Sylvester Stallone is the star of the action movie genre. His acting style and intimidating physique make him the perfect lead in the shoot-’em-up adventures and fistfights that this genre thrives on. He also helped create some of the most popular and memorable action movie characters, many of which he revisited over and over again. Most recently, we saw the latest trailers for Rambo: Last Blood and Escape Plan: The Extractors.
Here are the coolest Sylvester Stallone characters that kick ass the most in movies.
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Stakar Ogord (Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2)
Stallone’s role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is little-more than a cameo but it’s interesting to see the legend join the MCU even for a small role. He plays Stakar, one of the top Ravager leaders and an old comrade of Yondu. Along with the other members we see at the end of the film Stakar was a member of the original Guardians of the Galaxy in the comics.
Ray Breslin (Escape Plan)
The brilliant structural engineer is a consultant of sorts. He imprisons himself in prisons all over the world and then attempts to escape, highlighting the vulnerabilities of the facilities. The prison escape is an excellent concept for an action movie and the first Escape Plan is actually a pretty fun ride, thanks largely to Stallone’s chemistry with Schwarzenegger. While Breslin is a more level-headed and calculating hero than Stallone usually plays, given the fact that it is Stallone, he proves to be deadly when pushed.
Gabe Walker (Cliffhanger)
The Cliffhanger is one of the many post-Die Hard movies that seems to have been directly inspired by that movie. It is also one of the best films of its kind. Cliffhanger finds Stallone as Gabe Walker, an experienced climber. Stumbling into a group of mercenaries stranded on a mountain, Gabe must survive both among the deadly villains and in the mountains. Climbing isn’t for the faint of heart, and Gabe turns out to be a pretty intrepid climber. Apart from these skills, he also holds his own against well-trained mercenaries, killing them one by one.
Freddy Heflin (Cop Land)
Cop Land is a tense crime drama directed by James Mangold that stars Stallone as Freddie Heflin in one of his best performances. Freddy is the sheriff of a small town in New Jersey, home to several NYPD officers. Heflin respects the local police officers he knows, but when corruption begins to spread, he is forced to act. Possessing a chubbier physique than we’re used to seeing on him, Stallone puts on an amazing low-key game. Heflin should appear inactive or even cowardly, but when the time comes, he is the only one willing to do the right thing.RELATED:
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John Spartan (Demolition Man)
Demolition Man is set in a future where crime is virtually non-existent. But after a deadly assassin from the 20th century is roused from cryogenic sleep and goes on a rampage, the helpless police are forced to bring back the only man to ever catch him, John Spartan. Uncompromising super cop Stallone finds himself a fish in the water in a “cleaner” future. Spartan is able to bring some good old 1990s fashion into the busy world of tomorrow. He really stands out as the toughest guy as he shows them that a little pointless destruction can be fun.
Raymond Tango (Tango And Cash)
Stallone is usually a one man army, but here we see that he is just as effective as in the buddy cop scenario. Stallone plays Raymond Tango, a sophisticated and stylish LA cop who is forced to work with sleazy Lt. Gabe Cash (Kurt Russell) when two men are framed by a drug lord. Even sharing the load, Tango is the kind of super cop that Stallone excels at playing.
Marion Cobretti (Cobra)
Cobra may be the most outstanding of Stallone’s action films, which is saying a lot. As Marion Cobretti, Stallone is a real tough cop, wearing aviator sunglasses and a match in his mouth. In the film, he opposes the bloody cult in order to protect the only witness to the murder. Marion is a slick operator who never seems to break a sweat no matter how many bad guys he kills.
Barney Ross (The Expendables)
The Expendables was billed as an Avengers action movie that brought together some of the genre’s most iconic actors in an amazing team movie. The films never lived up to the promise, but they were hilarious and brutal adventures starring Barney Ross Stallone. Ross is a deadly man who goes head to head in the franchise’s biggest fights with Steve Austin, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Mel Gibson.RELATED:
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Rocky Balboa (Rocky)
Rocky Balboa is perhaps Stallone’s most iconic character. This role made him a Hollywood star, and he returned to the role in six Rocky sequels and two films in the Creed franchise. Rocky starts out as a working-class boxer who gets his shot at a title, and we’ve followed his ups and downs in his career over the years. Rocky isn’t the deadliest of Stallone’s characters, but he does rank high on this list. Rocky displays incredible courage and determination when he is in the ring, inspiring fans all over the world.