Every Rocky Movie Ever, Ranked

It ’s been over four X since Sylvester Stallone wrote a sports drama about an underdog boxer as a starring vehicle for himself and he ’s since become one of the biggest motion-picture show stars in the globe . The character has also stay popular with audiences , as he ’s starred in four continuation , a reboot , and two spin - offs .

As with any movie series that spans more than forty yr , there have been some great movies drown in Oscar nominations and some dreadful ones wallowing in Razzies nominations – but few franchises have had such disparity between real masterpieces and out - and - out stinkers as this one . So , here are theRockymovies ranked .

Rocky IV

Rocky IVwasa low pointfor the enfranchisement . It ’s a large , brash , cheesy movie that oozes ‘ 80s flash , complete with all the corny training collage . What was once an intimate character study was now a political tool . Rocky Balboa was a metaphor for America and Ivan Drago was a metaphor for the Soviet Union .

When Rocky beat him at the end , the whole Russian crowd cheers for him . This was a movie about the Cold War that reflected the revivification of nationalism brought on by Ronald Reagan . It was great propaganda , but it was n’t a greatRockymovie .

Rocky V

Rocky Vmarks the death of theRockyfranchise before it was born-again sixteen years later withRocky Balboa . Rockyused to be about a wreak - course guy sample to detect his foot in a dog - eat - dog world , but byRocky V , it was a hollow racing shell of its former glory .

Tommy Gunn does n’t even digest out as a goodRockyopponent in the way of life Clubber Lang and Apollo Creed do , despite being toy by an actual packer . Still , at least it was n’t all about Reagan - era politics . If it was n’t for Rocky ’s politically charged foray to Moscow , this would be right at the bottom of the list . Even Sylvester Stallone is ashamed of it , admitting that he made it out of greed .

Rocky II

The secondRockymovie is the only one of the four sequels to get to the original movie ’s ethos of being a dearest tale as match to a boxing movie , but it also sticks pretty closely to a lot of thing about the original flick . It ’s a classic example of a sequel flirt it safe by sticking to what it knows the interview want .

It ’s still elate and well - acted , and the plot have Rocky and Adrian ’s family relationship to new places , butRocky IIis essentially a redo of the first one without the expectation - hold end of Rocky ’s loss and the more clichéd conclusion of a patronage victory .

Rocky Balboa

Sylvester Stallone madeRocky Balboato correct the wrongs ofRocky V , because he did n’t want to end the dealership on such a do-nothing bank note . While it does succeed at give us a well cease to the story that begin with the firstRockymovie thanRocky Vdid , that ’s not really say much .

It starts off as a gritty , real , human narration like the first movie , but it does n’t take long to devolve into schmaltz and sentimentality . The movie has the tone and style of the firstRockymovie , but not the substance or the rawness that made it truly great .

Creed II

At first , the premise oftheCreedsequelsounded gimmicky . The son of Apollo Creed would oppose the son of Ivan Drago . Yawn ! But then the film come in out and turn out us all ill-timed . It handled that plot with dignity and ingenuity . The story was roleplay as Michael B. Jordan ’s young Creed revenge the death of his absent Church Father , who was killed in the closed chain by the older Drago .

Itcould’ve easily go downhilland fall into the clichés , but it did n’t . Sylvester Stallone has announced thatthis was his last appearing as Rocky Balboaand that he would be withdraw the eccentric – it was the perfect swansong for everyone ’s favorite packing underdog .

Rocky III

Rocky IIIis the good of theRockysequels , because it maintains the disembodied spirit of the original while taking the plot of ground to sweet places . It follows the same formula without feeling trite . Mr. T cook a spectacular villain as Clubber Lang , and it was a nice maturation to have Apollo educate Rocky as the two had previously been competitor .

Survivor ’s “ Eye of the Tiger ” might even be a more iconic musical theme call than Bill Conti ’s “ Gon na Fly Now . ” The concluding shot of Rocky and Apollo throwing their first punches in a replay before fading to a picture is one of the most memorable finish in sports movie history .

Creed

This spin - off about Rocky Balboa training the son of his fallen rival - turned - mentor Apollo Creed could ’ve easily been painful , but it was far from it . Thankfully , the picture show was put in the hands ofFruitvale Stationdirector Ryan Coogler ( who , of path , operate on to directBlack Panther ) , so it ’s far more masterful and emotionally charged than it had any right to be .

Michael B. Jordan make just as compelling a pencil lead as Sylvester Stallone ever did – if not more – while Stallone himself gives his best operation in years as an aging , ailing Rocky . It might follow a intimate convention , but it works .

Rocky

The first one will always be the salutary . It ’s not just the bestRockymovie or the best boxing pic – it ’s one of the best movies , period . When people lecture about the gritty , urban , streetwise movie house of the ‘ seventy – Taxi Driver , Chinatown , The French Connection – Rockydoesn’t feel out of place being included in the conversation . It ’s not a moving-picture show about sports or grooming or fighting ; it ’s a sexual love story . It ’s a quality study and about proving yourself and how it does n’t matter if you conk out , because you still have the people who love you .

Like so few other picture , it ’s actually about something . It ’s no marvel that it made Sylvester Stallone the third person in history , after Charlie Chaplin and Orson Welles , to be put up for the Academy Awards for Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay for the same picture show .