20 Great Movie Franchises That Became Unwatchable

Six years before Sylvester Stallone debuted as John Rambo, Rocky Balboa was brought to life, and to say it was an instant classic would be an understatement. Rocky won Academy Awards when it was released, and over 50 years later, it is still just as relevant to popular culture as it was back then.

This franchise was Stallone's baby, as he served as the star for all six movies, wrote all six movies, and directed four of them. Sly was Rocky, but as the franchise went on, it became harder and harder to watch.

The original was outstanding, as was the follow-up in which Rocky and Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) squared off again. Soon, however, the same ground began to be explored, and Rocky losing all of his money, then being ruled out of boxing forever thanks to irreversible brain damage, only for it to be conveniently reversed when the opportunity for another sequel came along, was a poor way to continue his legacy.

Things did get slightly better with Rocky Balboa in 2006, but that doesn't change just how far they had fallen since 1976. You could even argue that in just three films, Creed has been a better franchise than Rocky, though you would have to discount that first entry from 50 years ago to do so.