Rocky is the ultimate underdog story. Over four decades since Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa debuted on screen for the first time in John Avildsen’s iconic 1976 film Rocky, the “Italian Stallion” has reigned supreme over other sports movie heroes. The Rocky franchise had changed significantly over time.
While some of the sequels began to introduce a more ridiculous side to the franchise, the series found its footing once more thanks to the introduction of Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed. Here is every Rocky and Creed movie, ranked by rewatchability.
‘Rocky V’ (1990)
1990’s Rocky V is the only film in the franchise that really isn’t worth watching at all. While Stallone and Avildsen had the clever idea of returning the franchise to its roots by forcing Rocky to fight on the streets once more, the relationship between the titular character and his new trainee Tommy Gunn (Tommy Morrison) felt too melodramatic.
It felt incongruent with Rocky’s character arc to have him essentially ignoring his family; Rocky’s loyalty to those that cared about him had always been one of his most defining characteristics.
‘Rocky IV’ (1985)
Rocky IV is perhaps the goofiest film in the entire franchise. The film made use of the real Cold War tension of the 1980s in order to tell a story about Rocky’s rivalry with the ruthless Russian boxer Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren).
After Drago accidentally kills Rocky’s friend and mentor, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), in the ring, Rocky takes the fight to the Soviet Union by agreeing to fight once more. Does it make sense that the Russian crowd cheers for Rocky at the end? No, but it sure is entertaining.
‘Rocky Balboa’ (2006)
Rocky Balboa had a lot to make up for after Rocky V destroyed any good will that the franchise had. Remarkably, Stallone took a more nuanced approach to the series by telling a more grounded story about how an older Rocky was dealing with the death of his wife Adrian Pennino (Talia Shire).
As a drama, Rocky Balboa showed that Stallone was a much better dramatic actor than he was generally given credit for. Unfortunately, the film tried to shoehorn in a storyline about Rocky returning to the ring, which simply felt unnecessary and unrealistic.
‘Creed III’ (2023)
Creed III proved that the franchise no longer needed Rocky himself in order to succeed. Rather than focusing on Rocky’s training methods, the third installment in the spinoff series focused on the qualities that made Adonis unique. Adonis grows as both a leader and family man as he raises his daughter Amara (Mila Davis-Kent) alongside his wife Bianca (Tessa Thompson).
In his directorial debut, Jordan shows a tremendous amount of style with many inventive boxing sequences. He drew inspiration from anime to create a riveting final match between Adonis and his old rival “Diamond Dame” Anderson (Jonathan Majors).
‘Creed II’ (2018)
Creed II showed that the spinoff franchise could take the cheesier elements of the Rocky franchise and put them to good use. The events of Rocky IV are referenced in a compelling way; after his bout with Rocky, Drago has focused on reclaiming his legacy by training his son Viktor (Florian Munteanu).
Adonis obviously has beef with the man that killed his father; the film explores how both Adonis and Viktor are forced to pay for their fathers’ sins. It was a surprisingly mature way to reference the franchise’s history and modernize it.
‘Creed’ (2015)
Creed served as the perfect “legacy sequel” to the original Rocky, and gave Stallone his best role in years. It no longer made sense for Rocky to return to the ring, but having him mentor a young protege was a great way to include him within the series. Creed does a great job at establishing Adonis as a standalone hero, but it does pull on Rocky fans’ heartstrings thanks to Stallone’s emotional performance.
Stallone’s work in the 2015 film earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor; it was the first time that the Oscars recognized the Rocky franchise since the original film from 1976.
‘Rocky III’ (1982)
The Rocky sequels are defined by their villains, and Clubber Lang (Mr. T) is the platonic ideal of what a great Rocky nemesis should be. With his brash attitude and aggressive fighting style, Lang feels like the complete opposite of Rocky.
Rocky III succeeds in making their rivalry feel natural, and features some of the franchise’s best musical moments (including the debut of “Eye of the Tiger”). Particularly rewatchable sequences include Rocky’s training with Apollo and his strange “charity match” with Hulk Hogan, who has a cameo as the character “Thunderlips.”
‘Rocky II’ (1979)
Rocky II is easily the most underrated entry in the franchise. After tying his first bout against Apollo, Rocky is turned into a celebrity overnight. As Apollo prepares to mount his revenge on the underdog that bested him, Rocky must consider what being a true “hero” looks like as corporate sponsors attempt to take advantage of his stardom.
It felt like a self-reflective story on Stallone’s part, as his star power had increased significantly since the release of the first film. Rocky II was the first installment in the series that Stallone personally directed.
‘Rocky’ (1976)
Rocky isn’t just one of the best sports movies ever made; it’s the ultimate film about American perseverance and beating the odds. Stallone would turn Rocky into a bit of a caricature in some of the sequels, but his performance is very grounded in the first film.
Rocky is simply a working class hero who rises through the ranks to get one shot at success; he’s the ultimate relatable hero. There’s a level of grittiness and realism to the first Rocky that ensures the film’s longevity as an all-time classic.