7. Rocky Balboa Jr. - Rocky V
The Rocky films are fun. The first is a true gem, and the three sequels that followed, though samey and formulaic, are still good entertainment. But in Rocky V, Sly decided to retire the character than made him famous and have been become a coach. What? So no more epic training montages with a steroid ridden Stallone? No more "I can't do it" speeches before the triumphant pyrrhic win (or draw, in the case of the first Rocky)? The climax is a freaking street fight, but not only that... Rocky V featured Stallone's real son, the late Sage Stallone, in the role of Rocky Balboa Jr., a character turned the film into something closer to the Karate Kid movies. The Balboa kid was born during Rocky II, and his prominence in III and IV was kept reasonable and balanced. But Rocky V, easily the clumsiest of the six movies, simply does not work as a father and son story. We couldn't care less about Jr. being bullied. Interestingly enough, it was Rocky Balboa Jr.'s character that made Rocky Balboa, the sixth instalment, really worthwhile. It featured one of the most memorable Rocky speeches in the whole franchise, delivered by Sly to his son (this time portrayed by Heroes star Mito Ventimiglia).