Action icon Sylvester Stallone is responsible for two of the most iconic characters in cinematic history, that of boxerRockyand the one-man army that isRambo. During this time of self-isolation, Stallone has been entertaining fans by taking to social media to answer questions about his silver screen legacy. The first question he answered dealt with the fact that he believes his 1976 sports dramaRockyto be his best work, but the actor/writer/producer/director then goes on to say that he’s most proud of the sixthRockymovie,Rocky Balboa, because it was the hardest one to make happen.
“I’d have to say my best movie probably of course is Rocky. The one I’m most proud of isRocky Balboa. Because no one wanted to make it. I sat around for six years trying to make that film and when it came out, I was so proud of it, because of what we had to go through to get it done.”
This is something which will no doubt surprise fans ofSylvester Stalloneand his franchise, as the firstRockymovie is pretty much universally agreed to be the greatest. The movie was nominated for 10 Oscars and went on to win three, including Best Picture.
It is likely that the reasonStallone is most proud of itis because it had something of aRockyarc of its own, with no one being interested in making it, doubting its success and doubting whether Stallone would be able to pull it off due to his age. Stallone, however, clearly believed in the project and continued to push to make it happen, finally winning the battle and presumably screaming “Adrian!” until his voice was hoarse and his throat sore. That sounds a lot like Stallone is proud of getting the movie made, rather than the actual content. RegardlessRocky Balboaremains an excellent bookend to the story of the rags-to-riches boxing story, with that character once again finding himself the underdog, despite his success, and rising to the challenge.
Most of the movies in theRockyfranchise were popular with fans. Each movie becomes more and more ridiculously over-the-top, withRocky fighting gigantic Russiansand even his own protégé in the street.Rocky Balboabrought the story back down to Earth, becoming more of a character study once again, much like the firstRocky. In fact, skipping the movies in the middle and simply watching the first and lastRockymovies would make an excellent one-two punch.
TheRockyfranchise has been the most popular of Sylvester Stallone’s movies, so it’s no surprise that the series holds a special place in Stallone’s heart.Rocky Balboawas supposed to be the end for the character, but several years later Rocky made another comeback in theCreedspinoff movies starring Michael B. Jordan. It’s unclear at this point if we will see aCreed III, but Sylvester Stallone has said that he is done playing Rocky. This comes to us courtesy ofSylvester Stallone’s Instagram account.
