Ranking the Rocky Franchise from Underdog to Champion

Over the past month, I decided to watch through all of the films in the Rocky franchise. The Rocky franchise is one of the OG sports franchises with 9 films across 47 years. The franchise launched Sylvester Stallone's career and also became a template that all underdog sports movies would go to use. The Rocky franchise is also a very consistent franchise with all but one movie being good to great films. With all that said, here are my thoughts and ranking of the Rocky franchise.

9. Rocky V

Rocky V is by far the worst movie in the Rocky franchise. The movie disrupts everything the other films built from Rocky's fame to his relationship with his family. The two decent ideas in the movie, Rocky taking on a protégée and Rocky having a strained relationship with his son are done better in later movies (Creed and Rocky Balboa). The movie just destroys Rocky's character by making him so insufferable for 2/3rds of the movie. Rocky is completely different in this movie as none of the other movies would have him neglect his son like this. The movie also ends in such a trashy way with a street fight and somehow tries to frame it as this big payoff of the last four films which just doesn't work. Overall, there isn't much anything redeeming about this movie. If I'm going to rewatch the Rocky franchise, I will probably skip this one.

Score: 4/10 Grade: D

8. Rocky IV

Rocky IV is probably the cheesiest of the Rocky films. This movie is very much a product of its time as it was made in the 80s when patriotism was at its peak. It also presents the Soviet Union as the enemy as the movie was both set and made during the height of the Cold War. This movie is the goofiest of the Rocky franchise but is probably one of the most rewatchable. This movie has some solid patriotic moments with the whole fight between Rocky and Drago. Rocky also gives this big speech about understanding each other's differences to help put a stop to the Cold War. I also had a lot of fun with all of the excessive training montages throughout the film. What keeps this movie towards the bottom is that it goes all in with the goofiness from the roided-up Russian, to the Robot girlfriend for Paully, and the 18,000 training montages. I can appreciate that this film has fun and goes for it but it loses the essence of the Rocky franchise. This is an example of a junk food movie. It is a lot of fun but falls apart pretty quick when you think on it too hard. In the end, this is a very campy yet fun Rocky movie that was extremely patriotic and allowed us to watch Rocky punch communism in the face.

Score: 7/10 Grade: B

7. Rocky III

Rocky III isn't nearly as campy as Rocky IV is, but it is the film that starts the franchise in that direction. This movie does a great job of showing Rocky at the height of his fame after the success of beating Apollo while also coping with the idea that he may not be as good as he first thought. One of the best parts of the movie is the friendship that is created between Rocky and Apollo. The transformation of the relationship from opponents to partners to friends is so well done with a great montage to encompass their growth. Rocky III also does a good job of showing Adrian's growth as she goes from a quiet shy woman in the first film to an outspoken advocate and supporter of Rocky and her well-being. The movie also features the debut of the iconic song Eye of the Tiger in its opening credits. However, this movie does toe the line a bit between campy and serious. Clubber Lang, while one of the more memorable opponents is very over the top and one dimensional. There are also several other goofy moments such as the fight with Hulk Hogan that wouldn't be found in any movie outside of Rocky III and Rocky IV. Overall, While still a solid Rocky movie, it just feels more over the top than the rest of the films mostly due to the time when they were filled.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

6. Creed III

Creed III is the newest film in the Creed/Rocky franchise and is the directorial debut of Michael B. Jordan. I think this movie does a great job of showing Creed in the next phase of his life. Instead of Adonis growing as a boxer, this movie focuses more on him as a person and his role as a husband, father, and friend. I think the film puts him in a place that makes sense for his character to be in after the events of the last two films. The stand out of the movie is Jonathan Majors and Dame. Dame is such a compelling character and plays a great antagonist in the film. You are really able to understand why Dame does what he does and actually feels bad for him at times. The fights in this movie are also really well done with the final fight being a lot more personal for Adonis. This fight and the movie as a whole really manage to deliver some great emotional moments. There are a couple of things that keep this from being an A-film. The first issue is that the daughter subplot seems a bit unnecessary. It is introduced at the beginning of the movie but then is just kind of forgotten about. I also felt that the pacing was a bit uneven. The first half runs a bit slow at times while the second half is really high in intensity. Overall, this was a very well-done film and a solid addition to the Creed story with just a few issues that keep it from being a top-tier film.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+

