A step in the right direction but riddled with many missteps. From iconic wars at MSG to dirty boxing in the streets. The film does not seem to have a proper vision to continue the franchise from here. Although initially, it seems like it was going in a good direction with Rocky's retirement and coaching, it still fails with a thoughtless ending and a lack of an overall working plan and an engaging narrative. An antagonistic promoter is definitely a new look but is comically evil here and to add an underdeveloped character to be trained by Rocky and be focused on for most of the film is also another problem. And it's crazy to have Rocky retire for a specific reason but have him do the opposite at the end with no reward and doubled consequences both physically and legally. The overall direction is poor here including makeup. Tries hard to tap into the nostalgia but is unable to do much due to the lack of an iconic score but the usage of hip hop that doesn't exactly suit the film in particular. Yet the film like all its predecessors shows the main ensemble's growth and Rocky now learning to be a proper family man and completely embracing this new life is a new look and sort of a good ending for the character. Overall, it's an okay film that doesn't conform to the franchise's conventions and fails with a directionless narrative.