Sylvester Stallone feels like one of those reliably great actors who's been around forever, and brings a truly unique presence to cinema as a whole. He rose to fame in the 1970s, was a particularly huge action movie star in the 1980s, and has continued to act in a range of movies in the decades since. Beyond acting, he's also had numerous credits as writer and/or director, even pulling triple duty with some films by acting in them as well as having a hand in writing and directing.
Even if he's in a movie that's not particularly great, he'll always be entertaining and charismatic to watch. He's also been in so much that there are plenty of great movies he's starred in and/or had a hand in making, with some of the best being ranked below, starting with the good (and some potentially guilty pleasures) and ending with his all-time greatest titles.
25 'Cobra' (1986)
Cobra might not be particularly great, but does it have to be? It's a movie that clocks in at just under 90 minutes, and has Sylvester Stallone plus guns. The poster is him holding a gun while having cool shades on. It knows exactly what it is. It's not hiding any sneaky pretensions or anything like that; that's for sure.
The premise has shades of Dirty Harry - the kind of action/crime movie featuring a tough cop with a violent attitude toward criminals. There's also some stuff here about him having to protect a witness from a dangerous cult, but the whole thing is really just an excuse to have Stallone be an action hero in an excessively '80s way, and depending on your tastes, that might be enough.
24 'The Lords of Flatbush' (1974)
An engaging coming-of-age movie that gave a late-20s Sylvester Stallone one of his earliest starring roles, The Lords of Flatbush holds up as pretty decent overall. It can also be compared to some other movies of the 1970s which centered on young characters and looked back on either the 1950s or early 1960s with nostalgia, such as American Graffiti and The Wanderers.
It's also interesting to see how many prominent movies Stallone was in before The Lords of Flatbush, but in very small roles where he was effectively an extra. These include the movie version of M*A*S*H (Soldier in Catering Area), Bananas (Subway Thug #1), and What's Up, Doc? (Hotel Guest).
23 'Over the Top' (1987)
Though Over the Top has a title that may prepare viewers for an over-the-top movie, it's not, in fact, one of Sylvester Stallone's most over-the-top movies. In a way, it's another sports movie not related to the iconic sports movie series Stallone's most associated with (more on those films in a bit).
Instead of boxing, the sport here is a little less conventional, given Stallone's character is involved in the world of armwrestling, taking part specifically in the World Armwrestling Championship. For better or worse, there aren't many sports movies about such a thing, helping Over the Top stand out, and it doesn't even have to be too over-the-top while it's at it.
22 'Nighthawks' (1981)
Nighthawks could ultimately be filed under "Sylvester Stallone guilty pleasures" for some, but it's probably one where viewers don't have to feel too guilt-ridden while watching and possibly enjoying. Its premise involves terrorists coming to New York City, and an undercover cop played by Stallone going to great lengths to combat them.
Beyond Stallone, the rest of the cast helps make this a bit more interesting, too, with Billy Dee Williams playing a cop working with Stallone's character, and Rutger Hauer playing one of the terrorists. As a fairly goofy 1980s action movie, it gets the job done, and is more than worth watching for someone who's after a little cheese.
21 'The Expendables 2' (2012)
2023 marks the year that The Expendables series returns to the big screen after a nearly decade-long gap between releases. This is thanks to the rather stupidly titled Expend4bles, but the high point of the uneven and often quite silly series might well be The Expendables 2, which pushes things further into ridiculousness than the first movie from 2010.
These movies have paper-thin plots and exist as excuses to have legends of action cinema (particularly those who were popular decades ago) fire guns, get into fights, and blow things up. The Expendables 2 gives viewers all these things, and has an admittedly impressive cast with too many big names to list off without devoting another entire paragraph to it. For that, it has a stupid amount of entertainment value, even if it's also just plain stupid.
20 'Escape Plan' (2013)
One of many big names to join Sylvester Stallone in The Expendables 2 was Arnold Schwarzenegger, and then one year later, the pair re-teamed for 2013's Escape Plan. This is exactly what you'd expect a prison escape movie starring Stallone and Schwarzenegger to be.
It's those two doing their thing, and has them enacting a complex plan to get out of the most ludicrously complex and high-tech prison that's not from a sci-fi film. It might not be good in the traditional sense, but it can be a good deal of fun... the two sequels - one from 2018, and another from 2019 - can probably be avoided, though.
