Every Rocky Movie Ranked Worst To Best

9. Rocky IV (1985)

To its credit, Rocky IV has one of the franchise's greatest final fights, fought between Stallone and Dolph Lundgren's immovable Ivan Drago with revolutionary special effects and unsettling authenticity. Unfortunately, though, the movie before it is far too flawed to overlook.

Dripping in American propaganda, Russian stereotypes and manipulative emotional twists (including the ballsy but questionable demise of Apollo Creed), Rocky IV is a mismanaged affair before you even focus on the characters, all of whom bar Creed feel frustratingly one-dimensional.

With minimal dialogue and a tiresome over-reliance of montages, Rocky IV digs more into Stallone's screen persona than it does Rocky himself, making him more superhuman and one-note than ever before.

Sure, this film would shape the franchise's era of Creed spin-offs, but that's about its only lasting virtue. Final fight aside, the fourth chapter in Rocky Balboa's story takes things a step too far, and it's hard to take seriously.