Sylvester Stallone: Critically Acclaimed Director/Actor

Along with Arnold Schwarzenegger Sylvester Stallone is one of the leading action film stars in the past twenty years. Most film fans know him for his work in the "Rocky" and "Rambo" series of movies, but he's had a number of other hits that though not critically praised were received well at the box office. Stallone is one of the more multitalented stars in Hollywood: He has written, directed, and starred in many movies including the "Rocky" films.

In each of the Rocky films Stallone wrote the script. Stallone had seen a boxing match which inspired him to write the screenplay for "Rocky," as noted on Wikipedia. Initially producers did not want Stallone to act in the film, but he showed resolve by sticking to his original vision of being the writer and actor in the film. "Rocky" ended up being one of the most critically acclaimed movies filmed in the 1970s. For a small budget it grossed over 200 million dollars. It also made Stallone's career in film.

The "Rocky" films each told the story of a down-and-out fighter rising to become a cultural icon in boxing. The first film is the best as each subsequent sequel seemed to lower in quality. However, the last Rocky film, "Rocky Balboa" is a respectable end to the series for the aging Stallone.

Besides the Rocky films Stallone is known for another critically acclaimed movie, "First Blood," which is a film based upon a novel of the same name written by David Morrell. It told the story of a Vietnam War vet named John Rambo who struggles to cope with a society that treats him as less a hero and more a villain. This was another success for Stallone, and ended up being one of his more important roles next to the Rocky character. Stallone is widely noted as saying that "First Blood" helped his career. Yet the same problem occurred with the Rambo movies: Each sequel seemed to move away from the original gripping story to a more action oriented film.

There have been a few other noteworthy films with Stallone as the actor, and the best would be "Copland." In "Copland" Stallone played a small town cop fighting against a major corruption within the New York City police force. Stallone played a less of a hero in this film: He was a small town cop who did not bring in the major mafia bosses or have huge gunfights with gang members; instead he did the mundane until dirty cops made him act.

Other roles that might be enjoyed by action fans are "The Specialist" and "Demolition Man." Each shows Stallone at the action roots that he popularized in the 1980s with the Rambo character.

According to Wikipedia, Stallone turned down many roles that would have proved fruitful for him including the Quentin Tarantino films "Jackie Brown" and "Pulp Fiction."

Stallone as a writer, director, and actor is deserving of the respect he receives. The character of Rocky is considered to be one of the more important film heroes in modern times. This multitalented artist may be at a turning point in his career, but the breadth of his work in writing, directing, and acting is something to be respected.