Why Sylvester Stallone once gave his own film a zero out of ten rating

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Rocky V was intended to be the final chapter of the iconic boxing saga. Instead, it became a critical disappointment that left its creator, Sylvester Stallone, so dissatisfied that he later produced a sixth film specifically to provide the character with a more dignified and satisfying conclusion.

Released in 1990, Rocky V follows a bankrupt Rocky Balboa as he returns to his working-class roots in Philadelphia. Forced into retirement by a diagnosis of cavum septi pellucidi—a form of brain damage sustained during his fight with Ivan Drago—Rocky shifts his focus to training a young protégé, Tommy Gunn. The film explores themes of mentorship, family estrangement, and the predatory nature of boxing promotion, yet it struggled to resonate with critics who found the plot developments transparent and the characterization inconsistent.

The production was fraught with creative tension. Stallone’s original script featured a much darker ending where Rocky died in the streets, but the studio and producers opted for a street fight climax instead. The film’s medical premise also faced scrutiny; Stallone later admitted that the diagnosis forcing Rocky’s retirement was medically inaccurate. By the time he developed the 2006 sequel, Rocky Balboa, he utilized advancements in medical understanding to justify Rocky’s return to the ring, effectively retconning the debilitating nature of the injuries depicted in the fifth installment.

Commercially, the film was a success, grossing $119 million worldwide against a budget of up to $42 million. However, it remains the lowest-grossing entry in the franchise and was widely panned, earning seven Golden Raspberry Award nominations. While some contemporary reviews, such as those from the Los Angeles Times, initially praised its attempt to return to the gritty tone of the original, the film’s legacy was largely defined by its perceived failure. Stallone’s public disdain for the project highlights the complex relationship between creative intent and the pressures of franchise filmmaking.

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