Sylvester Stallone played some of the most memorable film roles of all time, but not all of his characters received due recognition. Often overshadowed by his peers in the '80s action movie hero space, like his rival Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone has nevertheless established himself in pop culture as a household name. Their performances often unfairly get a bad rap, with some underrated characters going unnoticed in more obscure films.
Stallone's most famous characters are Rocky Balboa and John Rambo from his own eponymous film series. Not every role can be a lead that manages a franchise like Rambo films, however, and Stallone has starred in several lesser-known films as complex characters that showcase his acting ability. His occasional supporting roles also deserve more recognition for what they are.
10
King Shark
The Suicide Squad
When fellow action movie star Vin Diesel entered the ground floor of the much-loved Guardians of the Galaxy films repeating a single line of dialogue over and over again, Stallone didn't miss the chance to voice a beloved CGI comic book character. Enter King Shark The Suicide Squad, Task Force X muscle with a childlike mind and an affinity for water. Really named Nanaue, King Shark is a human-shark hybrid of unknown origin who helps the titular task force as best he can in James Gunn's brilliant reiteration of the team.
Stallone plays an all-new character with his King Shark voice, giving the bumbling brute a hilariously matter-of-fact level of strange innocence with his simple statements and giddy laughs. Despite his ferocious appetite for human flesh, it's hard not to sympathize with King Shark at various points in the film, whether he's being attacked by nasty space aliens or being left out of his human friends' parties due to his monstrous appearance. . Without Stallone's incredible inflections, it's safe to say the character wouldn't be as effective as he is.
9
Stakar Ogord
Guardians of the Galaxy series
Speaking of Guardians of the Galaxy films, Stallone himself managed to take part in the beloved MCU space opera series in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Stakar Ogord is the captain of the Stakar Ravager Clan, a culture of space pirates that has a long history with Yondu Udonta, Star-Lord's father figure and kidnapper, who leads his own clan of Ravagers. It is explained that long ago, Stakar exiled Yondu for breaking the Ravager code due to his involvement with schemes that included putting children in danger, unaware that Yondu was actually saving Peter from Ego the Living Planet.
This whole lore might be pretty far-fetched even for the MCU, but Stallone still gives the character the respect he deserves, playing him as serious as the grave. It's hard not to believe when he barks at Yondu that exiling him was a painful but necessary action that he felt he needed to take, disgusted by his former friend's actions. It's also great to see Stallone interacting with all sorts of other bizarre aliens in the end credits scene, organizing a sort of Ravager reunion with all the other clan leaders.
8
The toy maker
Spy Kids 3D: Game Over
Roberto Rodríguez Spy children The series is, without a doubt, a silly franchise, but that doesn't stop the lauded action director from getting some big names to fill the various roles in his extravagant adventures. Spy Kids 3D: Game Over posits Sylvester Stallone as the main villain, the genius inventor known simply as “The Toymaker.” Once a decorated agent of the super spy organization OSS, an unspecified disagreement between The Toymaker and the Cortez brothers' grandfather left him imprisoned, only for him to escape and create a virtual reality game that has literally captured the minds of children across the country.
Within the digital world of his game, The Toymaker divides his consciousness into multiple personalities to help him think and give him someone to talk to – a peace-loving hippie, a studious scientist, and a warmongering general. Stallone plays all four Toymakers with verve and verve, clearly having fun with the over-the-top character. Stallone is also able to surprisingly tone down his over-the-top manic villainy towards the end of the film, when The Toymaker is finally reformed.
7
Sergeant Deke da Silva
Nighthawks
Long before better-known films like First Blood or Snake, Sylvester Stallone's first role in an action film came in 1981 Nighthawks. The gritty, realistic action drama revolves around an undercover cop, Stallone's Sergeant Deke DaSilva, who is soon transferred to a new squad, the Anti-Terrorist Action Command. Here, DaSilva is assigned to track down one of Europe's most notorious terrorists, the feared Wulfgar, who challenges DaSilva's skills and sanity.
Stallone would go on to play a wide variety of super-cop characters, but Sergeant Deke DaSilva still holds a special place in his impressive filmography. The film's neo-noir tone gives Stallone plenty of depth to chew on, as DaSilva isn't a surefire action hero. That said, when given a moment to shine, Stallone goes out of his way to make DaSilva an exciting and capable protagonist with plenty of personality.
6
Judge Dredd
Judge Dredd
Although possibly overshadowed by Karl Urban's version in the 2012 remake of the sci-fi film, the original Judge Dredd from the film of the same name deserves more respect. Judge Dredd takes place in a cyberpunk dystopia in which lethal agents, called “Judges”, act with full legal power as judge, jury and executioner to enforce the law at all costs. Stallone's Dredd is one of those judges who has his total worldview and faith in the law shaken when he is accused of murder, forcing him to team up with a former enemy to take down his own evil clone.