19 'Escape to Victory' (1981)
Escape Plan's not alone when it comes to prison movies about escape that also star Sylvester Stallone. Escape to Victory beat Escape Plan to release by more than 30 years, but is a different sort of beast, considering here, it's set during World War II and follows a group of prisoners of war stuck in a German prison camp.
Furthermore, this is also a sports movie, considering a big part of it revolves around the prisoners of war assembling a team and playing the Germans in a game of football. In the background, however, is a plan to eventually escape. It's a strange but interesting movie, and is notable for its eclectic cast that includes not only Michael Caine and Max von Sydow, but also real-life professional footballer Pelé.
18 'Tango & Cash' (1989)
The 1980s (especially the back half of the decade) might've represented something of a golden age for the buddy cop genre, with Tango & Cash being a prominent release within it. This one pairs Sylvester Stallone (Tango) with Kurt Russell (Cash), both playing expert detectives from two different areas in Los Angeles.
They're rivals initially, but wouldn't you know it, they're asked to work together for one particularly important case and subsequently clash before working out how to make things work between each other. There's nothing here that other action/crime/comedy movies with mismatched pairings haven't already done, but formulas can be fun and comforting sometimes, and Tango & Cash is an easy, generally fun movie to watch.
17 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' (2017)
The Guardians of the Galaxy movies are some of the best in the MCU, and perhaps even within the superhero genre as a whole. Sylvester Stallone happens to have a small role in both Vol. 2 and Vol. 3, playing Stakar Ogord (AKA Starhawk), who leads a faction of Ravagers and is also associated with Yondu.
Sure, both times it can feel a little like an extended cameo, but given it feels a bit more extended in Vol. 2, that one perhaps gets the edge when judged for its Stallone content. This one's also notable for having Kurt Russell in it, which could've made this a Tango & Cash reunion if the two actors had shared any scenes together.
16 'Rambo' (2008)
Though the first movie in what became the Rambo series wasn't too excessive when it came to action, its sequels upped the intensity and explosiveness considerably. The fourth film about John Rambo, released in 2008, is one of the better ones in the now five-film-long series. It's also the most savage and blood-soaked one of the lot, being a seriously hard-edged action movie.
Rambo sees Rambo in Thailand, helping out a group of aid workers in danger. This, rather expectedly, involves him being a one-man army against some sadistic soldiers of the Burmese Army, leading to a huge body count. Stallone also directed and co-wrote the film, making a grittier and much more violent Rambo movie than had been seen before.
15 'Rocky III' (1982)
It should be noted that the only Rocky movie that isn't particularly good (and is also surprisingly skippable) would be the fifth, released in 1990. The others are generally worth watching, succeeding sometimes as down-to-earth dramas and at other times working as glorious, perhaps even silly and comically macho cheese.
Rocky III isn't the silliest of the Rocky sequels, but it's certainly goofy and quite over-the-top at times. It follows Rocky Balboa being challenged for his title by the aggressive Clubber Lang (played by Mr. T), which has Rocky turning to his old rival, Apollo Creed, for support. Training montages and boxing matches ensue. Also, Hulk Hogan is in it, playing a character named Thunderlips (yes, really).
14 'Death Race 2000' (1975)
Set in a future that when watched during the 2020s is now the past, Death Race 2000 provides surprisingly great B-movie thrills. It's got dark comedy and ridiculous action in equal measure, with a loose plot that revolves around a deadly cross-country car race that's a supremely popular entertainment event, even though participants get extra points for running over pedestrians.
Stallone plays one of the racers, with his name being Joe "Machine Gun" Viterbo, though David Carradine is the protagonist (he plays a character named Frankenstein). It felt ahead of its time for taking a satirical look at a deadly game being publicly broadcast, with it potentially influencing future titles like The Hunger Games, Battle Royale, and The Running Man.
13 'Rocky IV' (1985)
Three years after Rocky III, the silliest of the Rocky sequels was released. That movie was Rocky IV, which takes the most dramatic elements from the series and collectively dials them all up to at least 11, possibly higher.
It feels like it has the most everything out of all the Rocky movies, with so many training montages, the most bombastic boxing sequences, and drama that's overall extra heightened. Those who prefer the series when it's more natural and believable might find this one a bit silly, but anyone looking for peak '80s cheese will have a blast with this very entertaining film.
