15 Best Sylvester Stallone Movies Of All Time

Sylvester Stallone is a legend. His story and life struggle in the movie industry have made him the Sylvester Stallone today. The man has gained so much fame and respect in the industry. From almost failing in the film business to becoming the king of the market, here we will discuss the 15 Best movies that Sylvester Stallone has given to the world and all the ones that have contributed to Making Sylvester Stallone the brand that it is today. While there is no cap on what Sylvester’s Stalone himself has to offer to the world, this article will consist of the best works by this man so far.

Sylvester Stallone movies

15 Best Movies Of Sylvester Stallone Of All Time

  1. Rocky

    Director: John G. Avildsen

    Writer: Sylvester Stallone

    Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young

    Genres: Drama, Sport

    Rocky (1976) on IMDb

    When talking about Sylvester Stallone, Rocky is a movie you can never miss. This movie has given Sylvester Stallone a name and fame in the market. In the film that gave him a break, Sylvester Stallone plays a struggling boxer trying to make ends meet with the help of a loan shark. Still, our protagonist is a very talented man who has the potential to break through if he is willing for it. After going through a lot, one day, he grabs an opportunity to compete against a heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed, on his show.

    It is one of the best sports dramas you will ever witness. The plot, cinematography, and action scenes are top-notch. The role of Sylvester Stallone seems natural and too close to reality.

  2. Rocky II

    Director: Sylvester Stallone

    Writer: Sylvester Stallone

    Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young

    Genres: Drama, Sport

    Rocky II (1979) on IMDb

    After the success of the first part, Rocky II got a great response from the audience due to the craze Rocky created for Sylvester Stallone. The story of Rocky II follows the life of Rocky Balboa after a successful fight with Apollo Creed; where he now enjoys a happy married life and good money, and loads of endorsement deals but sadly fails in making commercials and ends up in a meat packing company. He again decides to give Boxin’s career another try. Adrian, his wife, asks him not to go that lane again, but he is determined to give it another shot. Apollo Creed demands a rematch. On the other hand, Adrian gives birth to their child but goes into a coma which becomes a motivation for Rocky to win this rematch.

    This sequel is a touch of perfection. If you have already watched Rocky, this one won’t disappoint. Not only does it meet the bar set by Rocky, but it is also more enjoyable.

  3. First Blood

    Director: Ted Kotcheff

    Writers: David Morrell, Michael Kozoll, William Sackheim

    Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Brian Dennehy, Richard Crenna

    Genres: Action, Adventure, Thriller

    First Blood (1982) on IMDb

    First Blood, also known as Rambo: First Blood, is the movie that gave Sylvester Stallone a worldwide name as an action hero. It is one of the most popular movie franchises of this man. In this movie, Sylvester is a Green Beret veteran searching for his war buddy. Continuing his quest, he enters a small town looking for something to eat but is thrown out of the town by the Sheriff. Throughout the movie, he is troubled by the people, cops, and the war flashbacks that kick in hard.

    This movie is a blend of top-tier acting, an excellent soundtrack, and even better action scenes without bloodshed. There is minimal nudity, and it involves a bit of gore.

  4. Rambo: First Blood Part II

    Director: George P. Cosmatos

    Writers: David Morrell, Kevin Jarre, Sylvester Stallone

    Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Charles Napier

    Genres: Action, Adventure, Thriller

    Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) on IMDb

    This movie is the second part of Sylvester Stallone’s famous First Blood. In this part of the movie, Rambo is prisoned in a federal jail; where he is pulled out of the prison to serve the purpose of a rescue mission in Vietnam, where he will have to break into the enemy camp and bring out the prisoners alive and safe but sadly at the end of it he is left by his government to die.

    Again a cinematic masterpiece, well executed, full of action, and an emotional rollercoaster. It does justice to the level set by the first part.

  5. Cobra

    Director: George P. Cosmatos

    Writers: Paula Gosling, Sylvester Stallone

    Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Brigitte Nielsen, Reni Santoni

    Genres: Action, Crime, Thriller

    Cobra (1986) on IMDb

    Cobra is one of the badass roles that the salon has performed. The character of Sylvester Stallone in this movie has been loved by many because he plays a rugged LA cop responsible for managing the most dangerous criminals. This cop is one day contacted by a young model who has witnessed a gory murder by a group of psychopaths.

    Since action is Sylvester Stallone’s forte, it is not surprising that it was well executed. It is an underrated movie with an excellent dialogue delivery that steals the show.

