WAMG Ranks The ROCKY Films

One of the most beloved film franchises in Hollywood history – and arguably one of the best – is the Rocky franchise. After the original came out in 1976, fans could not get enough of the Italian Stallion and his brilliant and sometimes painful journey from zero to hero.

This weekend sees the release of CHUCK, the story of small-time boxer Chuck Wepner, who in 1975 went 15 rounds with Muhammad Ali, and became the inspiration that led a young writer/actor named Sylvester Stallone to write ROCKY.

Not only was ROCKY a box office success, it went on to win 3 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for John G.Avildsen. It also led to 6 sequels that kept fans cheering for Rocky for nearly 40 years.

Clearly everyone has their favorite Rocky movie, but here is our ranking, in order of favorites, of the films in the Rocky franchise. So agree, disagree, or even better, get them in your Netflix queue!

1. ROCKY IV (1985) – It is 1985 and Rocky is now a superstar and millionaire. The cold-war was still a thing then and Rocky has to fight the giant blonde Russian, Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) to avenge the death of best friend and mentor Apollo Creed. What makes this come in at #1 is that this movie is just awesome! From the cheesy musical montages set to 80’s pop anthems (the training montage is one of the best ones you will ever see), to Rocky’s inspirational message of world peace, this movie gives you all the feels. It also kicked American patriotism into high gear.

2. ROCKY (1976) – The one that started it all – and introduced us to the dimwitted, scrappy, but lovable Rocky Balboa, a neighborhood nobody that gets a shot at the title when he fights the heavy-weight champion of the world, Apollo Creed. This was seen as the great underdog movie of all time. Fans and critics went wild and the rest is Oscar history.

3. ROCKY III (1982) – This is the movie that introduced the world to 80’s icon Mr. T – aka Clubber Lang. Six years after the original, a new and even tougher contender wants a shot at Rocky’s title and an out-of-shape Rocky has his hands full. This is also the movie that brought us “Eye of the Tiger” and saddened us with the death of the beloved, crotchety trainer/father figure Mickey (played by the incomparable Burgess Meredith).

4. ROCKY BALBOA (2006) – 30 years after “ROCKY”, our hero is now older and slower, and just sad after losing his beloved Adrian (Talia Shire). Now the owner of an Italian restaurant, Rocky is all but retired and reclusive. Of course until a video game asks “who would win…” a fight between Rocky in his hey-day and the current champion. This movie is a sentimental favorite because all of the bluster is gone and we finally get to see the real Rocky, at the end of his time in the spotlight.

5. CREED (2015) – Still retired, older and slower, Rocky is now faced with a kid claiming to be the son of Apollo Creed. The product of an apparent extra-marital affair, Adonis Creed is looking to capture his father’s glory on his own terms (using the name “Johnson” as to not get special treatment) and insists that Rocky train him. This has got to be the most sentimental of the franchise since the first one. Battling cancer, Rocky now has more to fight for than a championship belt and Stallone’s performance was so subtle and quietly powerful, it garnered him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

6. ROCKY II (1979) – Although this was the movie fans were chomping-at-the-bit for after Rocky (you know, the big rematch and all…), it didn’t really deliver. It was sort of predictable in story (Rocky falling from grace and Apollo not satisfied with the outcome of the first match, yada yada…) and the final fight sequence just felt like a re-hash of the first one. Of course Rocky wins and paves the way for more movies in the franchise.

7. ROCKY V (1990) – This has to be the most disappointing of the Rocky movies. Flat broke after bad management and bad investments, Rocky is down and out again and is convinced to fight a former protégé in a street fight to make money. A street fight! This was a bad idea from the get-go. Rocky fans yearned for the bright lights of the boxing ring and all we got was a lame fight in the middle of the street with neighborhood locals cheering them on. Win or lose, it was definitely beneath the Rocky we had come to know and love.

Contributed by Melissa Thompson and Michelle Hannett