8. Rocky V (1990)
Rocky Vis an awful movie in just about every way. It was made by people who were clearly out of any ideas that could resonate with audiences.
The film was supposed to be the final in the series, but it was so bad that Sylvester Stallone wanted to go back to it, telling BBC interviewer Jonathan Ross that he gave the movie a zero out of ten.
Though the film’s premise—of Rocky losing all his money—had to hold up in later sequels, his injury magically disappeared without a thought. Fortunately, this led to the significantly better 2006 sequelRocky Balboa.
7. Rocky IV (1985)
Rocky IVisn’t really a bad movie. In fact, it features some of the most fan-favorite moments in the franchise—but itisa bit out there.
The film was made as a literal fight between Rocky and the Russians, who were made out to be cheaters because of their performance-enhancing drugs, which later turned out to be true.
Apart from that,Rocky IVhas the best raw Rocky montage with him training in rural Russia to fight the “unbeatable” Ivan Drago.
It’s a standard revenge flick, but it’s made in theRockyway, and the result is a film that’s well-remembered by fans of the franchise.
6. Creed II (2018)
Creed IIexpands on the Creed/Rocky storyline introduced inCreedby bringing back Dolph Lundgren as Ivan Drago.
The film measures along nicely, but it has very few twists that are actually surprising. It’s straightforward right from the very start—and in the grand scheme, it’s not that bad of a film.
However, it does suffer for being the follow-up toCreed, which many regard as the bestRockyfilm since the original. The loss ofCreeddirector Ryan Coogler is felt in the script and the final picture.
5. Rocky II (1979)
Rocky IIleaves a lot to be desired. It builds on the first film by giving Rocky the ending so many wanted to see, but it loses a lot in doing so.
Everybody from the original film returns in this one, and they all deliver solid performances that weave together the first and second movies.
However, while the first film gives us a story about an eternal underdog who finally gets his short, the second film sees him winning the belt in such a way that it slips into the realm of disbelief.
Rocky IIis easy to watch and easy to like, but hard to fully love.
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4. Rocky Balboa (2006)
Rocky Balboawas supposed to be the final film in the franchise, serving as an end to the saga and Rocky’s big-screen life.
The film delivered as a wonderful last outing for Rocky as he faced the heavyweight champion in an exhibition bout after a computer-generated prediction that he would win if both were in their prime.
Adrian’s death gives the film emotional resonance while seeing Burt Young return as Paulie was a fitting final outing for him, too.
Rocky Balboawas retroactively improved whenCreedcame along, with Stallone’s return giving him more range as the retired boxer.
3. Rocky III (1982)
TheRockyfilms went through a stage where they were entertaining but not much more, but even during that stage, there was an effortless lovability to them because they were just so fun to watch.
Rocky IIIis the epitome of that period, as Rocky must beat a fighter who has nothing to lose. Mickey Goldmill’s death is a sad sight in the film, and Rocky’s reaction to that gives a heartfelt depth to proceedings.
However, it’s Rocky being trained by Apollo Creed—and seeing the one-time enemies become great friends—that sets the tone for the film.
Rocky IIIis exciting, fun, and feels like everybody involved tried their best to make a proper successor to the first film.
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2. Creed (2015)
The only film that has come close to touching the original film isCreed. It has the visceral impact of the originalRockymovie with a story that proves heartbreaking in places. But it still comes in shy of the first.
Michael B. Jordan’s performance is more encapsulating than Stallone’s in the original, but Stallone himself also brings more to his iconic role and steals every scene as the aged, broken Rocky inCreed.
Throughout the film, we find new reasons to love the franchise, and it plays on everything that came before, making it a brilliant return to the Rocky world for both fans and otherwise.
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1. Rocky (1976)
The originalRockyremains the best of the lot, hands down. ThoughCreeddoes push it a long way,Rockyremains king because of how much of an impact it had on cinema as a whole.
It’s the story of a man who never had opportunities given to him in life, who suddenly finds himself with a shot at the heavyweight title due to a fluke. It’s inspiring and emotional in every sense.
Written by Sylvester Stallone as a way to break himself into the industry,Rocky’s success was extraordinary—especially because it was a movie that was made on a shoestring budget.
The legendary performances will be remembered for decades to come, with Stallone and Burgess Meredith providing the film with a pseudo father-and-son dynamic that stands the test of time.
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