It’s hard to find a cinephile who hatesSylvester Stallone, but his work hasn’t always pleased critics. More than half of his movies have below-average scores on Rotten Tomatoes. TheRockystar is partly to blame for that as he tends to be too hands-on in his productions. Apart from acting, Stallone writes and produces many of his movies, but many will agree that he isn’t as good with the pen as he is in front of the camera. Stick to acting, Sly (we won’t say it to his face).
Roger Ebertalso despised most of Stallone’s work, but he had a soft spot for the actor, always sneaking in a sentence of praise even when he was giving a bad review. WhenRockypremiered, the Pulitzer Prize-winning critic stated that Stallone could become the next Marlon Brando. He was partly right. Stallone became as famous (probably even more famous) as the star ofThe Godfather. However, he chose a different path. Instead of drama roles, Stallone embraced action, a genre he has stuck to for most of his career. There have been positive results whenever he has tried something new, but don’t tell him to leave the love of his life.
Here are the only Sylvester Stallone movies that Roger Ebert awarded three out of four stars or more.
6‘F.I.S.T.’ (1978)
Ebert’s score: 3/4 stars
Featuring perhaps Stallone’s finest ‘70s performance, this rich, fascinating film about personal financial struggles and changing fortunes begins with a nerve-rattling conversation at a Cleveland loading dock that’s one of the most heartbreaking moments in cinema. A boss lists down a long list of unfair employment terms to a recruit, and then we get underwayF.I.S.T.
Predictably,Johnny Kovak (Sylvester Stallone) soon grows tired of the workplace policies and starts a riot.Though he is fired, he earns many admirers, causing him to berecruited by a new labor union known as the Federation of Interstate Truckers.The more the union grows, the more powerful Kovak becomes. And it’s no secret how much the mafia loves unions. They soon visit him.
Long-Speech Stallone
Ebert was pleased with Stallone’s immediate post-Rocky, callingF.I.S.T.“a good movie that perfectly utilizes its lead actor’s talents.”Made on a mere $8 million budget, the action crime drama was a huge success, grossing $20 million. Part of its appeal lay in the fact that it examined a trending issue. The Teamsters Union and their former President, Jimmy Hoff, had made plenty of headlines, so it made sense to explore this kind of topic.
Few movies showcase the star’s acting skills better than this ‘70s gem. His intense stares and powerful monologues will leave you mindblown. Why Stallone never took on these roles more often is a mystery. He would have more Oscars in his cabinet if he did. Watch out for one of the final scenes, where he has an emotional outburst in front of a Senate committee.
10 Movies From the ‘90s Roger Ebert Couldn’t Stand
Roger Ebert wasn’t always kind when he hated something. Here are some ’90s movies that he tore down.
5‘Cliffhanger’ (1993)
Cliffhanger
Stallone is Gabe Walker inCliffhanger, a depressed mountain rescue ranger haunted by a failed rescue that cost a close friend’s life. After a year-long break, he heads back to the mountains following a distress call. Now a little naïve,Gabe is unaware that the call is a ruse by criminals who lost three suitcases full of stolen cash after crashing a U.S. Treasury plane.Once he realizes what’s happening, he tries to outmaneuver the men.
The film draws much inspiration from the 1956 adventure dramaThe Mountain. David Bowie was initially meant to play the villain, but scheduling problems prevented him from doing so, resulting in a John Lithgow casting.
One of Stallone’s Few Good ‘90s Films
Director Renny Harlin’s imprint is everywhere, including Stallone’s deliberately overcharged acting, the air of melodramatic distress, and John Lithgow’s over-the-top turn as a psychopathic British former military intelligence officer who has a violently psychological hold on the protagonist. Even the music — the orchestral score by veteran Trevor Jones and the National Philharmonic Orchestra — completes the filmmaker’s disquieting effect.
Ebert felt much of the plot was implausible but emphasized that this didn’t matter since this is “a device to entertain us, and it works, especially during those moments when Stallone is hanging by his fingernails over a three-mile fall, and the bad guys are stomping on him.”Additionally, the critic praised the villain and the stunts. Fans of the original will be thrilled to know thata sequel is on the way.
4‘First Blood’ (1982)
First Blood
InFirst Blood, John J. Rambo (Sylvester Stallone), a drifter and veteran of the Vietnam War, gets bullied by a local sheriff, Will Teasle (Brian Dennehy), when he wanders into a small Washington town.When Teasle and his men arrest and shave Rambo, he gets nightmare flashbacks of his time as a POW and unleashes his fury on the law enforcement officers.
