Rocky was released in 1976, marking the beginning of the eponymous film series. That movie would eventually grow into a sprawling media franchise consisting of a six-movie series, a spinoff trilogy, and several TV shows and short films. Meanwhile, the series remains a timeless classic and cultural phenomenon. It’s arguably one of the most quotable film series with the most widely recognized theme song and has proven the enduring power of a solid underdog story. If you’re interested in all the hype around Rocky, this guide will help you know how to watch them in order and where to watch them.
Sylvester Stallone wrote Rocky’s script while he was a struggling actor in Hollywood and was adamant about starring in the titular role. It was already quite a feat that he got his 90-page draft, which he wrote in three days, to interest studios. One can imagine how much more difficult it was to convince a studio to cast a virtually unknown actor in a lead role. However, United Artists eventually agreed to his conditions, and Rocky was born.
The movie found the perfect formula for a sports drama with its fantastic script, quotable dialogue, catchy tunes, and resonating story. It is considered one of the most influential films ever, inspiring countless other films and fundamentally changing the sports genre. Hence, it’s not surprising that Rocky II quickly followed in 1979 and proved a critical and commercial success. Unfortunately, by Rocky III, the necessity of more Rocky films was questioned. Still, even though critic reception began declining at this point, most of the following sequels were commercial successes. It almost seemed like as long as Rocky films were made, audiences would turn up to watch them.
Despite declining interest, the film series ended on a high note with 2006’s Rocky Balboa, which came the closest to challenging the original film’s status as the best in the series. Although it marked the last film in the original series, its success proved that modernized Rocky stories still had appeal. A decade later, the franchise was revived with the Creed spin-off series.
Watching the Rocky movies in order is relatively simple now that they have arrived on streaming. Additionally, since each film was already released chronologically, there’s no difference between watching by release date or chronological order. Here’s how to watch the Rocky films in order.
