2008 Woodie Awards
HEAD TO HEAD: Do you think Sylvester Stallone should stop making action movies already?
O'keefe, Havey debate
Issue date: 2/22/08 Section: Opinion
Originally published: 2/21/08 at 8:16 PM EST
Last update: 2/21/08 at 8:15 PM EST
Stallone needs to give it up, let the classics stand
By Mike O'Keefe
The 1980s were good times for Hollywood. Many blockbuster action stars had their heyday in that decade of excess. Schwarzenegger, VanDamme, Segal, and of course, Stallone, all had relative successes in that 10 year span.
However, almost all of these action heroes have become something to laugh about. Over time their names have become synonymous with the overly violent, horribly written movies shown on television. This tends to happen more with action stars than with other actors, but a few have come to accept or ignore the satirical attitude now associated with their movies. They have either moved on or fell into acting in B-grade movies to keep their bank accounts full.
Sylvester Stallone's career started in the 70s with some very low budget, poorly made movies. Does anyone remember Death Race 2000 or The Prisoner of Second Avenue or No Place to Hide? Maybe you do, but I highly doubt they rank on your list of best movies ever.
Most would say Stallone's first real success came in 1976 with the first Rocky movie. This success I cannot argue with. Here we see Sly at his finest, and even though he may be hard to understand at times, his style of acting fit absolutely perfectly into this part: a beaten down, working class guy who needed a big break and that big break was his talent for boxing.
Then came Rocky II, which was arguably a necessary sequel, as the sad ending in the first Rocky did need some closure. He returned for a few more rounds, defeated his opponent and left the boxing ring seemingly satisfied with a hard-fought victory over a worthy foe.
After Rocky II came Rocky III. This is my least favorite of the series. I would describe it as a sloppily made movie that just ends up being depressing. Although, I thought Mr. T did a better job of acting in this film than Stallone.
Over all this time, it is important to point out the irony in these movies. Even though Stallone is just an actor, it seems as though his movies began chronicling his real life, maybe even becoming it. Either that or the stages one goes through as a boxer are similar to the career of an actor.
Think about it.
Admiration and awe at first, followed by a series of disappointments, excitement over a return, and then the final realization that things will never be the same.
And so has gone Stallone's career. After amazing success came a series of disappointments, with the occasional hit.
Given these facts, I must ask: Is it time for this man to stop acting?
He no longer has the boxer's physique that used to get people rooting for him in the theaters. Now he also has this middle-aged, sad looking face that has the look of lost hope.
Stallone's recent movies have tried to return to his long-gone glory by throwing the names of his most successful characters into poorly written scripts that give unneeded additions to the originals.
Stallone's new movies can't compare to the originals and it's up to Sly to stop the madness, and preserve the greatness of his classics. This way he'll at least be remembered as a respectable actor.
I'd like to see you tell Stallone he should stop
By Keenan Havey
With the revival of his two iconic movie franchises, Stallone is definitely making a comeback. Some might argue it's not a comeback at all, but a desperate attempt to save a once thriving career, but what do they know?
Stallone will always be famous for the "underdog-becomes-somebody" role of the boxer Rocky Balboa, a staple character for nearly every sports/action-hero fan. The 2006 release of Rocky Balboa saw a much-awaited return to this role after a 16 year hiatus. More recently, he reprised his role as the troubled ex-commando John Rambo, in this year's Rambo.
The releases of Rocky Balboa and Rambo presented a question that was asked by moviegoers everywhere: Should Stallone still be parading himself as an action hero? A lot of people responded with a resounding "Yes!" I for one still remember a day when the name Stallone was synonymous with the word "tough." A lot of other guys do, too.
Personally, I'm excited to see more Stallone movies. I mean, come on, give the guy a chance, he's not finished yet. Despite all the nay-saying that's gone on since the film was just a rumor, Rambo has shown us Stallone is still physically capable of playing an action hero. You don't see that many 61 year old actors firing .50 caliber machine guns in movies, and I have never seen a 61-year-old in better shape than I am. Stallone doesn't even look that old, and for that matter, 61 is not even very old anyway, so what does it matter? He didn't provide any "oh man I feel sorry for him" laughs in his recent films. To the contrary, Rambo is often described as being perhaps "too violent." So what's the problem?
Stallone has developed a reputation for playing off his momentum as a "tough guy" in some pretty bad flicks. I am sure we could all name a few, but I can name a few examples of good movies as well -Lock Up, for instance. Perhaps as a result, some thought Stallone had become hard to take seriously, but he is still an icon of action cinema and always will be.
If Hollywood wants to make new Rocky or Rambo movies, who better to star in them than Rocky/Rambo himself? I grew up watching Stallone play these characters and would have been outraged if he was not cast in the lead role.
In today's show business scene isn't it almost inspiring to see an actor who's come back for more after being in a film like Stop, or My Mom Will Shoot? It's that implied "never say when" attitude that still makes it easy to spend money on a movie ticket for a Stallone movie, even in light of bad reviews. Many actors and actresses threw in the towel after less.
Remember when everyone thought Vin Diesel was going to be the next big action star? I am not sure what happened there, but I am pretty sure it had to do with The Pacifier.
