Sylvester Stallone is a legend when it comes to Hollywood. Over the years, he has amassed over 90 credits to his name and has starred in multiple thriller movie franchises such as Rocky or, most recently, The Expendables. However, in his impressive career, the star has one film that holds a special place in his heart as the best action movie he has ever made.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Stallone revealed that the film he considers to be his best work isn’t the boxer-centred movie Rocky – which got him nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards in 1977. The film that he considered to be the peak of his portfolio is, in fact, the divisive adventure movie Rambo IV of 2008.
“One film I’m truly proud of — it’s the best action film I’ve ever done because it’s the most truthful — is Rambo IV, dealing with Burma, where they’ve had a civil war for 67 years. But I got excoriated because the movie’s so violent,” he said.
“And it is violent. It’s horrifying. It’s children being burnt alive,” Stallone continued. “That’s what makes civil war worse than anything: It’s your neighbour, all of a sudden, killing you. I was really happy with that film, and I never thought it would ever reach the theatre. I thought, ‘They’re never going to show this.'”
Rambo IV was a box-office hit when it was first released, grossing over $113,344,290. However, critically it received a mixed reception and at the time of writing, only holds a score of 37% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film tells the story of Rambo (reprised by Stallone) leading a bunch of mercenaries into Burma to rescue some Christian missionaries. Critics mostly cited the uneven pacing of the script as well as the use of excessive violence when it comes to the film’s faults.
So, needless to say, Stallone’s best pick is somewhat of a surprising choice. Fans can next see Stallone in The Expendables 4, which hits theatres on September 22, 2023.