  6. Demolition man

    Director: Marco Brambilla

    Writers: Peter M. Lenkov, Robert Reneau, Daniel Waters

    Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, Sandra Bullock

    Genres: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

    Demolition Man (1993) on IMDb

    The film demolition man is an action Sci-Fi movie by Sylvester Stallone, set in 1996. In this movie, Sylvester places the role of John Spartan, who has a psychotic criminal, Simon Phoenix, to hunt, who has taken and killed some hostages. Things take a twist when Simon phoenix claims not to have killed the hostess and puts the blame on John Spartan’s action of demolishing the building. After the judgment, Phoenix and Spartan are imprisoned in a cryogenic jail, where in 2032, Phoenix escapes during the parole hearing. Only one man can stop Phoenix again in this nonviolent world.

    This movie is ahead of its time and a treat to watch. The story is well-built and manageable. The simple yet effective impact it creates is unmatched. The icing on top is the elements of humor and action.

  7. The Expendables

    Director: Sylvester Stallone

    Writers: Dave Callaham, Sylvester Stallone

    Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li

    Genres: Action, Adventure, Thriller

    The Expendables (2010) on IMDb

    The Expendables is another crazy film by Sylvester Stallone, which has emerged as a very successful franchise yet another time. This movie revolves around the story of a group of mercenaries led by Barney Ross, played by Sylvester Stallone, and hired by Mr. Church from the CIA for a special mission.

    In this mission, they will have to overthrow a Latin dictator Garza which, two their surprise, turns out to be a Suicide mission because the Elite mercenaries will now have to come back against highly trained ex-CIA officers with Garza.

    If you are not looking for a bang-on story and need to refresh with a mindless watch, this movie is for you. The story is basic, and the dialogue could be more impressive. But if action is what you’re looking for, it’s a feast.

  8. Tango and Cash

    Directors: Andrey Konchalovskiy, Albert Magnoli

    Writer: Randy Feldman

    Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell, Teri Hatcher

    Genres: Action, Comedy, Crime, Thriller

    Tango & Cash (1989) on IMDb

    Tango and Cash is another great movie by Sylvester Stallone, where he plays Tango, and Kurt Russell plays cash. Both of them are the best Cops in Los Angeles, but both are opposites and don’t go together because both believe that they are the best.

    One day, destiny plays its cards, and he ends up in jail for being framed for murder. Now, in any case, they both will have to put aside their issues and work together to get out of jail. This movie is considered to be one of the best cop action comedy movies there is in the market.

    Comedy, action, story, suspense and whatnot. The movie has it all. It might seem far from reality, but who minds it when looking for a fun watch?

  9. Escape Plan

    Director: Mikael Håfström

    Writers: Miles Chapman, Jason Keller

    Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, 50 Cent

    Genres: Action, Thriller

    Escape Plan (2013) on IMDb

    Escape Plan is yet another very popular movie by an older Sylvester Stallone. He plays Ray Breslin, who runs a firm that specializes in testing every prison security. To test the security of a prison, Ray goes into the prison as an inmate and tries to escape in any way possible.

    Doing his job, one day, he gets stuck inside a highly qualified prison which comes out to be one of the most secure prisons in the world. He soon realizes that somebody does not want him to escape prison. Ray is now responsible for getting out of this prison and finding the person who put him inside it. In this movie, Arnold Schwarzenegger, in the role of Emil Rottmayer, is also a security expert. Later they become close friends.

    The film delivers well without giving you time to get bored. The execution and plot are on point and provide the essence of old-school action films.

  10. The Expendables 2

    Director: Simon West

    Writers: Richard Wenk, Sylvester Stallone, Ken Kaufman

    Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Liam Hemsworth, Randy Couture

    Genres: Action, Adventure, Thriller

    The Expendables 2 (2012) on IMDb

    The Expendables 2 follows the story of another group of mercenaries hired by CIA officer Mr. Church. This time these mercenaries are responsible for retrieving items from a plane crash in eastern Europe. While it seems like a simple plan, things get complicated and messy when they are attacked by another group of mercenaries led by an international criminal, Jean Vilain, played by Jean Claude Van Damme. On the other hand, the team led by Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) loses a member to which he needs to track down and take down the criminal to avenge their teammate and protect the plutonium.

    This movie might be different from everyone’s cup of tea. Although it is predictable and on the lines of the first film, the action and star cast make it ridiculously fun.