12 'Cliffhanger' (1993)
Cliffhanger is about a mountain climber who becomes potentially the only person who can stop a group of thieves from pulling off a unique and remote heist in the Rocky Mountains. If it sounds a bit like Die Hard set in the mountains, that's because it does feel like that at times. Appropriately enough, it was directed by Renny Harlin, who also directed a Die Hard movie (the second one).
It all works better than you'd expect, having some spectacular stunts and scenery paired with fun action sequences. Stallone is solid as the hero, but it's debatably John Lithgow's over-the-top and deliciously hammy performance as the main antagonist that often proves to steal the show.
11 'Antz' (1998)
Notably released the same year as another animated movie featuring ants, Antz is perhaps the lesser of the two, but it's also the only one in which Sylvester Stallone had a voice role. He plays a soldier ant who switches places in the colony with a worker ant, voiced by Woody Allen, who then ventures out and gets embroiled in an ant vs. termite conflict.
It's a very strange movie, on paper seeming like it would be family-friendly, but in reality, having some edgy humor and weirdly unsettling imagery. That could also be a limitation of the technology of the time, given early computer animation can be a little uncanny (antziquated tech, if you will). Still, Stallone's ant character looks a bit like Stallone. That's amusing, at least.
10 'Creed II' (2018)
Though not quite reaching the heights of the original movie from 2015, Creed II is still an overall solid sequel. Its plot is fairly clever, too, with Adonis Creed - son of Apollo - getting the chance to fight the son of the man - Ivan Drago - who was responsible for his father's death in the ring, as seen in Rocky IV.
Sylvester Stallone returns as Rocky, once again in a supporting capacity and as more or less a coach/trainer to Adonis. Familiar beats are hit throughout, as one would expect from a boxing movie (especially one linked to the Rocky series), but it's overall entertaining and well-made, and worth watching for fans of this franchise.
9 'Demolition Man' (1993)
Of the many R-rated action movies Sylvester Stallone has appeared in, Demolition Man might well be up there as one of the best. Furthermore, it also works as a science fiction/crime movie, having a premise that involves a risk-taking cop and a criminal both cryogenically frozen in 1996, and subsequently awoken in 2032.
From there, events conspire to make their 1990s rivalry continue into the 2030s, and it's about as ridiculous and explosive as you'd expect (especially given "Demolition" is right there in the title). Stallone's the cop, and Wesley Snipes plays the cunning crime lord antagonist, with the film being a silly yet fun mash-up of various genres.
8 'The Suicide Squad' (2021)
Between making the second and third Guardians of the Galaxy movies, James Gunn also made a reboot/sort-of sequel for DC with 2021's The Suicide Squad. It takes the same core premise as was found in the more divisive 2016 movie and makes things funnier, more consistent, and a good deal more bloody than was seen before.
Just like with those two aforementioned MCU movies, Sylvester Stallone's featured in this one, too, voicing a character named King Shark. He fills the kind of role Groot filled in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, except unlike Groot, King Shark eats people. It's good stuff, and Stallone's very funny in this voice-only performance.
7 'Rocky II' (1979)
Rocky II effectively continues the story begun in the first film, and feels similarly gritty and down-to-earth in its storytelling approach. Later sequels may have taken things in sillier directions, but this 1979 release feels surprisingly comparable to the 1976 original, and is mostly focused on how the title character deals with his newfound fame.
It's a movie that takes its time, and finds interesting places to take its characters (particularly Rocky and Adrian) while also hitting plenty of familiar sports movie beats. Things build to a fantastic climactic rematch between Rocky and Apollo Creed, with said boxing match being one of the best and most intense of the entire series.
6 'F.I.S.T.' (1978)
F.I.S.T. is about the titular Federation of Inter-State Truckers union group, and stands as one of the more underrated movies in Sylvester Stallone's filmography. It's not directly based on a true story, but takes inspiration from the real-life story of Jimmy Hoffa and his involvement in the Teamsters (also explored more recently in 2019's The Irishman).
Its title might well look like the word "fist" in all caps, but F.I.S.T. is more of a crime/drama film rather than an action movie. It's solidly made and stays engaging throughout its lengthy 145-minute runtime, being something of a Stallone deep-cut that's more than worth seeking out.