Sylvester Stallone has cemented his status as an action star with a plethora of genre roles in the 1980s, continuing his successful box office streak in the decades to follow. Most of his action films might not be critically-acclaimed cinematic masterpieces but they offered enough adrenaline-fueled fights to satisfy his fanbase.
Be it the boxing matches in the Rocky series or slaying global terrorists in the Rambo films, Stallone’s glorious action career offered several memorable action scenes. However, much like his peers, some of his films also succumbed to fight sequences that wouldn’t age well for modern audiences. Even some of his recent screen credits have yielded unimpressive results.
BEST: Police Chase (First Blood)
John Rambo is minding his own business until a corrupt Sheriff and his peers resort to bullying and abusing him, triggering flashbacks from the Vietnam War. He ends up escaping the police station on a motorcycle and is ultimately pursued by the Sheriff’s deputy (Jack Starrett) from a helicopter who goes as far as to shoot him directly.
In order to defend himself, Rambo jumps off a cliff. As the shooting carries on, the war veteran picks up a rock and throws it at the helicopter’s windshield. As the deputy tries to get a better shot at Rambo, he falls to his own death. It serves as an adrenaline-fueled, realistic action scene before the Rambo franchise started relying on an over-the-top approach.
WORST: Surprise Cameo (Kambakkht Ishq)
Bollywood audiences were stunned to find Sylvester Stallone cameoing as himself in the 2009 rom-com Kambakkht Ishq. Maybe, one can enjoy the scene as a parody of Stallone’s action but still, the cameo ends up being increasingly random.
As the film’s protagonist (Kareena Kapoor) is stopped in her car by some generic goons, she gets out of the car and starts running. It’s a classic ‘damsel in distress’ situation until Stallone arrives at the scene. ‘What’s up, guys? All’s good in the hood?’ And then, an overdramatic fight scene plays out that finds Stallone punching everyone with no effort and then crushing a few by pushing a car against them.
BEST: Final Match (Rocky IV)
In Rocky IV, there's a lot at stake for the final match. After all, his win over the Russian Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) would be seen as a Cold War victory for America. At the same time, Rocky wishes to avenge Apollo Creed's death (Carl Weathers).
For nearly a dozen rounds Rocky holds his ground against the physically larger Drago, who relies on a perpetual attacking strategy. Rocky values defense instead and this is evident by the final round when Rocky finally unleashes a volley of violent punches right when Drago finally shows some signs of exhaustion. The duel ends in a knockout and the American boxer gets his revenge.
WORST: Mom Shoots (Stop Or My Mom Will Shoot)
Sergeant Bomowski's mother (Estelle Getty) looks physically frail but she can be pretty tough as she helps her detective son solve a murder case while engaging in rash driving and buying illegal firearms. This recurring gag of sorts is overdone by the second half leading to a predictable ending.
As Bomowski (Stallone) is immobilized by his enemies after a failed fight, the titular 'Mom' triggers a surprise attack as she takes out a gun hidden in her purse. 'Nobody hurts my baby', she says while shooting. Viewers would have already expected this scene given the title of this film but that doesn't make it go down any better.
BEST: Stick Fight (Rambo III)
Rambo III bears some of Stallone's best action scenes with over-the-top sequences like Rambo shooting down a helicopter with an explosive arrow. However, his close combat skills are in full display as he shows off his ripped body and engages in an underground stick fight.
Armed with sticks in both hands, he follows a strategy similar to his other character Rocky Balboa. He lets his enemy strike him at first taking a few blows as a warm-up. And then Rambo resorts to a barrage of surprise attacks using his saved-up energy to gain the upper hand.
WORST: Helicopter Showdown (Cliffhanger)
By the end of Cliffhanger, Stallone's Gabe Walker fights it off with John Lithgow's Eric Qualen atop the wreckage of a helicopter that hangs by a steel ladder up a cliff's face. It's an ambitious setting for a final fight but it also offers some unintentionally laughable moments.
While Stallone still embodies his action star persona with a few grunts and punches, Lithgow's character slips and screams in an overdramatic fashion. Occasionally, Lithgow does put Stallone in a chokehold but rarely does he make for an intimidating adversary. Finally, the cable snaps off, and Qualen along with the helicopter crash below.
BEST: Rescuing Dr. Zhao (The Expendables 2)
The Expendables 2 opens with a mission in Nepal where the titular mercenary team is tasked with rescuing a Chinese doctor. Under the leadership of Stallone's Barney Ross, the Expendables orchestrate a majestic attack. Heavily armed to teeth, the mercenaries arrive in armored vehicles and slaughter enemy soldiers with machine guns.
Once the package has been found, the team ziplines its way to safety. Even under the zip line, they face offensive fire causing Lee Christmas (Jason Statham) and Ross to fall on a forested patch of land. Surrounded by soldiers, Ross plays mind games with the enemy acting like he's ready to shoot them (even though he has no gun in his hand). This, in fact, turns out to be a signal for his sniper Billy The Kid (Liam Hemsworth) who then takes them down in a split second.
WORST: Final Round (Grudge Match)
Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone are legends of boxing cinema in their own right. However, Grudge Match seemed to be pretty underwhelming in uniting the two veterans, especially as the titular match approaches.
Both end up exchanging attacks in a generic manner that wouldn't surprise viewers who have watched the Rocky series. A sentimental twist arises when De Niro's Billy The Kid realizes that he has struck Razor Sharp's (Stallone) blind eye. Instead, Billy helps his opponent get back on his feet. Razor then almost knocks out Billy and is declared the winner. So, despite the hype in much of the film, the final fight ends on a wearying note.
BEST: Machine Gun Entry (John Rambo)
Throughout Rambo, Stallone's protagonist leads a group of mercenaries to rescue Christian missionaries trapped in an authoritarian military-dominated Myanmar. In the final battle, even Rambo's mercenaries tend to be subjugated by the antagonistic army men. As a last resort, John Rambo sneaks up on them stealthily and takes control of a machine gun.
All hell breaks loose after that as Rambo mercilessly shoots down soldiers, dismembering most of their bodies in a hyperviolent battle. The mercenaries also join in the fight to assist Rambo adding to the bloodshed.
WORST: Block Fight (Judge Dredd)
As a violent street fight emerges in one of Mega City's blocks, two rookie Judges wait for backup until the heroic Judge Dredd (Stallone) arrives on the scene. The brooding presence of the comic character is replaced with valiant overconfidence as Dredd places his hands on his waist and shouts, 'I...am the Law'.
He then turns into a one-man army shooting down the troublemakers in a tacky video-game-like fashion. Further, the criminals are anyway shown as under-armed weaklings making bad spontaneous decisions. Naturally, they are no match to the seemingly all-powerful Dredd. Though not without its fans, the movie overall remains one of Stallone's lowest-rated.