  11. Death Race 2000

    Director: Paul Bartel

    Writers: Robert Thom, Charles B. Griffith, Ib Melchior

    Stars: David Carradine, Sylvester Stallone, Simone Griffeth

    Genres: Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Sport

    Death Race 2000 (1975) on IMDb

    Death Race 2000 is one of the hottest movies out there in Hollywood. This movie is set in the near future, in the year 2000. The plot of the movie is set in a totalitarian regime of the United States of America, where the government of the country organizes a transcontinental road race to maintain or reduce the population of the country where; the race drivers run through the continent, running over innocent people to score points.

    This movie is not Sly’s best movie but also one of the best in the death race franchise. The originality and freshness of the plot, with some crazy-looking cars, make it an ace.

  12. Cliffhanger

    Director: Renny Harlin

    Writers: John Long, Michael France, Sylvester Stallone

    Stars: Sylvester Stallone, John Lithgow, Michael Rooker

    Genres: Action, Adventure, Thriller

    Cliffhanger (1993) on IMDb

    Cliffhanger is considered to be one of the best performances by Sylvester Stallone. The movie is different from the usual plot, where a group of thieves takes the help of rangers to find the money they stole. This call is answered by a still-recovering Gabe Walker, who lost his friend in an accident. The movie goes on to unfold mysterious twists and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The film has been shot with realistic action scenes where the protagonist goes through deadly situations.

    Again a well-delivered action-packed film with beautiful scenery. The cinematography is far better than the movies released back in the 1990s. The ravishing yet scary mountain heights add life to the movie.

  13. Oscar

    Director: John Landis

    Writers: Claude Magnier, Michael Barrie, Jim Mulholland

    Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Ornella Muti, Peter Riegert

    Genres: Comedy, Crime

    Oscar (1991) on IMDb

    Oscar is a straight-up comedy film by Sylvester Stallone where he plays the role of a gangster living with a promise to his dying father to leave the criminal world and live a normal life. This movie is a different role for Stallone, where he faces problems trying to be straight like other criminals and is still on the police’s radar. This movie is a delight to Stallone’s fans, who have loved to watch him in a comedy role like this.

    On the lighter side, Oscar is full of comedy and little yet powerful detailing elements. The more you watch it, the more you notice something new.

  14. Rocky Balboa

    Director: Sylvester Stallone

    Writers: Sylvester Stallone

    Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Antonio Tarver, Milo Ventimiglia

    Genres: Action, Drama, Sport

    Rocky Balboa (2006) on IMDb

    Rocky Balboa is the final installment to the franchise of the legendary Rocky, wherein we get to see Rocky as a character without being as action-packed and boxing filled as previous movies in the franchise. This movie shows how a boxing legend lives his life in the ending days of his active career. This movie is about how Rocky leads his life after being estranged from his son.

    He now runs a restaurant under his wife’s name in grief. One day, he is challenged by heavyweight champion Mason Dixon, whom he wishes to reject but takes up the challenge to go against all odds and give his best for the glory one last time. This movie is one of the best Rocky movies out there, which connects with the audience.

    The Rocky franchise is an absolute power-packed delivery. Rocky Balboa is an emotional one with heart-touching dialogues and nerve-wrenching action.

  15. Creed

    Director: Ryan Coogler

    Writers: Ryan Coogler, Aaron Covington, Sylvester Stallone

    Stars: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson

    Genres: Action, Drama, Sport

    Creed (2015) on IMDb

    Creed is a reboot movie of the Rocky Franchise and is considered the best performance of Sylvester Stallone. This movie is so great that Stallone was Nominated for an Oscar for his performance in the film. The movie revolves around the story of Adonis Johnson, the son of Apollo Creed, who seeks the training and mentorship of Rocky Balboa, a formal rival and friend of Apollo Creed. This movie is a great storytelling masterpiece performed phenomenally well by Sylvester Stallone.

    Creed will leave you stumped. Not only will you fall in love with it, but also the Rocky franchise. It is one of the prime examples of a well-executed screenplay and power-packed action. If you are already a fan or at least have a connection with Rocky, you will end up in tears. For a casual watch, the story could be more profound and fun.

Conclusion

Sylvester Stallone has been an iconic actor with commendable action scenes on screen. Above mentioned movies are top picks from the long list of movies. Along with action, you might also enjoy some elements of comedy and the pure excellence of the plot.

Kierra Rowsey
Kierra Rowsey

Kierra Rowsey is a freelance TV, Film and anime critic for over 12 years, living in Arkansas with her husband and three kids. She graduated from NYU College of Arts & Science in 2008.

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