The Making of an Action Star
A cinematic treatise on the post-war lives of Vietnam vets, this dark action thriller boasts a Steve McQueen-like protagonist in the fiery, macho presence of Stallone. The muscled-up actor radiates a simmering tension. Richard Crenna and Brian Dennehy match him in intensity. Together, they all discharge considerable heat. Director Ted Kotcheff also uses sound and camera angles sites perfectly to create a jarring atmosphere of dread and foreboding in this fascinating story of grit and vengeance.
It was a risky venture for Stallone, whose decision to star in a film about the unspoken scourge of PTSD could easily have backfired in a country that still hadn’t healed from the wounds of the Vietnam War. ButRambowas a hit with critics and audiences. Ebert admitted that he hated the ending, but added it was"a very good movie, well-paced, and well-acted not only by Stallone … but also by Crenna and Brian Dennehy."
3‘Antz’ (1998)
Ebert’s score: 3.5/4 stars
InAntz, “Z” (voiced by Woody Allen) is a neurotic ant yearning for autonomy in his colony.After bumping into Princess Bala (Sharon Stone) at a bar, he falls for her. To ensure he sees her again, he swaps spots with his soldier buddy Weaver (Sylvester Stallone), then ends up becoming a war hero in a deadly battle against termites.Z is thus hailed as a war hero but before he can process it all, he stumbles upon a plot by General Mandible (Gene Hackman) to eliminate worker ants.
High Stakes on the Ground
Antzis as much a testament to the art of extraordinary animation filmmaking as it is a commentary on personal ambitions and whimsy pleasures. With a simple but fun premise, the writers and directors fashion a deeply affecting homage to the old Disney classics. Even better, many actors share facial similarities with the actors who voice them.
About it, Ebert wrote:“It enters into a microscopic world–an ant colony beneath Central Park–and makes it into a world so vast and threatening that comparisons withStar Warsare not unjustified.”The critic also praised it for being smart and funny, noting that it has enough solid material to appeal to people of all ages.
Sylvester Stallone’s 10 Greatest Thrillers
While Sylvester Stallone is well known for his work in the action genre, he has tackled the world of thrillers just as effortlessly.
2‘Rocky Balboa’ (2006)
Ebert’s score: N/A
Rocky Balboa
Rockynot only retooled the conventions of thesports drama genrewith its wisecracking never-give-up boxer, it also boosted Stallone from smug supporting actor to A-list star. It thus made sense for him to revisit the role several times. InRocky Balboa. The titular character isnow retired and running a Philadelphia eatery while mourning the loss of his beloved spouse, Adrian.Unsurprisingly, he misses his old life, so he makes plans for participate in a few low-profile matches. That is until a hot-headed boxer challenges him for a major fight.
The Best of the Sequels
Stallone did everything himself this time, from writing to handling the camera. Surprisingly, the results were great. His austere direction and unusual sense of minimalism steer the plot away from the sentimentality of the previous sequels to achieve something far more pleasant: a transcendent (though overly pessimistic) vision of a former champion’s struggles.
Ebert never published a written review, but in an episode ofAt the Movies, he praisedRocky Balboa as“a return to form for Stallone,“and admitted that he“enjoyed how the movie rubbishes the misconceptions that older athletes cannot compete on the same level as younger ones.”
1‘Rocky’ (1976)
Ebert’s score: 4/4 stars
Sylvester Stallone stars inRockyas Rocky Balboa,a small-time Philly boxer arbitrarily selected to face the reigning world heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), when his scheduled opponent is injured.He thus begins training with feisty former bantamweight contender Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith), and as he makes the necessary preparation, he begins a relationship with Adrian (Talia Shire), the sister of his meat-packer friend Paulie (Burt Young).
A Cultural Phenomenon
A touching, tenderly acted sports saga,Rockywas a sensation in ’76 and ‘77, beating outAll the President’s Menfor the Best Picture Oscar. Today, it’s considered one ofthe greatest boxing moviesof all time and is credited with popularizing the rags-to-riches and American Dream themes of sports dramas that preceded it.
Roger Ebert had plenty of good things to say about the Stallone flick. He called it an“immensely gripping movie,“adding:“It involves us emotionally, it makes us commit ourselves: We find, maybe to our surprise after remaining detached during so many movies, that this time we care.”Ebertwould go on to watch the sequel together with Mohammed Ali. Surprisingly, he didn’t review it.
