Over the past few months Philadelphia has been an underdog in their respective sports. From appearances in The World Series to Super Bowl LVII, Philadelphia will always be around to fight. Speaking of fighting underdogs- there’s no better time to get excited for the upcoming theatrical release of Creed III, starring Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors, then right now. Since all eight films of the Rocky franchise are on streaming, I watched and ranked them all in anticipation for the next installment. Eternally quotable lines, big violent men with soft hearts, Mr. T, love, and community are all here. Let’s take a look now at all of the Rocky and Creed films, ranked from worst to best.
Ranking the Rocky Franchise from Worst to Best
#8: Rocky V
This really shouldn’t be a surprise landing here. The story of Rocky Balboa is one with mountains and valleys. The mountains of the franchise are undeniably some of the most iconic moments in sports history. The valleys, however, are some of the silliest bowls of cheese and unnecessary machismo pandering to audiences with the wrong takeaway. Rocky V actually started off pretty good. Everything started off recapping the events of the previous movie. It’s nothing new to the franchise since every film before it did the same.
In the locker room, Rocky has shaky hands indicating this could be a sadder and probably darker movie than the others. It’s not, but then there’s hope that it could be a different kind of motivating film. Balboa goes on to mentors a young up and comer, Tommy Gunn. Tommy Gunn gets a new gym manager and is a punk throughout the movie, so there’s no motivation. Speaking of punks, Rocky Jr. becomes a spoiled punk of his own kind and is annoying. The relationship between Tommy and Rocky is the reason for Jr.’s behavior, but it’s not fun to watch. I can’t even say I felt bad for Junior watching his dad care for another young man instead of his own son.
Sylvester Stallone (Left) and Tommy Morrison (Right) in Rocky V. | Image provided courtesy of United Artists Studios.
There isn’t anything else worth talking about until the end. The final fight is a street brawl that reeks of the 80’s in the worst ways. There’s no way it wasn’t inspired by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie from that same year. Honestly if a ninja turtle came in, I don’t think I would have blinked an eye. This whole movie is constantly on a spiral downward. Every now and then, I would find a moment that could change everything and make it all good, but no.
I was warned ahead of time to avoid this film. While I knew I had a mission to accomplish, I should have heeded his warning. Rocky V is boring, wrong in every way, and just plain sucked for me. I already had issues going into this with the lack of Carl Weathers as Apollo and Burgess Meredith as Mickey. This movie was bad, but I recognize that its existence is still a fun little detour on this long road of excellence.
#7: Rocky IV
I don’t care how important this movie is to the whole “Rocky” universe, this movie is sucky. Dolph Lundgren is Swedish! He doesn’t even look Russian! I digress. While “Rocky V” was wrong and boring, “Rocky IV” is weird, a mess, and is wrong. You mean to tell me Rocky Balboa helped end the Cold War after beating a Russian murder machine in front of the Russian President, while in Russia, and everyone in the crowd agreed with him? I had me a good laugh on that one. As messy as this movie was, I don’t think it was thoroughly terrible. Corny? Completely. Fun? Yes.
Sylvester Stallone (Left) and Dolph Lundgren (Right) in Rocky IV. | Image provided courtesy of United Artists Studios.
Rocky IV puts its stakes on display pretty promptly. As the film progresses, I think this story makes sense in a boxing and film setting, but in a realistic setting there is no chance this would happen. All of the things in any of these films, even the street fight in “V” could happen in some way. When I say that there was pandering machismo in “V” I think there was a lot more of that on a grander display in this film.
There’s been a lot of negativity towards this film so far but let me sing a few of the praises I have for this movie. As silly as this movie is, I still recognize how important this film is to the life of Rocky Balboa. If this film didn’t happen, the Creed films might not have happened. Stallone still knows how to be Rocky. As strange as a praise as that might seem, many characters that become franchises, tend to forget the core elements of each character and Stallone maintains those pieces that made Rocky so endearing in the first place. Rocky Balboa is a good man that may not be the smartest man around, but he always knows what he is doing.
As dumb as I think the speech he gives after beating Drago was, it didn’t feel out of character to me. The speech was bad, yeah, but Rocky is not a bad person. That’s about all I have to say on “Rocky IV.” I feel like I could sit and talk about the silliness a bit more, but I’ve done enough and we have to move on. Oh God, I just remembered the disco robot that Rocky got for Paulie. We have to move on.
Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed in Rocky IV. | Image provided courtesy of United Artists Studios.
#6: Rocky III
While I could sit and talk about the silliness of the previous entries for a while, I could also sit and talk about some of the silliness in this one for a bit as well. However, the one thing that separates Rocky III from its predecessors is the final fight between Rocky and Mr. T as Clubber Lang. Man, that name is ridiculously cool. Clubber Lang. If I met anyone in my life named Clubber Lang, I would freak out. Even if they were boring as hell I would still freak out because their name is so cool.
