There are a total of eight movies directed by Sylvester Stallone. While most see him as an ever-lasting action hero, there’s much more to his creative framework than that. In fact, his journey to success didn’t begin with acting, but writing.
In 1976, Stallone became an overnight sensation with Rocky, landing himself two Oscar nominations. Just as he was becoming Hollywood’s next big star, he also began to express himself behind the lens too. So, here are all eight movies directed by Sylvester Stallone, ranked.
8. Staying Alive (1983)
Staying Alive is the only movie directed by Sylvester Stallone that he does not have a leading role in. However, he does feature in the background in one scene. The Italian Stallion made this decision to put maximum focus into directing the movie, attempting to refine his skills behind the camera. However, the Saturday Night Fever follow-up was a critical disaster.
Set six years after the events of the first movie, Staying Alive follows Tony Manero (John Travolta) as he becomes involved in a love triangle while taking part in a Broadway show. While it was a success at the box office, it was heavily panned by critics for its shift from grit to a clichéd, and “MTV-style” music video aesthetic. Of all the movies directed by Sylvester Stallone, this critical bomb has the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score at 3%.
7. Paradise Alley (1978)
Before we were graced with Rocky II, Sylvester Stallone chose Paradise Alley as his big follow-up to the Best Picture winning Rocky. As another sporting drama, Stallone re-hashed some of the grit from Rocky to tell a story about three Italian-American brothers navigating the world of wrestling in the slums of 1940’s New York City. Sadly, the film failed to connect with viewers and critics.
Perhaps the bar was set too high following on from Rocky, however, Stallone contributes a lot of the failure to the editing. When speaking with Roger Ebert, Stallone described how he allowed interference, cutting 40 scenes from the movie. He explained how these removed scenes gave the film more “atmosphere and character.”
6. Rocky III (1982)
Rocky III is quite possibly the movie that signals Sylvester Stallone’s true arrival as an action superstar. While the first two Rocky movies were more dramatic and centred around Rocky’s relationship with Adrian, this entry saw a shift into campier territory. Stallone now looked like a true action hero with his ultra-ripped physique, and the movie overall embraced a more over-the-top, stylized, and commercial aesthetic.
Although it made a massive stomp at the box office, a wealth of critics couldn’t get on board with Rocky III‘s transition from character-based drama to a more cartoonish feel. However, it did demonstrate that Sylvester Stallone could handle spectacle-driven, high-energy action with ease. Love it or hate it, Rocky III marked a turning point that would define Stallone’s directorial approach for decades to come.
5. The Expendables (2010)
The Expendables is possibly the most playful movie ever directed by Sylvester Stallone. However, that does devoid it of guts. What’s served up is a blissful blend of everything that made 80s action cinema great; action, suspense, comedy, and self-awareness. Following a team of mercenaries, Stallone leads an all-star cast in a tale of a rescue mission turned into a personal vendetta. While it received mixed reviews from critics, The Expendables was a box office hit that kickstarted a successful franchise, and cemented Stallone as one of the greatest action stars of all time, even in his 60s.
4. Rocky IV (1985)
Rocky IV is a prime example of event cinema. Written and directed by Sylvester Stallone, this ambitious movie may be larger than life, but it works. Stallone took the over-the-top style of Rocky III and turned it up tenfold, taking the franchise into uncharted territory with its revenge plot. With the epic battle taking place in Russia, it doubled as a Cold War-era showdown that felt like a real-world East vs. West conflict, making it a cultural event rather than just a movie. Earning over $300 million worldwide, Rocky IV stands as the most successful entry in the franchise.
3. Rambo (2008)
After two decades away from the character, Stallone brought John Rambo back to life in 2008 with the simply titled, Rambo. Much like the Rocky movies, the Rambo franchise went from a character-driven, gritty concept to an inflated action series, culminating in the most overblown entry Rambo III in 1988. In Stallone’s revival piece, the action was still there and it was grand in scale, but the film was carried by a weighty and relevant story.
Rambo showed us that Stallone could deliver drama and carnage at the same time to dish up a well-layered piece of cinema. Easily the most shocking of the franchise, Rambo demanded attention with its depiction of the atrocities of Burma. Stallone proved he could balance visceral, hard-hitting action with a story that educated audiences about real-world humanitarian crises, creating one of his most impactful films as a director.
2. Rocky Balboa (2006)
With Rocky Balboa, Sylvester Stallone brought back the spark that made the franchise so beloved in the first place. The first movie is about love and this entry is no different. Although Adrian has passed away, Rocky’s love for her is as strong as it ever was. Dealing with grief, Rocky feels he has more left in the tank, and agrees to fight a young champion to let go of his beast once and for all.
In the way of art imitating life, Rocky Balboa was a deeply personal movie for Stallone. This wasn’t just Rocky’s comeback, it was Stallone’s too, following nearly eight years of decreasing popularity. This is felt in his raw and touching rendition, a role many say he was snubbed with at the Oscars.
1. Rocky II (1979)
Rocky II was the second movie directed by Sylvester Stallone, released a year after the flop that was Paradise Alley. So, the pressure was on. While the first movie was a true underdog story, the sequel was the aftermath of the underdog rising to the forefront. Much like with 2006’s Rocky Balboa, this movie felt semi-autobiographical for Stallone. The film explores Rocky’s struggles with new-found fame and his desire to build a lasting legacy. Rocky II proved that Stallone was maturing rapidly as a filmmaker as well as an actor, cementing him as a sheer force in cinema.
Read Next: Every Rocky Movie Ranked From Worst to Best
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