There's a lot I want to say about this film, but let me get my first point out there quick... they should be using this film as teaching material in film schools. When this film was first announced as the "ultimate director's cut" I have to admit, I cringed a little; but having seen it, I cannot think of a single other director's cut which has done so much with so little. In spite of the claim of 40 new minutes, the majority of that is of fight sequences and alternate shots, and there's probably only about 15 minutes of new story telling footage available. And yet it feels like a completely different movie, and from my perspective a far superior one.

Regardless of your opinion on the movie, from a technical standpoint it is edited infinitely better than the theatrical cut. It is a masterclass in pacing and ill try to give a couple of examples why. Regardless of your personal preference of cut (theatrical vs directors) and the included/excluded content, what is undeniable is that the directors cut is put together in a far superior manner. The biggest trade-off is that the time spent on fight choreography are reduced, with the time gained given to character interactions between the rounds which contribute directly to the stories being told. And in spite of the fights being a little shorter, they benefit from tighter choreography which allow for both fights to to tell their own mini story. Additionally, the themes in this director's cut are much more accessible (in that they exist as themes and not throwaway lines). [spoiler] They traded the literal robot for a metaphor on the robotic machine of the collective vs the individualism and uniqueness of man; the typical ideas of East vs West play out much more gracefully this way. The metaphorical transition from man into machine and machine into man for the two competitors in their own perspectives during the final fight plays into the theme delightfully. [/spoiler]

Outside of the story itself, one of the biggest criticisms of the theatrical cut was that from the midpoint on it felt like a race to the finish. The film was never allowed to breathe in the second and third acts. I'm happy to say that the restructuring fixes this problem for the most part. A little more time spent in the changing room before the fight, and the extra time between rounds gives the viewer more to chew on than passively watching a fight play out. That said, I wish there was one more scene in the second act somewhere, perhaps between the two training montages or even after them before they go to the arena (although its not really necessary). This director's cut feels cinematic, where the original theatrical cut feels like it was made for TV. This could be a result of the wider aspect ratio of 2.35:1, which is a curious choice considering the first three Rocky movies all make use of a taller 1.85:1 aspect ratio. I don't think it was a necessary change, but the shots are all framed well so it doesn't feel like there is any missing information from the screen.

Personally, I much prefer this less goofy director's cut. I grew up with the Rocky movies, and loved the goofiness of Rocky IV as a child. Those incapable of growing up and escaping the nostalgia trap will still most likely prefer the theatrical cut. But those who have embraced adulthood and love the first three movies that leaned heavily on the drama and mythological story telling, will be delighted that they finally have a sequel which deserves to stand alongside them. I am so happy for Sylvester Stallone who can finally put this 36 year ghost to rest and enjoy the fruits of his labour, whilst also offering a masterclass to young aspiring film editors in this appropriately named ULTIMATE Director's Cut.