Quentin Tarantino believes one of the Rocky sequels is the best in the series, but he’s mistaken. Tarantino has come close to working with Sylvester Stallone on two occasions. The first was Jackie Brown, with Stallone revealing years after the movie’s release he was offered the role of Louis, which eventually went to Robert De Niro. QT later approached Stallone about playing serial killer Stuntman Mike in Death Proof, which was his half of the horror movie double bill Grindhouse. Stallone passed, however, feeling uncomfortable about playing a character who murders young women; Kurt Russell ended up playing Mike in Death Proof.
Tarantino is a great admirer of Stallone’s work and devoted a chapter to Paradise Alley in his non-fiction book Cinema Speculation. Paradise Alley is a period drama that was Stallone’s follow-up to Rocky, and he also wrote and directed the film. It’s largely forgotten now, but Tarantino is a big fan of Paradise Alley and also discusses his thoughts on the Rocky movie franchise in the book. In fact, he has a (mildly) controversial choice for which of the Rocky saga is best.
Tarantino Is Wrong About Rocky II Being The Best
In Cinema Speculation, Tarantino states that “Stallone’s best movie as a director-writer-actor is Rocky II (I even prefer it to the first one).” QT lays out his argument for Rocky II being superior, believing that the titular boxer’s struggles in the movie mirrored those of Stallone. Just as critics accuse Rocky of agreeing to the Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) rematch to stay relevant, the failure of Stallone’s post-Rocky movies saw the press claim the same thing. Tarantino believes that those who love the character of Rocky Balboa himself should like Rocky II more.
He also states that Rocky II is “superior” because Stallone identifies with both Balboa and Creed the second time around. Rocky made Stallone one of the biggest celebrities in the world, but it also made him a target of the press and movie critics, who seemingly took delight in tearing down movies like Paradise Alley. In Rocky II, Creed’s ego has been horribly wounded by the reaction to his Rocky fight, and Tarantino believes this is a reflection of Stallone’s own feelings about fame at the time.
Tarantino makes a genuinely great case for Rocky II, and it does feature some excellent work from the cast and Stallone as director. That said – as QT himself points out – most people prefer the original for good reason. Stallone found some fresh angles to explore for Rocky II, but the movie sags somewhat in the middle act, and it never captures the same emotional highs and lows. Rocky is one of the best sports dramas of all time, and Stallone has rarely been better as a performer. Rocky II, while a solid sequel in every sense, lacks the same power.
Why Tarantino Believes Rocky 3 & 4 Aren’t “Real Movies”
While he’s filled with praise for Rocky and Rocky II, Tarantino isn’t so high on the next two entries. He labels the first two Rockys as “real movies,” while both Rocky III and Rocky IV are “single issue comic books” where the titular boxer is “… fighting super villains in films that resemble trailers movie than actual movies – like Superman Vs Muhammad Ali.” Sadly, Tarantino stops short of giving a full assessment of the entire Rocky franchise, and he would no doubt have some interesting thoughts on the widely derided Rocky V.
Tarantino Has A Point About The Other Rocky Sequels
In fact – Rocky V aside – every entry in the Rocky and Creed series has its fans. There’s a reason the series have been running for over 40 years and counting, as there’s genuine audience investment in the characters and story. Rocky III and IV are absolutely products of their time, being glossy blockbusters with MTV-inspired music montages and a focus on muscles and machismo. They are both incredibly entertaining too and include emotional scenes such as the death of Mickey in Rocky III or Apollo’s brutal demise fighting Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) in Rocky IV.
That said, Quentin Tarantino isn’t exactly wrong in his assessment. It’s hard to track how the grounded reality of Rocky and its 1979’s sequel gave way to Balboa symbolically winning the Cold War by the time Rocky IV’s credits close. Stallone himself would admit Rocky III and IV got overblown in later years, which is why Rocky Balboa onwards strove to return to a most naturalistic style. Stallone would even revisit the fourth film decades later with the director’s cut Rocky vs Drago, which stripped away the sillier elements like Paulie’s robot girlfriend while including a more dramatic tone.
Tarantino has never been shy about airing a contrarian opinion on a movie, so his “hot take” that Rocky II is the best is pretty mild. If nothing else, he underlines some of the key themes of the Rocky sequel and analyzes why it was such a personal project for Stallone. For those left a little cold by Rocky II, maybe it’s time for a rewatch with QT’s thoughts in mind.
