This week I finally had the opportunity to go to the movies and see "Creed," the newest installment in the Rocky franchise. In honor of one of the greatest movie franchises of all time, I ranked the "Rocky" films in order from worst to best.
7. "Rocky V"
(Source :Wikipedia.com)
"Rocky V" by far stands out to me as the worst film in the series. This movie not only makes the mistake of removing Rocky from the boxing ring, but also has the series most forgettable and boring antagonists. Rocky's sudden turn to poverty also does not help to recapture the spirit of the series. The increased focus on Rocky's family relationship also fails to endear Rocky to us anymore then he already was. To cap it all off, Stallone himself stated that in an interview with the The Sun that "Rocky V" was made due to greed unlike the other "Rocky" films. That admission along with abundant flaws in the movie cement it's place as the worst film in the "Rocky" franchise.
6. "Rocky IV"
(Source: Imageflter.com)
It was a close decision between "Rocky IV" and "Rocky V" for the worst movie in the franchise. Where "Rocky IV" fails for me is in the absurdity of its plot -- from Apollo dying in the ring, to the overt message about the Cold War which is beaten into your head, and finally and most egregiously, the cheering of a Russian crowd from an American athlete. This movie was the first but last to depart from realism into absurdities. But unlike other "Rocky" films, it's deficiencies are not offset by the positives.
5. "Rocky III"
(Source: Wikipedia.com)
This is where it became tough to rank these movies. Even though "Rocky III" is a good movie, the rest of the "Rocky" movies on this list either have great dramatic depth, have a great antagonist, or feature Stallone at his best. Clubber Lang continues the tradition of great antagonists for Rocky. But where this film fails for me is the way in which Mickey dies. While Mickey's death is an interesting plot point to explore, having him die by being shoved and having a heart attack and not being taken to the hospital was both off-putting and distracting in a film which otherwise succeed in many aspects.
4. "Rocky Balboa"
"Rocky Balboa" is the first of the franchise to actually show off the acting abilities of Stallone. While the original films of the franchise have better screenwriting, this film has some of the best acting in the franchise and would be ranked higher if not for the insanity of a aging Rocky going toe to toe with a young champion.
3. "Rocky II"
(Source: Mposter.com)
"Rocky II" is one of the best movies in the franchise by far. It's the first to make Rocky a champion and features one of the best performances by a supporting actor in the franchise with Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed. As Apollo, Weathers is the greatest antagonist in the "Rocky" series. The film brings back everything great about the original, which is always hard for a sequel, and succeeds in almost all aspects, which is why it ranks third on my list.
2. "Rocky"
This is one of the most entertaining and fun movies of all time with an all-time great screenplay. "Rocky" stands as one of the best sports movies of all time with a great ending in which they don't just let the protagonist win. The first film introduced one of the greatest underdog characters and is great in many aspects. "Rocky" just falls short of my number-one choice.
1. "Creed"
(Source: cd2-comingsoon.net)
It was very close between this movie and the number two on my list. This is by far the most realistic and dramatic of all the "Rocky" films. The performance by Michael B. Jordan as the illegitimate son of the deceased Apollo Creed is surely one of the best in the series. Even with Jordan's amazing performance, this film belongs to Stallone, who delivers his best performance in any movie ever. The use of all the sadness, loss, and abandonment suffered by Rocky and Adonis is wonderfully executed. This movie also has the most relevant commentary on the long-term physical strains of boxing. These are my reasons for this movies rank as the greatest film in the "Rocky" franchise.
