10 Great Movies (That Were Led By Terrible Performances)

6. Rocky (1976)

The underdog story to top all underdog stories, Sylvester Stallone's Oscar-winning boxing film is one of the most beloved of all time. Spawning five sequels (all bar one are surprisingly entertaining) and an endless torrent of references in pop culture, Rocky was the film that put struggling star Stallone on the map. The music and score is legendary; its montages are some of the greatest sequences in movie history. Though it is uplifting, the downside is the acting. Burgess Meredith only has one function - snarl and growl, and you'd need subtitles in order to make it through some of Stallone's more low-key scenes. That being said, Rocky still lives on in our hearts, and his performance is as much loved as it is ridiculed. Fans often imitate the accent, yelling "ADRIAN!" at the top of their lungs... but the film remains a bizarre case of bad acting, making the piece even more enjoyable. Nobody could have played the Italian Stallion like Sly did, and for that, we should be grateful.