Evan Saathoff at /Film ranked all of the Rocky/Creed movies in his post Butkus to Punchy: Ranking All 8 ‘Rocky’ Movies from Worst to Best. Here is a comparison of his order with my rankings and thoughts about each.
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Saathoff |
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8. Rocky IV: “…is silly fun, a skeleton of a film held together through a series of montages. Candy is cool, but you shouldn’t make a meal of it.” |
8. Rocky V: I totally agree that binging Rocky back to the street level was a good idea. Fans hated Rocky has to lose everything to get him there, so it was a tough needle to thread. I also think that Sly’s Rocky mannerisms go to over the top in spots. |
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7. Rocky V: “…Bringing Rocky back to the street level is a good decision, though much of the film feels like a superfluous dry run for both Rocky Balboa and Creed (if you love those films, Rocky V is kind of a necessary beast).” |
7. Rocky IV: is very much a product of the 80s with the music and montages. I’ve grown to appreciate Rocky IV even more because it sets up the return of Drago in Creed II and we get to see the results of Rocky’s win in IV from Drago’s perspective. |
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6. Creed II: “ …the film runs through a mild remake of Rocky II and leads to a good training montage.” |
6. Rocky II: Rocky II is a worthy follow-up to Rocky. Sly in the director’s chair! |
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5. Rocky II: “…Rocky II is special for other reasons. It’s the last bit of “human” Rocky Balboa we’ll see for a while. “ |
5. Creed II: Some fans were upset that an altercation between Rocky and Drago that was filmed didn’t make the final cut of the movie. I may be in the minority, but I don’t think the scene was needed. |
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4. Rocky III: “…He’s transformed from a street-level thug to full-on Stallone megastardom. He’s still Rocky, but you have to use your imagination. |
4. Creed: Saathoff’s summary of Creed is perfectly stated. I couldn’t agree more. |
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3. Rocky Balboa: “…In 2006, the idea of making an old man Rocky movie was a joke. Yet here comes Stallone, visibly aged and hurting from a long string of flops, delivering the second best film to wear the Rocky title.” |
3. Rocky Balboa Never under-estimate or doubt Sly Sallone. Despite all odds, Sly brought back Rocky and showed that there was more to his story! |
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2. Creed: “…the greatest thing happened: a creative handoff to a young and hungry talent capable of seeing the character through new eyes. Ryan Coogler managed the impossible with 2015’s Creed, which simultaneously started a new franchise while offering a deeply respectful seventh entry to Stallone’s. Creed is very much a sequel to Rocky Balboa and yet yields Balboa to a main character who seems his opposite: cocky, smart and brash.” |
2. Rocky III Rocky is transformed from a street-level, journeyman fighter into a world champion celebrity and I loved it! |
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1. Rocky: “…No number of decades or sequels can dull the feeling of triumph Rocky delivers in its final moments. It’s one of those rare films that make you cry because you’re happy rather than upset.“ |
1. Rocky I’m simply going to go with Saathoff’s quote: “No number of decades or sequels can dull the feeling of triumph Rocky delivers.” |
