Find out which is the best Rocky of all time with Sylvester Stallone, who in 2008 agreed to rank them.
What is the best Rocky movie? Guest of the show Friday Nights hosted by Jonathan Ross in 2008, Sylvester Stallone agreed to rate the Rocky films on a scale of 1 to 10, and this is what it was (via Le Figaro) :
The best? You know it well!
For “Sly”, the best Rocky is without context the first, to which he gives 10/10. The film represents as much his breakthrough in the profession as his escape from poverty and one of his greatest artistic successes. And proof that the film laid solid historical foundations: it had 5 sequels not counting the Creed saga.
The “second best” is according to him Rocky III, the eye of the tiger, which places Balboa as a great boxing star but whom luxury and excess have weakened. He also pays the price against his challenger, Clubber Lang who, in addition to tragically damaging his relationship with Mickey, beats him in the ring.
Which episode is worth “zero points”?
Rocky II and Rocky IV are worth 7.5/10 in his eyes, but the one with the worst rating is (obviously?) Rocky V, generally considered the weakest link in the franchise:
“[Rocky V] was bad, a zero point! And that’s one of the reasons why I wanted to do [Rocky Balboa]because I couldn’t end with something so bad, such a false note. That was the reason why I did [le sixième].”
Rocky Balboa was not part of the little game offered to Stallone, and did not receive a rating. Moreover, Sly had less perspective on this title at the time, since the film had been released barely two years previously. He then signed the swan song of the character, and almost of Stallone himself, which is not surprising since Rocky’s life is his own.
Since then, Stallone has agreed to play Rocky again in the Creed saga. He only appeared in the first two, refusing to participate in the third installment following his departure from the team over creative differences. Disagreeing with the direction taken by the film, “Sly” preferred not even to appear in it.
