Sylvester Stallone and Antonio Banderas have co-starred more than once — here are their action-packed collaborations, ranked. Banderas rose to fame with films like Desperado and Philadelphia and is also known for action movies like the underrated The 13th Warrior or Mask Of Zorro. Stallone, who became a star after Rocky, has made a successful career portraying larger-than-life characters like Rambo, John Spartan, and Barney Ross.
Whereas Stallone is mostly linked with the action genre, Banderas has had a more varied career. In addition to action movies, he's jumped from intense dramas to silly comedies with ease. The two actors are friends in real life and have worked together several times, and they have gradually evolved from enemies to allies onscreen.
While the quality of their collaborations has varied, at least they're never dull. Here's every Stallone and Banderas movie, ranked.
Spy Kids 3-D (2003)
The Spy Kids franchise was all about how many insane scenarios director Robert Rodriguez could conceive of and still make work. The first two Spy Kids set the scene with cartoonish action, and the third movie saw Stallone's Toymaker arrive with a dangerous virtual reality video game and an army of robots. It's then up to Antonio Banderas' Gregorio Cortez and his spy family to save the day.
Although Banderas had a bigger role in the previous installments, he still led his family with a hilariously commanding presence. A rare Stallone villain turn allowed him to play around with ludicrous monologues, absurd comedy, and various doppelgangers all portrayed by himself. With a stellar cast eager to poke fun at the genre, Spy Kids 3-D explored what film can do when all logic goes out the window. That said, it received some of the worst reviews of the series and currently sports a 4.3 rating on IMDb.
The Expendables 3 (2014)
After two Expendables movies centered around a group of veteran mercenaries, Sylvester Stallone — just like his character Barney - recruited more headliners for The Expendables 3, including Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, and Wesley Snipes. One of these newcomers was Antonio Banderas, who showcased his talent for chewing the scenery. Although his role was smaller due to the massive cast, Banderas' Galgo stands out as an eccentric but genuinely funny character, infusing the franchise with a fresh energy that complements his testosterone-fueled co-stars. Bandaras proved to be a highlight in a sequel that suffered from a toothless PG-13 rating, and an overstuffed cast that often sidelined its best players in favor of noisy action and limp comedy, though it still had its moments.
Assassins (1995)
Richard Donner's Assassins is an action movie that seems to be basically forgotten nowadays. The plot of this 1995 thriller is pretty thin and sees Sylvester Stallone's veteran hitman challenged for his crown by wild newcomer Banderas. Stallone doesn't have as many chances to break the mold with this one, but he excels at making the most preposterous scenes more weighty - a feat that often goes overlooked because of how effortlessly he achieves it.
On the other hand, Assassins was one of the earliest films to exhibit how intense Antonio Banderas' performances could be. For instance, the scene where Banderas' Miguel grows increasingly agitated while waiting for Stallone's Rath to meet his crosshairs could be a nerve-wracking little short film all its own. Donner stages the action with aplomb, though the movie's more high-tech elements haven't aged gracefully. Assassins is an enjoyably OTT action movie, and while Sylvester Stallone and Antonio Banderas' efforts haven't been Oscar contenders, they certainly are amusing boredom killers.