Sylvester Stallone here returns to the Rocky road with decidedly less success than before. Nobody boxes clever in this lazy third sequel, also directed by Stallone, which introduced Dolph Lundgren to the movie world, though Stallone's then-wife Brigitte Nielsen easily outstrips Lundgren in the stone-faced acting stakes. This time out, Rocky has to take on Soviet super-champ Ivan Drago (Lundgren), and though it's impossible not to get caught up in our hero's Russian training programme, or to root for his climactic victory, the mawkish montages accompanied by blaring music are no substitute for plot shading.

Rocky Balboa holds the world heavyweight championship, but a new challenger has stepped forward: Drago, a six-foot-four, 261-pound fighter who has the backing of the Soviet Union. This time, Rocky's training regimen takes him to Siberia, where he prepares for a globally televised match in the heart of Moscow. But nothing can truly prepare him for what he's about to face – a fight to the finish, in which he must defend not only himself, but also the honor of his country!