tested Soviet with a 2000-psi punch"

"In the burning heart, about to burst..."