The premise: When Stallone wasn’t getting the acting roles he wanted in the mid-1970s, he took matters into his own hands and created one of the most indelible characters in film history: underdog Philly boxer Rocky Balboa, whom the American Film Institute ranked seventh on its list of the 50 greatest heroes in American cinema history. Watch it: First Blood on Prime Video, Apple TV, HBO Max, Hulu The best part: Though First Blood is rightfully remembered for its brutal action sequences, Stallone is at his most effective in an emotional breakdown scene that sees him melting into a puddle of tears and recounting his terrible experiences during the war and the awful ways he’s been treated since coming home to America. In future films, the elite fighting machine headed to Vietnam, Afghanistan, Burma and Mexico on deadly missions. Rambo snaps and heads for the hills, where he reverts to the brutal guerrilla tactics he learned overseas in his escalating battle with the authorities. Upon Rambo’s arrival, the sheriff (Brian Dennehy) harasses him for being a drifter and kicks him out of town. In the first installment, Rambo travels to Hope, Washington, to see an old military buddy, who he learns died from Agent Orange–induced cancer. The premise: This 1982 film introduced the world to Stallone’s second big franchise hero, John Rambo, a veteran with impressive fighting skills who’s left traumatized by his time in Vietnam. Watch it: Cliffhanger on Prime Video, Apple TV, Hulu
The best part: The climactic fight scene between Stallone and Lithgow involves a helicopter, a steel rope ladder and plenty of - you guessed it - hanging from cliffs.
Need another reason to be impressed? Stallone overcame a lifelong fear of heights to film in Italy’s Dolomites, and he told director Renny Harlin before filming, “The highest I will ever go is the heels of my cowboy boots.” The film was nominated for three Oscars, and its high-octane action set pieces included a $1 million stunt that was listed in Guinness World Records as the costliest aerial stunt ever performed. Their distress call is answered by the skilled mountain climber Gabe Walker (Stallone), who’s dealing with his own trauma after watching a friend fall to her death during a failed rescue attempt. Treasury plane, leaving them - and $100 million - stranded in the Rockies. The premise: In this stunt-filled thriller, a group of criminals led by Eric Qualen ( John Lithgow, 77) botches the hijacking of a U.S.
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