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Rocky V

Rocky V is the fifth film in the Rocky film saga. It was released on November 16th, 1990. The film stars Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Stallone's real life son Sage Stallone and real life boxer Tommy Morrison as boxer Tommy Gunn, an ingrate character who only uses Rocky for his connections and to try to win the world Heavyweight title. Sage Stallone played Rocky Jr., whose attempt to learn how to box also turned out to be an attempt to try to get his father's attention. The film earned $14 million on its opening weekend and $40 million in total US box-office sales, about one-third of its predecessor's take.

Plot

In the movie, Rocky returns home from Russia (following his battle with Ivan Drago in Rocky IV) to find out that an unscrupulous accountant has attempted to make money off Balboa's fortune and has lost nearly all of it. To make matters worse, the fights have taken a toll on Rocky, leaving him in a condition that forces his retirement and miss title bouts, purses that may have saved him from bankruptcy. With very few options, the family moves back to the old neighborhood and learns to live with little to nothing again. A fighter named Union Cane wins the vacant title.
Things briefly look up when a young fighter from small-town Oklahoma named Tommy Gunn seeks Rocky to help him win the title. Taking on the young fighter gives Rocky a sense of purpose, and he slowly helps Tommy fight his way up the ladder to become a top contender. The cost of this new friendship results in Rocky paying little attention to his son Robert, who becomes withdrawn and angry.
Tommy's rise through the ranks catches the eye of promoter George Washington Duke (a parody of boxing promoter Don King), who had been harassing Rocky about facing Union Cane in Tokyo, shortly after he flew back from Russia. Duke uses the promise of a title shot and Tommy's own anger at being compared stylistically to Balboa to convince him to leave Rocky. When Rocky tries to tell Tommy that it's the road to the title and not the title itself that makes a great fighter, Tommy drives off in a huff, leaving Rocky for good. Rocky realizes that Tommy has the skills, but not the heart of a great fighter. He also realizes his mistake with his son and reconciles with him on what is really important to him—his family.
Under Duke, Tommy does indeed win the heavyweight title by knocking out Union Cane in the first round using the training that Rocky taught him. However, it is an empty victory as the press tell Tommy that "he may win a few fights but he's no Rocky Balboa." Duke tells him that the public will never consider him the real champion because he never fought Balboa. Tommy decides to end matters once and for all by going to Rocky's neighborhood and challenging him to a fight. At first, Rocky declines, but when Paulie intervenes and is punched out by Gunn, the stage is set for a brawl. During the course of the fight, when Rocky thinks he is going down, he sees Mickey, his old mentor, cheer him on from beyond the grave. Mickey tells Rocky, "Get up you son of a bitch! Cuz Mickey loves ya." Out in the street, it is a different ball game than in the ring as Rocky uses his street skills to knock out Tommy and prove who the real champion is. He does this indeed by humiliating both Tommy and Duke with the whole neighborhood and his family supporting him.