Rocky III is not nearly as ridiculous as those that came before it, but it is not without its moments. Rather than to its detriment, I think this works in its favor. Mr. T is a bad actor, the sky is above, and Hulk Hogan is a racist creep that was never actually entertaining to watch. These are all just facts that everyone knows.
As bad as he is at acting, Mr. T is actually pretty awesome in this movie. He’s corny, but still definitely poses a real threat to Rocky in the ring. Clubber Lang, to me, was a greater threat to Rocky and his career than Ivan Drago was. I know Drago killed Apollo in the ring, but Clubber Lang smack talked Adrian at a statue reveal for Rocky in Philadelphia. That’s ridiculous and I respect his cajones.
Mr. T (Left) and Sylvester Stallone (Right) in Rocky III. | Image provided courtesy of United Artists Studios.
Rocky III has a lot of wacky stuff in it that make nice additions to the Rocky charcuterie cheese board. However, I think all of the things about this movie that are good, are GOOD. Rocky is the official Boxing Heavyweight Champion of the world- awesome! I actually enjoy “Eye of the Tiger”- cool! There is a great use for Carl Weathers in this- WOOO!! Clubber Lang is a credible threat- YEEEAHHH!! As excited as I am getting for this movie, it is not without its flaws. The Hulk Hogan bit served a purpose, but I personally just don’t like the man lesser known as Terry Gene Bollea.
“Eye of the Tiger” is not a song that I have ever liked. Even though I liked it in the context of this movie, it still sucked to hear Europe every couple of minutes. Adrian isn’t very likable and feels super far from how she was when we first met her. I don’t have a problem with characters becoming comfortable and growing with the plot and their people, but Adrian got really comfortable between Rocky II and Rocky III. Ending this on a positive note: Carl Weathers is the man! I love you, Rocky, but Carl Weathers is a huge reason why I kept watching these movies. There are ups and downs in Rocky III, but for the majority of the movie I had a good old time.
#5: Rocky Balboa
Rocky Balboa lands here specifically for one reason and one reason only: legacy. This could have easily been way lower if this film didn’t treat Rocky Balboa as real and as important to the boxing world as he was shown. It also helps that they heavily emphasized that Rocky Balboa is a good man. Legacy and character are two of the most crucial parts of Rocky Balboa.
By the time Rocky IV rolls around I kind of forgot how important Balboa was to the sport of boxing. When this movie started, I didn’t really have any ideas on how this would go. They could focus on Rocky being old. Rocky could be a really sad old man with nothing but memories of the past. We could have gotten an old and senile Balboa. Luckily none of these happened, because Rocky Balboa is a good man. Rocky Balboa is a pure athlete that matters to the sport of boxing as much as any real World Boxing Champion does. As a movie there are moments that falter and feel clunky and awkward, but in terms of a love letter to a fictitious figure with as much breath in his lungs as a non-fictitious athlete- this is pure gold.
Sylvester Stallone in Rocky Balboa. | Image provided courtesy of United Artists Studios.
The problems with the film come mostly in the dialogue. The deliveries and the lines themselves often come across as unpolished and weird. The main antagonist of the film, Mason Dixon, dumb name by the way, is played by real life former boxer Antonio Tarver. Tarver wasn’t a good actor, but I’m not going to hold that against him. I recognize that it’s difficult to get a superstar athlete who is also a good actor, but many of his scenes were clunky.
Most of the scenes with Dixon were structured strangely and all felt like stretches to draw a plot out. The story had an organic setup, but it seemed like Dixon’s managers and the writers needed to vilify Dixon, so the idea was to try and force him to be a bad guy. Dixon didn’t want to do it and had no actual reason other than fans thought he was a boring champion.
They made it abundantly clear Dixon went 33-0 before Balboa. How does a champion like Mason Dixon go 33 fights in a row, with 30 knockouts and be boring? Alexander Volkanovski went 12-0 (Pre-Islam Makhachev fight) with only two finishes and he’s the best UFC Champion today. UFC and boxing are two different things, but Volk is a striker. I don’t know too much about boxing, so this is the closest I can get. Right now, Tyson Fury is 33-0 right now with 24 knockouts. He’s the biggest draw in the world and I don’t see anyone calling him boring. I’m getting off topic now.
Sylvester Stallone (Right) and Antonio Tarver (Right) in Rocky Balboa. | Image courtesy of United Artists Studios.
Overall, Rocky Balboa is a good movie. The journey produces some of my favorite character moments from The Italian Stallion. His forever iconic speech about getting knocked down by life and getting back up is one of the greatest motivational speeches in film, in my opinion. The fight may have been over-edited to Hell and back, but it was overall an okay scrap. The final moments of this film are perfect. No one in the audience cared who won the fight and I certainly didn’t either because we all just witnessed the final fight of a legendary career. Powerful stuff.
