Sylvester Stallonewas one of the biggest movie stars of the 1980s and had many acclaimed roles in action hits, franchise sequels, and underrated thrillers. While this was a decade defined byStallone’s feud with Arnold Schwarzenegger, these two icons pushed each other forward to star in increasingly outrageous cult favorites throughout this incredible decade in filmmaking. During this time, Stallone often one-upped the stakes of his long-standing rival by branching out into comedies, neo-noirs, and continuing to make his own work as a writer, director, and star of some of the biggest hits of this era.
Many of thebest Stallone movieswere released during the 1980s, as this was a prime time for the popularity of his characters like Rocky Balboa and John Rambo.Stallone had plenty of underrated moviesduring this time that, only with the power of hindsight, have come to be regarded as cult classics and misunderstood fan favorites. WhileStallone continued to excel in Hollywood in the subsequent decades, the 1980s were truly an incredible time for this action movie legend.
Rhinestone
Cast
Rhinestone is a 1984 comedy film featuring a country singer who bets that she can transform a cab driver into a country music star. As the singer mentors him, they prepare for his performance at a notable New York City nightclub, setting the stage for comedic and musical challenges.
While the pairing ofSylvester Stallone and Dolly Partonin a story about becoming a country music star had plenty of cult movie appeal,Rhinestone,unfortunately, missed the mark. The most memorable thing aboutRhinestonewas Parton’s work on the soundtrack, as the film led to her Country Singles' number one hit, “Tennessee Homesick Blues.” The rest of the film was a forced and artificial interpretation of the song “Rhinestone Cowboy” by Larry Weiss, featuring Stallone in a comedy before he’d really found his footing in funny movies.
Stallone was Nick Martinelli, an obnoxious New York taxi driver who tried to turn into a popular singer to win a bet, while Parton was Jake Farris, the down-on-her-luck country singer tasked with transforming Martinelli. With a lackluster story and practically no chemistry between its stars,Rhinestoneflopped at the box office and was one of the most jarring examples of Stallone being woefully miscast.
Over the Top
Lincoln Hawk, a trucker and arm-wrestler, competes in a high-stakes arm-wrestling tournament to win a new truck and rebuild his life. He battles both in the ring and for the custody of his estranged son. The film blends intense sports action with a heartfelt story of redemption and family.
While Sylvester Stallone had turned himself into one of the most iconic action movie stars of all time with hit franchises likeRockyandRambo, his cheesy arm wrestling movieOver the Topdid not have the quite same appeal. The sheer ridiculousness of this film’s concept meant it lived up to its title, butOver the Top’stale of truck drivers arm wrestling for custody of their children felt almost like a parody of a Stallone movie. Although it had its entertaining moments, this was perhaps Stallone’s most forgettable flop from this time period.
Stallone was even nominated for the Worst Actor award at the Razziesfor his portrayal of Linc Hawk. The actor himself has gone on record to criticize the film, with Stallone later stating there was a lot he’d change aboutOver the Topif he could go back in time (viaAin’t It Cool News.) Stallone criticized the “carnival-like” climatic sequences in Las Vegas and said that he would have liked to have had the film scored instead of including a “never-ending stream of rock songs.”
Rambo III
Rambo III, directed by Peter MacDonald, follows John Rambo, played by Sylvester Stallone, as he leaves his peaceful monastery life to rescue his mentor, Col. Trautman, from Soviet forces in Afghanistan after Trautman is captured during a top-secret mission.
It must be admitted that Rambo’s character devolved with each subsequent entry in the series. While the first movie was a thoughtful exploration of a PTSD-suffering Vietnam veteran and the second leaned more heavily into action movie tropes, by the timeRambo IIIhad come around, he was a full-blown superhero-style action star. With a plot that moved the story to the Soviet-Afghan War,Rambo IIIsaw Sylvester Stallone going on a death-defying mission to rescue his former commander.
Rambo IIIwas the last film in the series during the 1980s for good reason, as it was clear the franchise had run out of creative steam. WhileRambo IIIwas a solid action movie with some impressive special effects, it just felt like a shell of its former self. The Cold War political themes ofRambo IIIalso felt one-dimensional and lacked nuances, meaning that this was Rambo’s worst outing in the 1980s.
