8 Unloved Sylvester Stallone Movies That Are Actually Good

Sylvester Stollone has made a name for himself as one of the biggest action stars of all time, but he’s also had many unloved releases throughout his varied filmography. Although Stallone will go down in history for his incredible portrayals of Rocky Balboa and John Rambo, there were many underrated hidden gems in his body of work just begging to be re-appreciated by a contemporary audience. Looking back and rewatching some of Stallone’s critical flops and financial failures, it’s surprising how many hold up as solidly enjoyable movies.

There’s no denying that the best Sylvester Stallone movies are his most acclaimed, and nobody would try to claim that some forgotten 1980s box office flop could stand toe-to-toe against the likes of the original. Rocky Or career highlights such as Cap Earth. However, there were also many Stallone movies that were unfairly judged when they were released and, with the power of hindsight, showed sides of the actor that were absent from his best-loved movies. As an actor, director and writer, Stallone’s career featured many unloved movies that were actually pretty good.

8

Escape Plan (2013)

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 50%

If action movie lovers were told in the 1980s that it would be a Prison thriller with Sylvester Stallone and Arnold SchwarzeneggerIt would have been a cinematic dream come true. Witnessing the titans of the genre sharing the screen is always going to be a cinematic treat, but the lackluster response to Escape plan Suggested viewers are not that interested. while admitting, Escape plan Failed to reach the heights of each star’s best work, this tough, simple and entertaining film proved that both action heroes still have a lot of fuel left in the tank.

Despite Stallone and Schwarzenegger’s long-standing rivalry at the box office, they were able to put aside their differences long enough for this exciting prison break story. As Stallone’s character presented himself as an inmate in a high-security prison, he freed himself with Black Negro, and together they devised a plan to escape. While the dynamic duo could have done with a better script, their inmate chemistry offset each other perfectly, helping to elevate what could have been a forgettable prison movie into an entertaining love letter to the camp action style they both became famous for.

7

Paradise Alley (1978)

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 40%

Following Rocky S Success, which took home the Academy Award for Best Picture, Sylvester Stallone had the world at his feet and could do anything he wanted creatively. Stollone channeled this incredible potential in his directorial debut, Paradise AlleyA 1940 periodical he wrote, directed and starred in about three Italian brothers in Hell’s Kitchen who become involved in professional wrestling. As a very ambitious film, Paradise Alley was slated by critics upon release who said it couldn’t live up to Rocky and was described by Vincent Canby of the New York Times like “A false, attitudinizing, self-indulgent mess.”

This lackluster response to Paradise Alley Has followed the film ever since, and Stallone even expressed regret that the final product did not live up to his creative vision. But, look back Paradise Alley Today, there was a lot to love about this directional debut as Stallone captured a unique aesthetic that brought to mind B-movie images of yesteryear. When seen with the power of hindsight, Paradise Alley was an insightful look into Stallone’s worldview and signaled an alternative direction for his career had he not embraced action movies in the 1980s.

6

Rocky V (1990)

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 33%

The Rocky Franchise will always be the crown jewel in Sylvester Stallone’s career, and every movie in the series has something incredible to offer. However, one item that always fell out of the conversation was Rocky VWhich admittedly was the worst film in the long-running series. But despite the lack of love that Rocky V has gained over the years, when you look back on it today, it’s a refreshing trend for the franchise that didn’t focus on training montages and took these Rocky Series returns to the dramatic roots of the original 1976 movie.

Rocky V featured the Italian stallion agrees to train a young protégé, Tommy Gunn, hungry for success. As Rocky re-establishes himself in a mentorship role, Rocky V has much in common with the later Creed series, although it is not as well executed as in those later films. There was a lot of drama as Tommy betrayed Rocky in his attempts to get ahead, and although some of the performances in Rocky V They’re not up to scratch and painfully dated to the 1990s, it’s still an enjoyable entry to the franchise that’s essential viewing for lovers of the series.

5

Over the Top (1987)

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 32%

It is easy to criticize Over the top Like Sylvester Stallone’s cheesy arm wrestling movie, but when viewed on its own merits, the film’s sheer ridiculousness was part of its appeal. As a movie that certainly lived up to its title, Over the top Tells the story of poor wrestling truck drivers fighting for custody of their children and played into Stallone’s tough guy action hero persona. While it never quite reached the heights of the Rocky franchise, Over the top It also doesn’t deserve the hate it’s getting, as it was a solidly entertaining film.