#4: Creed II
Creed II is the solidification that this is a good film franchise. After the instant magic Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan created with the first Creed film, there needed to be a follow up. Whether the sequel would be good or bad would be the crucial part, and luckily Creed II is really good. I appreciate the film as more than just a good sequel to the first; I appreciate it as a movie on its own, as a Rocky sequel, and as an overall good trajectory for a character. If you are watching this film, then the chances are you have seen at least two or three of the Rocky movies.
Even if the order of the antagonists doesn’t stick in your brain, then you know Ivan Drago came later than the second film. I think it was a ballsy move to go right back to Ivan Drago and his son for this film. Regardless of quality, Rocky IV is the most crucial film to Donny’s life. It made sense that Donny would want revenge for that at some point and it made sense that Ivan Drago would have a son that he would build into a murder machine, but to see it all actually happen so soon is great.
Sylvester Stallone (Left) and Michael B. Jordan in Creed II. | Image provided courtesy of MGM Studios.
Viktor Drago is a scary man. Lundgren was an imposing threat to anyone in his prime, but he wasn’t scary. Viktor Drago looks like an actual murderer. If Adonis is a Heavyweight, then Viktor is a Beefyweight. It’s a miracle Donny actually made it out of this fight alive, and it’s a miracle another Drago didn’t take another Creed’s life. A lot of what makes Creed II so interesting to me is every single thing that is at stake.
It’s not just a matter of legacies for both the Creeds and Dragos, but for their critics, their careers, and their lives. I find the trope of “young individual with undeniable talent bites off more than they can chew without their mentor and learns a lesson the hard way,” a repetitive cliché. However, I really enjoyed it this time around. I don’t blame Donny for wanting this fight right away. Rocky is correct for not wanting to train Adonis for this fight. The compelling balance of both sides being right is a rarity in sports films. Generally, one side comes off as winey or the other side is unfair in their judgements, in my experience.
Florian Munteanu as Viktor Drago in Creed II. Image provided courtesy of MGM Studios.
This movie works in a lot of different ways. Ivan Drago is resurrected, humanized, and made equally as scary as his son. The developing relationship between Bianca and Donny is lovely and better than Rocky and Adrian’s, yes, I said it. Aging Rocky makes me so sad, but Stallone kills it again. This is, through and through, a solid movie that brings its own great addition to this existing storyline.
#3: Creed
Michael Bakari Jordan was born on February 9, 1987, and on that day, it was written that MBJ would resurrect the Rocky franchise. Jordan in this role, in this franchise, in this era, makes so much sense. He fits everything needed for this character. Adonis can scrap, but he’s not without a plan. He has an infamously vulnerable Achilles heel in the form of his father’s death in the ring, but he learns to embrace his past. Donny is tough, but not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve from time to time. The kid’s got it all.
Creed makes sense to me. The child of one of the greatest boxers of all time, via an affair, is finally of age to make a name for himself. The return of Rocky is great. Tessa Thompson as Bianca is fantastic. Wood Harris is always a delight to see pop up. Donny’s one-shot fight against Leo “The Lion” Sporino is incredible filmmaking and remains gripping the entire time. The final fight against “Pretty” Ricky Conlan is awesome stuff. The statistics they put on the sides are so cool and makes this all feel so real. All of Donny’s boxing opponents and sparring partners are real boxers, so getting to see some fictional stats next to real boxers, that could be real stats for these fighters, is so cool.
Sylvester Stallone (Left) and Michael B. Jordan (Right) in Creed. | Image provided courtesy of MGM Studios.
Romance movies exist to show characters falling in love. It’s inevitable, but it’s the journey along the way that grabs us and is so interesting. Same goes for sports and even Rocky movies- a final fight is inevitable, and we will see Adonis embrace the Creed surname. The references to “Rocky” that were rebranded and reimagined are triumphant and feel exciting to see in a new generation.
Take this statement how you will, and I mean in this in a completely complimentary way, Creed did to the Rocky franchise what The Force Awakens did to the Star Wars movies. Taking many of the same moments, themes, character traits, plotlines and even music from previous films, all of it is good. Creed is exactly how a rebooted film should be. Encouraging rebooting a franchise is a hazardous task, but when it’s done right like Creed, it is so right. It functions as a love letter to the lives lived before Donny’s story, the city of Philadelphia, and the undying passion that people have within themselves to be the best.
Michael B. Jordan (Left) and Tessa Thompson (Right) in Creed. | Image provided courtesy of MGM Studios.
