There was never any doubt that it had to be a Rocky movie in the top slot. Now, is Rocky IV the best in the series? Again, from a critical perspective, it isn't. But once again, thinking of it in terms of Sly's legend, it simply has to take first place. This was the big one: the one where Rocky's former adversary-turned-mentor Apollo is killed in the ring by Dolph Lundgren's Russian powerhouse Ivan Drago, leaving Rocky honour-bound to avenge his friend. Beyond that, it's also the tale of an salt-of-the-earth American taking on the USSR, and emerging victorious. Yes, not content with re-fighting and winning the Vietnam war with Rambo, Stallone also settled the Cold War with Rocky. 1985 was a big year for Sly. Rocky IV is surely the most cartoonish film of the series with plenty to be said against it, not least its excessive amount of montages, and that stupid robot butler. But the fight between Sly and Dolph remains one of the most memorable of either man's career; the sight of a victorious Rocky wrapped up in the US flag is a definitive image of the era and Rocky's closing speech predicting future piece between America and Russia may have been corny, but it was also kind of prophetic. Sly, the franchise and the politics made this the highest-grossing film of the Rocky series, earning $300.5 million worldwide, only just beating Rambo: First Blood Part II to be Stallone's second biggest movie (and one of his biggest adjusted for inflation). What's your favourite of Sly's biggest movies? Get the conversation going down in the comments.