Stollone, who also co-wrote the film, later said there were things he would change about Over the top (via Isn’t it cool news), and if he could repeat it, he would make the climactic arm wrestling event in Vegas”Not so carnival-like.“But, The outrageous aesthetics of Over the top It has a unique 1980s feel. While most of the critics threw at Over the top are valid, it’s hard to deny that this simple film was an excellent exploration of a father-son relationship that’s a lot of fun to revisit as a Stallone fan.

4

Lock Up (1989)

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 31%

According to director John Flynn (by Shock cinema), the Sylvester Stallone movie Lock up had a haphazard production, which meant filming started before a finalized script was ready. This was evident in the uneven nature of the movie as, thematically, it jumped from intense thriller to sensitive drama and into an outright parody of itself. However, that doesn’t mean viewers should give up Lock up Absolutely, as it was a good movie that featured one of Stallone’s best performances And an amazing turn from Donald Sutherland as the vindictive prison gardener determined to make life a misery.

Lock up Seen Stallone portray Frank Leone, a convict nearing the end of his sentence in a low-security prison, who is transferred to a maximum security facility where he must admit to a much stricter way of life. Stollone said Lock up is not made with “Sufficient maturity“To make a significant impact (via EW), but despite its issues, it’s far better than the worst action hero offerings. With an enjoyable mix of action, drama and romance, Lock up kept the tension high until the credits rolled and was an underrated addition to Stallone’s body of work.

3

Tango and Money (1989)

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 31%

Despite standing as one of the best action comedies of the 1980s, Tango & Money Was heavily criticized when it was first released. As the last great action comedy of its decade, Tango & Money Saw Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell together in a buddy cop adventure that, although full of traps and clichés, has a lot to offer. With Stallone as the straight-laced Lieutenant Tango and Russell as the cowboy cop Lieutenant Cash, the duo had great cinematic chemistry, even if the storyline felt predictable.

With Stallone and Russell framed and sent to prison by their arch nemesis, the pair of mismatched LAPD cops are forced to put their differences aside and take down an evil crime ring. Tango & Money was full of fantastically cheesy 1980s one-liners And walked the fine line between an authentic genre picture and a hilarious parody of Buddy Cop stories. in his heart, Tango & Money was a solid action movie that never really got enough love, though its reputation has grown in stature in the decades since its release.

2

Cobra (1986)

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 18%

The abysmal ranking of Cobra On rotten tomatoes was absolutely unfairAs this carnage-filled action film more than delivered on its promise of fun, fast-paced and frenzied thrills. Stallone starred as the title hero, Lt. Marion “Cobra” Cobretti, a no-nonsense cop who investigates a string of crimes, including a mass shooting and hostage situation in an LA supermarket. While Cobra Was criticized when it was first released for its excessive violence and reliance on genre tropes, which is also part of the reason it has built a cult following over the years.

Stallone’s character may be one-dimensional, however Cobra was a straight action movie focused on thrills over characterization. Like a mayhem-filled mess of a movie, Cobra Lack of decorum or narrative heft may turn off some viewers, but for action movie junkies who can’t get enough of excessive violence, this will be just what the doctor ordered. While pretentious movie critics could not connect with CobraViewers sometimes just want to see Stollone let loose as he ruthlessly takes down criminals.

1

Oscar (1991)

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 11%

It’s no surprise that Sylvester Stallone disillusioned the audience with the John Landis comedy Oscar. As one of the biggest action stars of the 1980s, seeing Stollone trade his signature style for a rare comedic performance was a bit jarring, as viewers waited for his character to become violent like he had in so many movies before. However, this is not the case for this underrated box office flop, which, when seen on its own merits, was a hilarious film led by a talented cast.

Oscar Explore a gangster trying to keep a promise to his dying father to give up his life of crime, while also dealing with his wayward daughter’s (Marisa Tomei) promiscuous behavior. As a lighthearted gangster comedy in the 1930s, the outrageous farce suffered from misguided audience expectations as Stallone strayed too far from his normal style for viewers to enjoy Oscar For what it was. However, enough time has now passed to see that Sylvester Stollone Given an incredible performance here and there Oscar Never deserved the hate it got.

Sources: New York Times, Isn’t it cool news, Shock cinema