Sylvester Stallone has given movie fans many memorable characters over the decades but there is perhaps none more beloved than Robert 'Rocky' Balboa, the fictional boxing champion who reflected a number of autobiographical qualities in Stallone's own story and won the world's heart with his indomitable spirit.
With the original Rocky movie premiering in 1976 and a fairly steady stream of sequels coming over the years up to now, a newcomer to the classic franchise can be left wondering which movies are considered the best. That's obviously subjective but by looking at the scores given by review aggregate site Metacritic, this list will seek to make critics' opinions over the decades a bit clearer.
Rocky IV (40)
As the numbers would have it, what may very well be the most well-remembered of the Rocky movies is the lowest-scoring with critics by quite a wide margin.
Though it's perhaps most remembered for its cheesy 80s optimism, Rocky IV was an enjoyable chapter in the saga that saw the boxer take on the formidable Ivan Drago in Russia in what starts as a revenge mission but ends up as a symbolic Cold War battle.
Rocky V (55)
Beating out what is commonly referred to as one of the most well-liked Rocky movies is what is almost definitely the least-liked movie amongst fans.
Rocky V saw the title character lose almost everything and return to his roots but fans were less than impressed with the movie compared to previous sequels directed by Stallone despite this entry being directed the original movie's director, John G. Avildsen, who won the Oscar for Best Director for the first installment.
Rocky III (57)
The third Rocky movie delivered a memorable villain with Mr. T's Clubber Lang but the movie centers around the burgeoning friendship between Rocky and former rival Apollo Creed.
Despite not sitting with the best of the franchise, Rocky III gave fans some of the series' most memorable moments, not to mention the now-infamous Oscar-nominated track "Eye of the Tiger" as a theme song for the movie and millions of workouts since.
Rocky II (61)
Though not quite the critical success of the original, Rocky II gave fans more of what they enjoyed most about the first movie. Like the original Rocky, the sequel was written by star Sylvester Stallone, who also stepped into the role of director this time around.
Rocky enters into a rematch in the sequel with his original rival from the first movie, Apollo Creed, and the chemistry between Stallone and Carl Weathers quickly showed itself to be a strong foundation upon which the series could–and did–build.
Rocky Balboa (63)
Stallone's final movie centering on Rocky Balboa, as well as his last as writer or director, Rocky Balboa offered a much more satisfying ending to the character's long-running saga of triumph and defeat after a lackluster response to Rocky V.
Released 16 years after Rocky V and 40 years after the original movie, Rocky Balboa sees a much older version of the boxer step into the ring one last time before adopting a more supporting role in the Creed movies.
Creed II (66)
The sequel to 2015's revamping of the franchise, centering around Michael B. Jordan's titular lead with Rocky as their trainer and mentor, Creed II was less well-received than the first movie but still miles most of the other entries into the franchise in the eyes of critics.
The movie sees the pair face off against the son of Ivan Drago from Rocky IV, with both Dolph Lundgren and Brigitte Nielsen returning to their roles alongside Stallone for a nostalgic blast from the past that kept up the emotional drama recaptured in the franchise by the previous entry.
Rocky (70)
Much like Stallone's other famous movie franchise character beginning with an R, Rambo, the first movie in the series is significantly different from the others and much more of a lowkey drama than many think that it will be when going into it when knowing the reputation of the movies overall.
Nevertheless, the original Rocky remains one of the most inspiring movies ever made and its huge swathe of Oscar nominations, winning Best Picture and Best Director, speak to its genuinely glowing reception at the time of its release, not to mention the legendary status that it successfully cultivated over the following decades.
Creed (82)
The greatest movie in the franchise so far, in the eyes of critics, is Ryan Coogler's Creed, which saw Rocky passing the torch to the son of former friend/rival Apollo Creed.
Written by Coogler and Aaron Covington, it was the first movie in the franchise to not be written by Stallone but his performance earned him another Oscar nomination nonetheless for Best Supporting Actor, his first since the original movie.