Sylvester Stallone burst onto the scene with Rocky in 1976. Before this, he was completely unknown and had only starred in small background roles and bit parts. However, he made history when he was nominated for Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay at the 49th Academy Awards in 1977.
Rocky went from an indie darling and Oscar Best Picture winner to an inflated franchise, making Stallone one of the biggest box office stars of the 80s and 90s. Yet, during his meteoric box office rise, he started to lose credibility for his acting skills as he became much more of an action hero. However, underneath his butt-kicking roles lays a plethora of movies where he showcased his dramatic abilities, proving himself as much more of a thespian. So, here’s our pick of 5 underrated Sylvester Stallone movies.
5. Nighthawks (1981)
Nighthawks hit movie theaters in 1981 when serial killer movies had started to gain traction, more particularly, cops hunting serial killers. At the time of its release, many labeled it as a Dirty Harry rip off, however, this flick focused on two policeman as opposed to one, and set out to be more of a cop drama than an action movie. The story focuses on Deke DaSilva (Stallone) and Matthew Fox (Billy Dee Williams), two New York City cops who are transferred to the anti-terrorism squad when a notorious European terrorist shows up in the city with sinister intentions. From here, they go undercover to track him down.
Nighthawks threw a different spin on the serial killer genre by focusing on a villain who goes after large groups of people instead of stalking people one by one. At the time of its release, Stallone was becoming one of the biggest stars in the world, and it’s safe to say that many were expecting a full-blown action movie. However, what was delivered was much more of a slow-burn character study, resulting in many moviegoers feeling disappointed. Compared to Stallone’s other movies of the time, Nighthawks wasn’t exactly a box office triumph, but it did nearly quadruple its $5 million budget, grossing $19,905,359 worldwide. If you go into the movie expecting an action flick, you’ll likely be let down, but it is a worthwhile watch for an understated and slow-burning dramatic role from Sylvester Stallone.
4. Paradise Alley (1978)
Coming two years after the Oscar-winning Rocky, 1978’s Paradise Alley had a lot to live up to, particularly seeing as it was Stallone’s first role as a director. The 1940’s set drama focuses on three Italian-American brothers, living in the slums New York City, who each strive for greatness in the wrestling world. With one of the brother’s being the ticket to fame with his fighting skills, another with his promotional skills and the other with his con-artist tactics.
Paradise Alley represents an underrated chapter in Sylvester Stallone’s career, with the Italian Stallion delivering a nuanced performance as Cosmo Carboni, a well-meaning schemer who finds himself out of his depth. Despite its sporting backdrop, the film diverges from the inspirational narrative that defined Stallone’s earlier success with Rocky. In terms of box office success, Paradise Alley struggled to connect with audiences, garnering a slew of negative reviews and grossing only $7 million against its $6 million budget. Looking at the movie over four decades later, the main misstep may have stemmed from viewers approaching the film with expectations shaped by the impending success of Rocky II, which was set to follow a year later. Overall, Paradise Alley is a distinctive but frequently disregarded addition to Sylvester Stallone’s filmography, providing a more subtle and bleak examination of ambition and morality than the heroic adventures of Rocky Balboa.
3. Rambo: Last Blood (2019)
In 2008, Sylvester Stallone proved that he was on a comeback of epic proportions. After already delighting audiences with a return to his most iconic character in 2006’s Rocky Balboa, he then reprised his role as Rambo in another simply titled movie, Rambo, in 2008. In 2019, after many thought he was done with the character, Stallone brought John Rambo back to the silver screen with Rambo: Last Blood. However, it was met with a plethora of bad reviews.
Rambo: Last Blood focuses on an ageing Rambo who is now living a quiet life on his family farm in Arizona. When his niece ventures into Mexico to search for her father, she is kidnapped and put into the sex trade, sending Rambo on a violent mission of revenge. Although the movie grossed a modest $95 million against its $50 million budget, it was heavily panned by critics. David Morrell, the creator of the character John Rambo, called the film “a mess” and said he felt “embarrassed” to have his name associated with it. However, Rambo: Last Blood feels like a movie that could have been its own stand alone revenge flick instead of a continuation of Rambo. Stallone definitely should have left the franchise on a high point with 2008’s Rambo, but it is still an underrated performance from the actor and a chance to see how the character has aged.
2. Lock Up (1989)
Lock Up is not only an underrated role for Stallone, it is also a hidden gem in the prison genre. The plot centres on Frank Leone (Stallone), a low-risk prisoner with only 6 months left on his sentence. When he is woken in the night, he is dragged to a maximum security prison where he goes toe-to-toe with Warden Drumgoole, a man who has a personal vendetta against him. While the movie has its over-the-top moments akin with its time, underneath the action is a rather delicate rendition from Stallone. As Drumgoole attempts to break Leone to extend his sentence, the film becomes much more a tale of resilience rather than an action movie, and Stallone brings forth an understated rendition that has been truly overlooked.
1. Cop Land (1997)
By the time Cop Land was released in 1997, many had forgotten that Sylvester Stallone began his career as a dramatic actor. In James Mangold‘s sophomore feature film, Stallone set out to prove himself again and remind everyone why he is an Oscar-nominated actor. The story follows Freddy Heflin (Stallone), the Sheriff of a suburban New Jersey community which is heavily populated by New York City police officers. When he begins to see corruption in the town, Freddy must step up and go against the men he idolizes.
Stallone took a dramatic pay cut for his role in Cop Land, reportedly only earning $50,000. He also parted ways with his iconic, chiselled body, gaining 40 pounds to play the down-trodden Sheriff. Although it has now garnered a cult following, Cop Land didn’t land with larger audiences at the time of its release, potentially due to the fact that Stallone’s fans were expecting another action movie. However, Cop Land is quite the opposite: it is a slow-burn, urban Western that gave Stallone the chance to delve back into drama, making for one of the finest performances of his entire career.
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