These days I think there is a serious void for action-hero movies and I'm happy Stallone is returning to take back the title that's still rightfully his. If you seen the latest installments in these classic action-hero movies and still disagree with me and think he's not up to it anymore, I dare you to go tell him to stop making movies yourself. Although, I bet that if you saw the latest Rambo you would probably think twice before you did.
By Mike O'Keefe
The 1980s were good times for Hollywood. Many blockbuster action stars had their heyday in that decade of excess. Schwarzenegger, VanDamme, Segal, and of course, Stallone, all had relative successes in that 10 year span.
However, almost all of these action heroes have become something to laugh about. Over time their names have become synonymous with the overly violent, horribly written movies shown on television. This tends to happen more with action stars than with other actors, but a few have come to accept or ignore the satirical attitude now associated with their movies. They have either moved on or fell into acting in B-grade movies to keep their bank accounts full.
Sylvester Stallone's career started in the 70s with some very low budget, poorly made movies. Does anyone remember Death Race 2000 or The Prisoner of Second Avenue or No Place to Hide? Maybe you do, but I highly doubt they rank on your list of best movies ever.
Most would say Stallone's first real success came in 1976 with the first Rocky movie. This success I cannot argue with. Here we see Sly at his finest, and even though he may be hard to understand at times, his style of acting fit absolutely perfectly into this part: a beaten down, working class guy who needed a big break and that big break was his talent for boxing.
Then came Rocky II, which was arguably a necessary sequel, as the sad ending in the first Rocky did need some closure. He returned for a few more rounds, defeated his opponent and left the boxing ring seemingly satisfied with a hard-fought victory over a worthy foe.
After Rocky II came Rocky III. This is my least favorite of the series. I would describe it as a sloppily made movie that just ends up being depressing. Although, I thought Mr. T did a better job of acting in this film than Stallone.
Over all this time, it is important to point out the irony in these movies. Even though Stallone is just an actor, it seems as though his movies began chronicling his real life, maybe even becoming it. Either that or the stages one goes through as a boxer are similar to the career of an actor.
Think about it.
Admiration and awe at first, followed by a series of disappointments, excitement over a return, and then the final realization that things will never be the same.
And so has gone Stallone's career. After amazing success came a series of disappointments, with the occasional hit.
Given these facts, I must ask: Is it time for this man to stop acting?
He no longer has the boxer's physique that used to get people rooting for him in the theaters. Now he also has this middle-aged, sad looking face that has the look of lost hope.
Stallone's recent movies have tried to return to his long-gone glory by throwing the names of his most successful characters into poorly written scripts that give unneeded additions to the originals.
Stallone's new movies can't compare to the originals and it's up to Sly to stop the madness, and preserve the greatness of his classics. This way he'll at least be remembered as a respectable actor.
I'd like to see you tell Stallone he should stop
By Keenan Havey
With the revival of his two iconic movie franchises, Stallone is definitely making a comeback. Some might argue it's not a comeback at all, but a desperate attempt to save a once thriving career, but what do they know?
Stallone will always be famous for the "underdog-becomes-somebody" role of the boxer Rocky Balboa, a staple character for nearly every sports/action-hero fan. The 2006 release of Rocky Balboa saw a much-awaited return to this role after a 16 year hiatus. More recently, he reprised his role as the troubled ex-commando John Rambo, in this year's Rambo.
The releases of Rocky Balboa and Rambo presented a question that was asked by moviegoers everywhere: Should Stallone still be parading himself as an action hero? A lot of people responded with a resounding "Yes!" I for one still remember a day when the name Stallone was synonymous with the word "tough." A lot of other guys do, too.
Personally, I'm excited to see more Stallone movies. I mean, come on, give the guy a chance, he's not finished yet. Despite all the nay-saying that's gone on since the film was just a rumor, Rambo has shown us Stallone is still physically capable of playing an action hero. You don't see that many 61 year old actors firing .50 caliber machine guns in movies, and I have never seen a 61-year-old in better shape than I am. Stallone doesn't even look that old, and for that matter, 61 is not even very old anyway, so what does it matter? He didn't provide any "oh man I feel sorry for him" laughs in his recent films. To the contrary, Rambo is often described as being perhaps "too violent." So what's the problem?
Stallone has developed a reputation for playing off his momentum as a "tough guy" in some pretty bad flicks. I am sure we could all name a few, but I can name a few examples of good movies as well -Lock Up, for instance. Perhaps as a result, some thought Stallone had become hard to take seriously, but he is still an icon of action cinema and always will be.
If Hollywood wants to make new Rocky or Rambo movies, who better to star in them than Rocky/Rambo himself? I grew up watching Stallone play these characters and would have been outraged if he was not cast in the lead role.
In today's show business scene isn't it almost inspiring to see an actor who's come back for more after being in a film like Stop, or My Mom Will Shoot? It's that implied "never say when" attitude that still makes it easy to spend money on a movie ticket for a Stallone movie, even in light of bad reviews. Many actors and actresses threw in the towel after less.
Remember when everyone thought Vin Diesel was going to be the next big action star? I am not sure what happened there, but I am pretty sure it had to do with The Pacifier.
These days I think there is a serious void for action-hero movies and I'm happy Stallone is returning to take back the title that's still rightfully his. If you seen the latest installments in these classic action-hero movies and still disagree with me and think he's not up to it anymore, I dare you to go tell him to stop making movies yourself. Although, I bet that if you saw the latest Rambo you would probably think twice before you did.
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