Lock Up
Lock Up stars Sylvester Stallone as Frank Leone, a convict nearing the end of his sentence in a minimum-security prison. He is unexpectedly transferred to a maximum-security facility by a vengeful warden who harbors a personal grudge against him. Directed by John Flynn, the film explores themes of resilience and justice as Leone navigates brutal challenges to regain his freedom.
WhileLock Uphad a haphazard production that meant the movie started filming before they even had the script fully ready (viaShock Cinema), there was still plenty to love about this mixed-bag prison movie. With Sylvester Stallone as Frank Leone, a convict nearing the end of his sentence, his incarceration became more difficult than he’d imagined after he was suddenly transferred to the violent maximum-security facility known as Gateway Prison, and his sentence was extended by five years.
This turn of events for Stallone’s character was due to the sadistic practices of Warden Drumgoole, a man with a hatred of Leone who wants to see him suffer. WhileLock Upfelt rather meandering at times,praise must go to Donald Sutherland for his incredible portrayal of Drumgoole, who added a sinister energy to the imprisonment story. AlthoughLock Upwas badly received at the time of its release, it’s since built up a beloved following among Stallone enthusiasts.
Escape to Victory
Escape to Victory (1981) is a wartime sports drama directed by John Huston. The film centers on Allied prisoners of war who are coerced into playing an exhibition football match against a German team, while secretly planning their escape. Featuring performances by Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine, and football legend Pelé, the movie combines elements of athletic competition with the themes of resilience and camaraderie during World War II.
Escape to Victory, also known as simplyVictory, was a sports movie starring Sylvester Stallone, dealing with entirely different themes thanRocky. Set in 1942 amid the war against Nazi Germany,Escape to Victoryfocused on Allied prisoners exhibition football match against a German team. With an all-star cast including Stallone, Michael Caine, Max von Sydow, and even soccer legend Pelé,Escape to Victorywas an inspirational film with a unique plot.
Directed by filmmaking legend John Huston,Escape from Victoryreceived mixed reviews from critics at the time but has gained much more acclaim in recent years. With excellent football sequences featuring many real players,Escape to Victorywas an implausible but enjoyable story that blended sports, prison, and war genres into one piece of pure cinematic entertainment. While some may dismiss its concept as silly, if audiences suspend their disbelief,Escape to Victorywas a highly engrossing movie.
Tango & Cash
Two rival Los Angeles cops are forced to team up when a drug lord implicates them in a crime they didn’t commit. They end up in jail and their only option is to escape in order to bring the real culprit to justice.
Sylvester Stallone rounded out the 1980s with the buddy cop classicTango & Cash, starring himself and Kurt Russell. This cult story of mismatched police officers saw Stallone playing the slick detective Ray Tango while Russell was the trigger-happy cowboy cop Gabe Cash. As the last great action comedy of its decade, despite being full of tropes and cliches, it’s hard to denyTango & Cash’sstatus as a solidly fun movie.
10 Best Action Comedies Of The 1980s
The 1980s were a fantastic time for action comedies as major movie stars took up now iconic roles in buddy cop stories and franchise starters.
While the story ofTango & Cashwas predictable, as the pair were framed and sent to jail by their arch-nemesis, the chemistry between Stallone and Russell was worth the price of admission. As the duo overcame the odds and sought justice while spewing endless cheesy one-liners,Tango & Cashwas a badly received buddy-cop adventure that never got the critical love it deserved at the time of its release. While there have been rumblings about a sequel over the years, it was disappointing thataudiences never got to see more fromTango & Cash.
Rocky III
Rocky III is the third installment in the Rocky franchise, featuring Sylvester Stallone as the titular character. The film follows Rocky Balboa’s journey as he faces a new adversary, Clubber Lang, portrayed by Mr. T. After suffering a major defeat, Rocky seeks to regain his title with the help of his former rival, Apollo Creed. Directed by Stallone, the film explores themes of determination and personal redemption.
