The 10 best Sylvester Stallone movies
When it comes to cinematic action stars, it’s a difficult task to look beyond the titanic Sylvester Stallone. Sure, there are other claimants to the throne of the biggest action hero: Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Keanu Reeves, and Harrison Ford, to name a few, but it’s not long before good old Sly comes to mind.
Stallone didn’t always have it easy, though. He struggled in New York as an actor initially, and it wasn’t until he went to Los Angeles in the mid-1970s that he earned acclaim for his role in The Lord of the Flatbush. The actor turned screenwriter with Rocky in 1976, spawning one of the greatest sports film franchises of all time.
From there, Stallone would go on to establish himself as one of the greatest action movie stars of all time. He played John Rambo in First Blood and its sequels and performed in the likes of Tango and Cash, The Specialist and later The Expendables, and although they weren’t critical successes, they sure brought in big takings at the box office.
Today, we’re going to run through the ten greatest movies of the actor’s filmography. Unsurprisingly, we’re going in action-heavy, so prepare yourself for a thrilling, white-knuckle affair.
The top 10 Sylvester Stallone movies:
10. Cobra (George P. Cosmatos, 1986)
A year after one of Stallone’s greatest boxing efforts, Rocky IV, the actor appeared in the action movie Cobra, which he also wrote. He starred alongside Reni Santoni, Brigitte Nielsen and Andrew Robinson in a story loosely based on Paula Goslings’ novel A Running Duck, which was later turned into a direct movie adaptation Fair Game in 1995 after it was republished under that title.
Cobra is doused in the typical tropes of the action genre and has its fair share of excessive violence, but that’s largely why we love Stallone’s movies. The actor stars as a Los Angeles policeman who investigates the murders of “weak” members of society by a secret society by the name of New Order. A fight for survival ramps up the tension in one of Stallone’s best offerings.
9. The Suicide Squad (James Gunn, 2021)
The 2021 DC Comics superhero movie The Suicide Squad boasts one of the greatest casts ever assembled for a film in the genre. Stallone stars alongside Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Viola Davis, Peter Capaldi and Pete Davidson, amongst many others, in the highly-celebrated James Gunn-directed effort.
The Suicide Squad is formed by a number of convicted criminals who seek lighter sentences in return for completing a dangerous mission. They’re sent to the South American island Corto Maltese to take on a giant alien starfish by the name of Starro the Conqueror before the local government take control of it. Stallone added a string to his ever-growing bow by playing Nanaue/King Shark, a lonely half-man/half-shark.
8. Demolition Man (Marco Brambilla, 1993)
Stallone starred in Marco Brambilla’s directorial debut, the 1993 science fiction dystopian action film Demolition Man alongside Wesley Snipes, Sandra Bullock and Nigel Hawthorne. He played John Spartan, a maverick police officer who is known for leaving a trail of destruction wherever he works.
Spartan is tasked with rescuing hostages from the crime boss Simon Phoenix, but after his attempts fail, both he and Phoenix are sentenced to be cryogenically frozen. Several decades later, Phoenix is thawed for a parole hearing, but when he escapes into a crime-free world, Spartan is then thawed to try and capture him once again. Stallone’s sci-fi thriller is not one to be missed.
7. Rocky IV (Sylvester Stallone, 1985)
It’s always a tricky affair when it comes to naming the best Rocky movie. There are several claims to be made for the original film and also for the sequel (when Rocky Balboa finally wins). However, there ought to be ample consideration for the fourth effort in the franchise, in which Stallone faces up against Dolph Lundgren’s Soviet fighter Ivan Drago.
There’s certainly a political edge to the 1985 classic punch-up amid the political upheaval in the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. But it’s the actual boxing that really shines in Rocky IV, with Stallone actually being admitted to intensive care after being repeatedly punched, proving the authenticity of Stallone’s acting approach.
6. Cliffhanger (Renny Harlin, 1993)
This list is just littered with action, action and more action, isn’t it? Well, thankfully, given the talents of Stallone, the high-octane thrills won’t end just yet. In 1993, the actor starred in Renny Harlin’s Cliffhanger with John Lithgow, Michael Rooker and Janine Turner, a movie devised by climber John Long.
Stallone plays Gabe Walker, a mountain climber who becomes wrapped up in a heist of a United States Treasury plane flying over the Rocky Mountains. Gabe faces up against the criminals who’ve lost $100million worth of cash after they initially convince him that they’re a group of lost hikers. As the title suggests, this one hangs on a cliff edge.
5. Nighthawks (Bruce Malmuth, 1981)
Whenever we talk about the greatest Sylvester Stallone movies of all time, it’s usually First Blood and Rocky that roll off our tongues, but we think Bruce Malmuth and his 1981 film Nighthawks would have something to say about that. Set in New York City, the crime movie tells the story of an elite undercover cop who is tasked with taking down one of Europe’s most dangerous criminals.
Co-starring with Rutger Hauer and Billy Dee Williams of Star Wars fame, Stallone powers through this pulpy story with tremendous cinematic energy, making the whole thing an insanely enjoyable watch.
4. First Blood (Ted Kotcheff, 1982)
Speaking of First Blood, you knew that the iconic 1982 Ted Kotcheff movie would make it pretty near the top of the list. Bringing the influential action hero Rambo into existence, Kotcheff’s film, which was released shortly after Stallone made history with Rocky, tells the story of a Vietnam War veteran who is forced to flee into the mountains and goaded into fighting a bloody battle against a small town.
A heavily significant action movie of the 1980s, First Blood would help to catapult Stallone to international fame, putting him toe-to-toe with other genre icons like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis.
3. Cop Land (James Mangold, 1997)
We’ve talked quite a lot about heavily underrated Stallone movies, but James Mangold’s Cop Land might be the best pick of the bunch. Starring alongside a stellar cast that includes the likes of Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel and the late Ray Liotta, Stallone plays the sheriff of a suburban New Jersey town who steadily realises that his community has been taken over by mobsters and general corruption.
Thanks to the tight screenplay and direction of Mangold, who would later go on to helm such other action hits as 3:10 to Yuma and Logan, Cop Land is remembered as a wild and frenetic joy of a movie.
2. Creed (Ryan Coogler, 2016)
The Rocky franchise is largely seen to be a success of the late 20th century, with Stallone creating five beloved movies that admittedly fluctuated in critical fame. Yet, when the series was revived in 2016 in the form of Ryan Coogler’s Creed, fans and critics alike were surprised at just how fantastic the film was, taking the character and his iconic fame on an interesting tale of redemption.
Whilst Michael B. Jordan’s Adonis is the star of the show in Coogler’s film, Stallone takes a significant supporting role as the protagonist’s trainer, despite the tumultuous relationship the duo share.
1. Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1976)
The 1976 classic Rocky may have come early in Stallone’s career, but there’s truly no doubt that the boxing movie remains the actor’s greatest film to date. Telling the story of a small-time boxer who is given an extraordinary chance to fight the heavyweight champion of the world, Rocky is an iconic illustration of the American dream both in front of and behind the camera, with the lead star putting his livelihood on the line for the sake of the film’s success.
As well as a tremendous story of real-life success, Rocky is a loveable drama that would go on to influence countless other sports movies, as well as pop culture in general. Well, balancing the line between Hollywood fantasy and the harshness of reality, Rocky is a pure joy to behold.