Adding in the elements of past personal and familial demons, Creed has a lot going on and is an incredible addition to the franchise. The story of Adonis Creed works so well, not only because it is just a good story, but because it makes sense. Movies that make sense are my absolute jam and this leads me to my next point:
#2: Rocky II
I made the terrible mistake of watching the rematch between Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed on a treadmill after I ran a 5k. “Surely the final moments of this film won’t require me to pay too much attention and I can celebrate whoever wins in the end,” I said to myself while as dehydrated as the Mojave Desert. I was wrong.
After the ballistic ending to the first film, we pick up right away in the hospital after the fight. Apollo is shouting and hollering for a rematch even though he won the fight. I was immediately hooked. Everything after the opening scuffle is fantastic. Apollo wants a rematch, but Rocky and Adrian are done with boxing. Rocky tries to lead a normal blue-collar life, but it rejects him more than he rejects it. Apollo is still trash talking Rocky. The fame and fortune didn’t last forever. Adrian gets pregnant so Rocky needs to find something to support everyone and a baby. Rocky wants to fight again. The rematch is on. It is all beautiful story telling. On top of it all being very well written, it all ties together quite nicely.
Sylvester Stallone (Center) in Rocky II. | Image provided courtesy of United Artists Studios.
After Rocky lost the first fight to Apollo, it was never out of the realm of possibility for Apollo to win again. Apollo took Rocky for a fool in their first bout, but learned from his mistake and came back a killer. The stakes were so much higher in this film and everyone more than delivered. Adrian is the sweetest human alive and her relationship with Paulie makes me sad.
Rocky is a good man and that is all I need. Micky is the best coach around and it’s not even close. Apollo Creed is the greatest talker on the mic and in ring athlete in all of fictional boxing.
Rocky II is a perfect continuation of an all-time classic film; it is as close to a perfect sequel as they come. If I had to praise Creed II again it would be that it works as a great movie/sequel like Rocky II did. The point of a sequel is to continue a good story and Rocky II more than delivered. The next time you are faced with whether you should watch Rocky II or skip it, I am a big proponent of giving it a watch.
#1: Rocky
You can’t say you didn’t see this coming. Best Picture is an arbitrary title most of the time, but in 1978, The Academy got it right. As a Philadelphian, it has always been my obligation to watch Rocky at some point. When it reached Netflix and I gave it a go, I was afraid it lost its magic. Luckily, this was not even remotely the case. 47 years later and Rocky is still one of the all-time great underdog stories, 70s films, and Best Picture winning movies of all time.
Rocky is a movie about love. It’s all about love for sport, love for the community, love for others, love for yourself, love for your talent, and love for life. Rocky Balboa is a good man. There is never a moment in any of these films that he falters. His destiny from the very beginning was to be with Adrian. Rocky Balboa was always meant to be a top level boxer. The mob was never a place for him. Even when Mickey was rejecting Rocky as a student, there was never a doubt that the two men wanted to work together, but the time wasn’t right.
Talia Shire (Left) and Sylvester Stallone (Right) in Rocky. | Image provided courtesy of United Artists Studios.
One aspect about the structure that I will always appreciate is how everything that happens is meant to happen. The rejections, losses, wins, random encounters, wins, celebrations, and triumphs are all things meant to happen to Rocky. The rising actions and climaxes all feel organic to the story.
Each moment in the plot feels like it is building to something, but never neglecting the people that make everything happen. Sports films are fantastic ways to tell a story without words. In one way or another the big finale is always some culmination of the story so far.
Creed v. Balboa is the ultimate “underdog with passion up against a cocky but dangerous veteran” story ever. Digging deep and bearing down for those remaining gasps of breath to prove you belong is a story everyone is familiar with. Rocky was no different. The poster for the film is of Rocky and Adrian holding hands. The mistake every other poster made after this film is the lack of Adrian or anyone else whom Rocky loves. I couldn’t care less who Rocky fights in the following movies, because they always get in the way of how important Adrian is to Rocky. The fights in this film are fantastic, don’t get me wrong. The most interesting thing about these fights, however, are how Rocky is still focused on Adrian before and after the bouts.
Carl Weathers (Left) and Sylvester Stallone (Right) in Rocky. | Image provided courtesy of United Artists Studios.
If you plan to see Creed III when it releases in theaters, then I highly recommend revisiting Rocky. Whether you know the full story or only bits and pieces, you cannot go wrong with this absolute classic. From start to finish there is not a moment wasted. Whether this movie speaks to you as a sports film classic, a low-key romance movie, or a through and through entertaining film; there is no wrong way to watch Rocky. If there is ever a moment you forget what it means to find greatness in yourself, watch Rocky. Do yourself a favor and remember that you are great. Rocky knows he is, and you should know your own greatness too.
That’s my list. What did you think? What are your thoughts on the Rocky franchise all together and what do you think of the Creed films so far? How do you rank these films from best to worst? Let us know in the comments below!
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