Although Judge Dredd was panned by critics, it's hard not to say that Stallone wouldn't have excelled as a character if he had simply been given better material to work with. With his square jaw jutting out of Judge Dredd's signature helmet and his mocking grimace as he dispenses justice, Stallone looks like Dredd incarnate, leaping straight from the pages of the original comic book. It's a shame that the story he existed in didn't do him a better service by giving him a chance to prove his worth as a complicated antihero.
5
Gabe Walker
Suspense
Not every Sylvester Stallone character is a decorated super cop, a dangerous comic book character or a genius villain. In most cases, Stallone's best characters are closer to real, sensitive people, as has been proven countless times, both in Rocky and Belief films. Suspense it's further proof of Stallone's proficiency in more mundane roles, stepping into the boots of mountain climber Gabe Walker.
Gabe Walker is a rescue ranger who gets into a fight with his best friend Hal after a failed rescue attempt results in the death of Hal's girlfriend. However, the two are forced to put their differences aside and work together when they are threatened by a group of dangerous criminal thieves. It's great to see Stallone's character overcome both personal turmoil and very real physical danger here, playing a ranger with a very specific set of knowledge all the while.
4
Sergeant John Spartan
Demolition Man
John Rambo is far from the only danger John Sylvester Stallone has played, with Sergeant John Spartan of Demolition Man often being left out too often. A temperamental police officer with a history of unnecessary property damage, John Spartan is cryogenically frozen alongside his criminal enemy, the psychopath Simon Phoenix, as a form of punishment. When Phoenix somehow escapes in the distant future, Spartan is unfrozen to help the helpless future police force deal with Phoenix's violent ways.
It's rare that Stallone can truly break free as a more destructive character, and John Spartan is an interesting twist on a typical action hero so corrosive that his methods are considered as dangerous as his criminal prey. Stallone could also be the butt of some jokes, as the fish-out-of-water story finds Spartan navigating a sentient, sanitized future world free of violence. Your reaction to Demolition ManThe infamous three shells make the performance worthy of praise in its own right.
3
Ray Tango
Tango and money
One of the great police films of the 80s, Tango and money is a criminally overlooked stop in Sylvester Stallone's filmography. Compared to Kurt Russell's brash, gruff Gabriel Cash, Ray Tango is composed and polite, better with numbers than people and sharp as a tactician in his Armani suits. Of course, this dichotomy creates a classic odd-couple dynamic when Los Angeles' two most talented cops are forced to work together.
Stallone holds up his end of the feud with prestige and panache, making him the perfect straight man for Russell's wild Cash to bounce off of. Tango is a rather low-key and unique character for Stallone, giving him a chance to show off his more subtle acting skills as a more reserved hero. He also helps emotionally anchor the film with a believable part in the action thanks to his relationship with his younger sister.
2
Joe “Samaritan” Smith
Samaritan
Samaritan is an underrated Stallone film that, unsurprisingly, contains a true hidden gem of a Stallone performance. The obscure original superhero film sees Stallone stepping into the shoes of the titular Joe “Samaritan” Smith, blessed with super strength, durability, and an impressive healing factor. Presumed to have died years before the start of the story Samaritan unfolds from the perspective of Stallone's character's neighbor son, who tries to encourage him to put his old mask back on when a dangerous gangster begins to take on the persona of Samaritan's old enemy.
For a bombastic superhero, Stallone's Joe Smith is quite meditative and reserved, sharing an interesting dynamic with his new admirer. Samaritan is also notable for being one of Stallone's most physically powerful characters, giving him a sense of dark survivor's guilt. The truth behind Joe Smith's true identity is a revelation that adds more layers to Stallone's performance.
1
Lincoln Falcao
Over
Although many films attempted to use Stallone's familiar face to imitate the success of his action film stardom in First Bloodcomparatively fewer projects believed to echo the underdog sports drama of Rocky instead of. Over is an atypical case that casts Stallone as Lincoln Hawk, a down-on-his-luck truck driver looking to win money in competitive arm wrestling to survive. Hawk ends up betting on himself in a particularly heated contest of strength to win custody of his son from his wealthy ex-father-in-law.
From his life as a truck driver to his family's problems, Stallone uses his lived experience to a cutting degree in Over, just like he did with Rocky. Hawk's perseverance is something to marvel at and inspire, something that simply wouldn't work in the hands of a less equipped actor. Thanks to Sylvester Stallone, What could have been just a one-note protagonist becomes the criminally underrated center of yet another beautiful sports Cinderella story.