TheRockyfranchise will always be the defining aspect of Sylvester Stallone’s career, as his breakout role brought him fame and fortune and was a part he consistently returned to. However, some entries were better than others, andRocky IIIrepresented one of the weakest releases in the franchise. Although seeing Rocky train with his old rival Apollo Creed was enjoyable, Clubber Lang (Mr. T) stood as one of the least engaging adversaries Rocky had come up against.
Many aspects ofRocky IIIfelt wholly unnecessary as the franchise failed to meaningfully add anything new with this installment. Despite this, the action sequences were great, and it was enjoyable to continue watching theRockyseries' signature montages as Rocky and Creed trained on the beach. There was also one more aspect that helped secureRocky III’slegacy within the franchise, as this was the entry that included the song “Eye of the Tiger,” a perfect training track with an unmatched place in modern popular culture.
Cobra
In Cobra, a genius mathematician turns vigilante and uses his intellect to execute intricate crimes while police attempt to apprehend him. As the story progresses, layers of mystery unravel, leading to a gripping narrative filled with suspense and intellectual duels.
WithCobra, Sylvester Stallone took his tough guy action movie persona to the absolute extreme with a fantastically violent showcase of pure carnage. Unlike the careful cops of so many other action movies from this time, Lt. Marion “Cobra” Cobretti was a no-nonsense cop who didn’t let rules and regulations stand in the way of fun, fast-paced, and frenzied thrills. With Stallone investigating a mass shooting and hostage situation at an L.A. supermarket, things soon heat up as Cobra disregards police procedure in his quest to save the day.
Cobrawas a straight-up action movie that could be criticized for having one-dimensional characterizations, but this was the entire point, as the film prioritized action-movie entertainment above all else. This uncompromising willingness to lean into action tropes and cliches madeCobraa firm cult favorite and perhaps the purest encapsulation of Stallone’s unique appeal.
Rambo: First Blood Part II
Rambo: First Blood Part II follows John Rambo, played by Sylvester Stallone, as he is released from prison for a government-sanctioned covert mission back to the hostile jungles of Vietnam. Tasked with gathering intelligence on American prisoners of war, he faces formidable challenges in this high-stakes operation.
Rambo: First Blood Part IItook the nuanced concept of the original movie and turned the dial up for maximum effect. With this sequel, Rambo lost some of his three-dimensional characterizations and became more of a typical action hero, although the movie was so fun that this loss in character depth could be forgiven.First Blood Part IIsaw Rambo return to Vietnam, where he sought to free potential prisoners of war who had been held captive in the country since the conflict was ongoing.
First Blood Part IIwas a major blockbuster hit that earned an astounding $300 million at the global box office (viaBox Office Mojo.) Rambo’s run-and-gun mentality and the litany of explosions and action shots helped turn Stallone into one of the most bankable stars of the 1980s and was a major contributor to his status as an all-time action movie legend. While some viewers may criticize the direction this sequel pointed theRambofranchise in, there’s no denying it wasn’t a solidly entertaining movie.
Nighthawks
Nighthawks is a 1981 action thriller featuring Sylvester Stallone and Billy Dee Williams as New York City detectives pursuing an international terrorist played by Rutger Hauer. Directed by Bruce Malmuth, the film follows the tense and perilous cat-and-mouse game between law enforcement and the cunning fugitive, presenting a gritty portrayal of urban crime and counter-terrorism efforts.
While the character of Rocky Balboa signaled Sylvester Stallone as one of cinema’s greatest underdogs, he traded in this persona to play the gritty neo-noir cop Sergeant Deke DaSilva inNighthawks. This dark and highly underrated film proved Stallone’s skills as a serious actor and was a sinister political thriller that exposed the dark underbelly of urban living. With DaSilva hired on a newly formed anti-terrorist squad, he soon found himself at odds with a pair of lethal European terrorists.
Although Stallone was greatest in his role as DaSilva, the real appeal ofNighthawkswas Rutger Hauer’s performance as the psychopathic terrorist Wulfgar, a true homicidal maniac responsible for the deaths of hundreds.Nighthawks' thrilling game of cat and mouse was a strong start to Stallone’s movie career in the 1980s. Its understated appeal signaled an alternative history where Stallone pursued more nuanced parts like this rather than embracing so many franchises and pure action movie roles.
