As Adonis Creed steps into the ring for his third cinematic outing, it’s high time we looked back at the previous adventures of Rocky Balboa (and Adonis) and ranked them from Rocky V to best…
Creed III is punching into cinemas right now and it’s the first time that Adonis Creed gets to step out of the shadow of the man who started it all, Mr. Rocky Balboa.
Sylvester Stallone as his enduring creation appeared in eight films, beginning as the main man before transitioning to the role of mentor to Apollo Creed’s son, Adonis in Creed I and II.
That’s a lot of boxing and a lot of rip-roaring training montages. Time to rank these suckers from worst to best, but I’ll state something right off the bat. I love them all except for the worst one on the list. Let’s jump in with the film that temporarily TKO’d Balboa as a money-spinning franchise…
Rocky V
Rocky V kicks off right at the end of the previous film’s bout. Rocky has been pounded into mush and ended up with a brain injury, one which thankfully turned out to be temporary after the sixth film retconned it. Here, Stallone toyed with the idea that Rocky, who’d become middle class and civilised, would suddenly find himself bankrupt and have to return to the mean streets of Philly.
As he struggles with his adolescent son (Sage Stallone) Robert, who is being bullied, Rocky encounters Tommy Gunn (played by boxer, the late Tommy Morrison) and begins mentoring the brutish unhoned fighter. Rocky recognises much of himself but begins to ignore his son as a consequence. Then Don King (well, a remarkably King-esque character) turns Tommy’s head.
Rocky V tries to shift away from the pure 80s theatrics and cartoonishness of the previous two films. However, those made heaps of money, in part because of those inimitable qualities. Though Stallone hands directorial duties back to the OG, John G. Avildsen, many of Sly’s directorial tendencies, such as a wont for melodrama, are evident. This still feels very much like Stallone has control of the reigns, for better or worse. Rocky V also never quite knows where to go in the final act which sees Balboa inevitably brawling with his protege but with the ring replaced by a back alley street brawl. All that said, I don’t hate it and there are still some nice moments (and a few nice nods to Mickey).
Rocky II
This is a good sequel and it’s objectively better than a few other sequels to come, but it’s also a little too much of a retread of the first film. Coming right at the tale end of the 70s, this doesn’t have quite the music video-esque approach and liberal dosage of cheese that the next two films did. Thus, it tends to be something of a forgotten sequel.
The central cast all return and deliver good performances, even if Stallone’s script isn’t quite as inspiring as the original film. There are enough interesting complications and battles of self doubt to give Rocky an engrossing journey, whilst it could be said, as a director, this is Stallone’s most honed and restrained production.
The original film was never about boxing, but the initial run of sequels inevitably became more about the pugilistic side of Rocky’s persona. Thus the craft in the fight sequences and training montages were key and on that front, Rocky II definitely delivers, but it’s caught in an awkward middle ground where it’s clearly not remotely realistic, yet it doesn’t have the comically excessive pizazz of the next two.
Rocky III
Mr T and Hulk Hogan. The most homoerotic beach sprints ever committed to celluloid. Yes, it’s Rocky III. We’re into the 1980s and every trapping of 80s blockbuster excess is here, from excessive use of montage and cheese rock to overblown set pieces and broadly stroked characterisations.
Rocky III is great. It’s masses of fun with a tight run time. It’s that first point at which we see Rocky has become gentrified. He’s lost his rugged streak and his edge and the film’s journey is about him finding that again. It’s a point where occasionally Stallone’s mind seems more preoccupied with his body image than his performance and he doesn’t quite have Balboa’s gumba street charm here. In part, it’s down to that change in character, but it’s a little missed and it’s that point in the franchise where Rocky gets overshadowed by his opponents.
Regardless, Carl Weathers has a good returning role to play as Balboa’s unlikely trainer and though Mr T is completely over the top as Clubber Lang, he’s still a suitably grizzly and mean villain. The film also sees Mickey (Burgess Meredith) killed off and damn if it doesn’t break me every time. It’s also the emotional moment of the film which Stallone really lets go in.
Creed II
Ryan Coogler’s Creed was somewhat revelatory in how it successfully created an engaging spinoff character, using the OG to bridge us into a new story and new protagonist. It also had a feeling of authenticity the series had probably lacked since the original. Of course, it’s been said that Rocky’s underdog heroics are engaging because he’s often comically mismatched with his superior opponents. We’re not there for realism.
Creed II is a decent film which ticks every box that Rocky fans may want. It’s got engaging dramatic rivalries, awesome montages and the kind of ring battles that have the audience shadowboxing in their seat. However, if there’s a flaw, it’s the fact that Michael B. Jordan, the leading man, feels a little like a third wheel behind a reignited rivalry between Rocky and Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren). The Drago father and son plot line actually becomes the most unexpectedly engaging (and endearing) part of the film. Whilst from a stylistic point of view, this taps into similar levels of the excess as Stallone did in the 80s.
