Joseph VelasquezFA171.2

Print and Publication DesignSir Lech Velasco

HW - Favorite Movie

ROCKY III

HEAVYWEIGHT

IS THE FILMWORTH

THE WAIT?

TITLEDEFENSE

LET’s CHECK THE JUDGES’

SCORECARDSTHE JUDGES:

NEW YORK TIMES

REELFILMVARIETY

VICTORY via SPLIT DECISION

THE SCORECARDS Of all the Rocky sequels, Rocky III - buoyed by Mr. T's portrayal of the enter-tainingly nasty Clubber Lang - is prob-ably the most effective of the bunch, though there's certainly no denying that the film is al-most entirely lacking in unexpected plot developments. As the film opens, Rocky has clearly let success go to his head - as evidenced by his various endorsement deals and rampant spending - and now boxes only safe opponents. But after a humiliating bout with Club-ber, Rocky enlists the help of old foe Apollo Creed and begins a grueling training regimen. Written and directed by Stallone, Rocky III admittedly features a far more melodramatic bent than any of its predeces-sors, particularly as Rocky is forced to re-examine his priorities (culminating with a sequence in which wife Adrian confronts him on the beach). That being said, there's little doubt that Mr. T remains one of Rocky's most fearsome adversaries - their final battle is as brutal and compelling as any in the series (if not more so) - and the air of slickness proffered by Stallone ultimately proves impossible to resist. - REEL FILM

Mr. Stallone, the star of ''Rocky III'' as well as its writer and director, is hard put to find problems with which to freight his gold mine of a character, now that Rocky has everything. In the first quarter of the picture, he seems to be vamping for time, which he does rather amusingly. There's a sequence in which Paulie is shown expressing his jealousy and hurt feelings at Rocky's fame. There's also a comic sequence in which Rocky, on behalf of charity, fights a match with a wrestler known as Thun-derlips, who is described as ''the ultimate mountain of desire.'' Eventually ''Rocky III'' gets down to its main busi-ness. This is a grudge fight in which Rocky must defend his title against a loudmouthed angry new contender, Clubber Lang. It's not giving away state secrets to report that Rocky

The real question with Rocky III was how Sylvester Stallone could twist the plot to make an interesting difference. He manages. Revisiting the champ three years after the big victory, we find him and wife Talia Shire happily married with a son, a big house, lots of money and media attention after successfully defending his title 10 times. But Clubber Lang, menacingly and beautifully played by Mr T, is also tough and hungry for a title shot. Ailing Burgess Meredith tells Stallone he's no longer a match for T and should retire gracefully. But Stallone insists on proving himself and quickly goes down for the count under T's hammering. Though lion-hearted and iron-jawed, it's obvious now that Stallone has never been a very skilled boxer. But Carl Weathers steps in to teach and train him, if Stal-lone can work up the will. As usual, Stallone the writer-director is less success-ful in handling all the dramatic interims than staging the battles. - VARIETY

finds that success has made him fat and that to triumph again, he has to learn to be ''hungry.'' Rocky's problem is thus not that of America in the 80's but more like America in the affluent 60's and early 70's. A lot of things have changed since ''Rocky.'' Among other developments, the new movie is funnier, though no less quick to deliver spongy thoughts to live by (''Nothing is real if you don't know who you are''). The new film also offers a couple of opportunities to shed tears, as when one of the major characters dies and is buried at some needless expense of screen time, but Rocky himself has become positively urbane, which is all to the good. Further, Mr. Weathers's Apollo Creed, once a villain, has been transformed into a good guy in ''Rocky III,'' in which he helps Rocky train for his bouts with Clubber Lang. ''Rocky III'' does end on an alarming note - there may well be a ''Rocky IV.'' - NEW YORK TIMES