5. Rocky Balboa

After 16 years, Rocky Balboa is a great return to form from the goofiness of Rocky III and IV and the terribleness of Rocky V. This movie takes on the idea of an older Rocky coping with the loss of Adrian while also debating whether he has more to give to his fighting legacy. The movie forces Rocky to find a new way of fighting as he is significantly older and fighting a man half his age. Rocky Balboa handles the strained relationship between Rocky and his son infinitely better than Rocky V does. It is fun to see all of the characters from the original films back again all in different stages of their lives. I also like how the final fight is shot. It has a more modern feel with cuts to black and white and slow motion while still feeling like a classic Rocky fight. The biggest complaint I have with this movie is that I didn't feel like it was long enough. It comes in at about 100 minutes but I felt it could have gone on for another 20 minutes exploring more of Rocky's older life and his struggles before getting to the training and fight. I also felt that the whole relationship with Maria could have been handled a little better. It toes the line between platonic and creepy and felt it could have put a little more work into Rocky being more of a father/friend figure. In the end, this is a great Rocky film that was ahead of its time with being a great legacy sequel.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+

4. Creed II

Creed II was a great sequel to both Creed and Rocky IV. It builds on Adonis as a character, continuing his story, while also following up on the events of Rocky IV with the return of Ivan Drago. Aside from Apollo, I would say that Victor and Ivan Drago are the two best antagonists in the Rocky Franchise. I thought the idea of having Adonis come face to face with the man who killed his father was very well done. On the flip side, the movie also adds some empathy for the Drago's as we see how the aftermath of Rocky IV affected their lives. There was more to it than just Rocky winning the fight and somehow ending the Cold War. Creed II does a great of giving the natural next steps for Adonis as he leaves Philadelphia to create his own life and starts the journey of parenthood. However, I felt that Creed II was the least complex of the Creed films as the film completely revolves around the fight with Drago much like Rocky IV while the other two have a bit more to them in terms of a plot. Overall, while it is a bit simple, it is still a great continuation of the Creed story while simultaneously building on ideas from Rocky IV.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

3. Rocky II

Rocky II is one of the prime examples of if it ain't broke don't fix it. The movie is pretty much a carbon copy of the original film but it does it well similar to Home Alone and Home Alone II. The movie does a great job of being a natural continuation of the story from the first film. It shows the effect the fight has on Rocky and Apollo's lives and the difficulties they both go through that prompt a rematch. I like how this movie does a bit more with Rocky and Adrian's romance where Rocky feels torn between wanting to fight and wanting to be with Adrian. The film pretty much follows the same plot beats as the first film. However, I do like the final fight quite a bit more than in the original film, and think it is the best in the franchise. The movie does get a bit slow in the 2nd act of the film but picks up a good deal when Rocky begins to train. I also thought it was a bit odd how the movie undermines the agreement of no rematch that Apollo and Rocky have at the end of the previous film like five minutes into this movie. In the end, while it does feel a bit derivative, the movie has some very high moments and makes for a solid sequel to the original film.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

2. Creed

Creed is not only one one of my favorite Rocky films but it is also one of my favorite Ryan Coogler films. This movie does a great job of continuing the legacy of the Rocky movies while shifting the focus to a new character and his story. One of the best parts of the movie is the bond between Adonis and Rocky. It isn't quite a father-son type of bond but still, this closeness shines throughout the movie. This movie probably has the best Sylvester Stallone performance in any of the Rocky movies which makes sense considering he got nominated for an Oscar. I also thought the story of Adonis himself was very good. It focuses on Adonis trying to create a name for himself on his own merits while also struggling to balance that with living up to his father's legacy. I also liked the love story aspect between Adonis and Bianca and think in some ways it is done a bit better than the Rocky and Adrian love story. The movie does have some callbacks and similarities to the Rocky movies but in general, I think it does a good job of establishing its own tone and story. In the end, this is not just a great Ryan Coogler and Rocky movie but also just a great sports movie and may become a modern classic.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

1. Rocky

Rocky is my favorite sports movie. It is such an inspiring and fun to watch an underdog story. Rocky is one of my favorite movie characters and is so likable in this movie. I really like how his character is handled in that he isn't going into the fight to win but just wants to go the distance and prove himself. Sylvester Stallone is also one of my favorite actors and plays the part of Rocky very well. I think the movie does a great job of showing excellence through simplicity. The first two-thirds of this movie are slower and dialogue-heavy but it uses these moments in a way that gets you invested in Rocky and his relationships so that when the final fight comes, it pays off everything in the film in the most effective way possible. Because of this, the third act of the film is one of the most crowd-pleasing and pump-up moments of all time (though arguably Rocky 2 does it just a little better). There are also so many iconic moments and lines in this movie that get mimicked and quoted to this day. The main score is also one of the most iconic themes of all time. Overall, this is just a great sports movie that sets the standard for all other underdog stories to come.

Score: 9.5/10 Grade: A+