Creed
Okay, this is controversial. Ryan Coogler’s Creed was fresh and surprising. It paid suitable homage to Stallone and Balboa, giving him a great supporting role and arc in the film. Looking objectively it’s better than all but the original Rocky film, but there’s also a problem. Though Jordan is excellent here, he’s somewhat overshadowed by Stallone giving his best performance since the original film. He’s also a little outshone by Tessa Thompson.
Baby Creed’s story treads recognisable tropes but brings an urban grit to the boxing franchise. Likewise, Coogler finds interesting ways to make his fight scenes feel unique in the franchise. There’s a grit to them once more and indeed plenty of dynamic energy, not least in a great one-shot fight.
Maybe that extra dose of fist-pumping spectacle missing was what led to Creed II’s more atypical ‘Rocky’ approach.
Rocky Balboa
After the franchise had lay dormant for 16 years, Sly Stallone, in the midst of a career slump, dragged Rocky out of retirement in a return to the low budget roots of the first film. When I saw Rocky Balboa at the cinema the film really hit me. The training montage sent chills down my spine and the final brawl, spawning from a somewhat contrived premise, got the goosebumps and butterflies fluttering in a way I’d rarely felt on the big screen since I was a kid.
Yep, Rocky was back in a legitimately decent film. It’s not perfect, but as far as pure sincerity and heart, this might top the entire franchise. Rocky back in the ring as a man pushing 60 and having struggled for years as a widower (with an estranged son), proves to be a great place to bring us back to Balboa. Stallone is great. Maybe the film dips into melodrama at times, over a more subtle approach, but as a film of inspiring speeches from an enduring hero, Rocky Balboa nails it.
Just how much the character means to Stallone is etched onto his face in the film, and the same goes for Burt Young who reappears as Paulie. I probably still haven’t been punched in the feels with such a heartfelt dose of nostalgia quite the same since this. Nothing has pumped me up as much as the rickety Rocky hurling barrels and ascending the steps before his (brilliantly realised) end brawl.
Rocky IV
By any metric of the Scorsese definition of cinema, Rocky IV isn’t a particularly good film. However, Rocky as a franchise transcends filmic convention. Part of the appeal has often been the experience. It’s that ultimate underdog battle against the odds which audiences tap into. Rocky IV is the most easily repeatable of the entire franchise, particularly in its original form. The director’s cut has a few intriguing, even welcome additions, but ultimately doesn’t have the perfectly structured appeal of Stallone’s original, 85 minute montage collection.
Balboa has his greatest-ever challenge. He must fight a supreme physical force, played to icy perfection by Dolph Lundgren. Drago is the man who brutalised and killed Apollo Creed in the ring. He’s the fighter who can punch with a kind of power that defies actual human physical ability. This mofo could knock Superman spark out, and yet Rocky Balboa’s durable chin and forehead manage to withstand Drago’s fists.
As a pure, perfectly lithe spectacle, that still packs some dramatic punch, this is the ultimate comfort food. Then on top of the exceptionally performed final bout (that substitutes reality for theatrics) you have an awesome soundtrack of 80s power ballad bangers and Vince DiCola’s synth score that is perfect workout accompaniment. For what it is and sets out to be, Rocky IV is perfection. It also proved, even aiming for style over substance, that Stallone could always get your pulse racing and firmly in the heroes corner.
Rocky
The original and the best. Rocky, winner of the best picture Oscar (in a stunningly strong year of rivals I might add) is the ultimate underdog story. Stallone’s own journey from poverty-stricken walk-on actor turned aspiring screenwriter, to landing the lead in his own script mirrors Rocky’s own journey.
Rocky, like Star Wars and Jaws, was a key figure in the 70s era of American cinema. It was one of those films which completely turned the industry on its head and turned the overriding tone of cinema from pessimistic to optimistic. Okay, maybe it effectively helped trigger the end of American cinema’s greatest era, but the film still retains enough of that edge that we feel like Balboa’s journey has some authenticity.
Sure, Rocky going from amateur brawler and strong arm, to getting a shot at the World Champ, Apollo Creed, is our main through line, but the real heart of the picture is the burgeoning relationship between Balboa and Adrian. It’s also a stellar cast of beautifully written (and performed) characters. Stallone is superb and wonderfully endearing. Talia Shire is also exceptional along with Burt Young as her shlubby and abusive older brother. If one person growls his way to the scene-stealing trophy award, it’s Burgess Meredith as Mickey. He’s a master at work. Some call Rocky an unworthy best picture winner, because it’s so populist compared to rival nominees, but it’s a classic film and well worth its win in a period of history where large swathes of the world wanted some aspirational and inspiring stories (much like now).
How do you rank the Rocky (and Creed) franchise? Let us know on our social channels @flickeringmyth…
Tom Jolliffe is an award winning screenwriter and passionate cinephile. He has a number of films out around the world, including When Darkness Falls and several releases due out soon, including big-screen releases for Renegades (Lee Majors, Danny Trejo, Michael Pare, Tiny Lister, Nick Moran, Patsy Kensit, Ian Ogilvy and Billy Murray) and War of The Worlds: The Attack (Vincent Regan). Find more info at the best personal site you’ll ever see…here
