Film Review: "Sly" (2023).

"Meet the man behind the hero" in Sly. This documentary film directed by Thom Zimny and written by Aidin Sayar Sarie. For nearly fifty years Sylvester Stallone has entertained millions with iconic characters and blockbuster franchises, from Rocky to Rambo to The Expendables. This retrospective documentary offers an intimate look at the Oscar-nominated actor-writer-director-producer, paralleling his inspirational underdog-story with the indelible characters he has brought to life.

On July 6, 1946, American actor and filmmaker, Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone was born. He has received numerous accolades including a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for three Academy Awards and two BAFTA Awards. Stallone is one of only two actors in history (alongside Harrison Ford) to have starred in a box-office No. 1 film across six consecutive decades. Struggling as an actor for a number of years upon moving to New York City in 1969, Stallone found gradual work in films such as The Lords of Flatbush (1974). He achieved his greatest critical and commercial success starting in 1976 with his iconic role as boxer Rocky Balboa in the first film of the successful Rocky franchise, which he also pen the script. In 1977, he became the third actor in history to be nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor. He portrayed the PTSD-plagued soldier John Rambo in First Blood (1982), a role he would play across five Rambo films (1982–2019). From the mid-1980s to the late 1990s, Stallone would go on to become one of Hollywood's highest-paid actors acting in action films such as Cobra (1986), Tango and Cash (1989), Cliffhanger (1993), Demolition Man (1993), and The Specialist (1994). Stallone continued his established roles in Rocky Balboa (2006) and Rambo (2008) before launching The Expendables film franchise (2010–present), in which he starred as the mercenary Barney Ross. In 2013, he starred in the successful film Escape Plan and appeared in its sequels. In 2015, he returned to Rocky again with Creed, in which a retired Rocky mentors former rival Apollo Creed's son Donnie Creed. The film brought Stallone widespread praise and his first Golden Globe Award, as well as a third Academy Award nomination, having been first nominated for the same role forty years prior. Since 2022, he has starred in the Paramount+ crime series Tulsa King.

The series makes for fun viewing while bringing an earlier time alive as well as selling the American dream of being anything you want if you put your mind to it. The series is absolutely one of the better documentaries on Netflix that explore the life of one of the most successful action heroes of all time and does so in a way that's creative and inspiring. Stallone's unwavering determination and ability to manifest his dreams through a unique open mindedness are undeniably awe-inspiring, but the series is not without its flaws. No matter how well you know this man’s story, it’s a special kind of joy to have him retell it, given how incredibly magnetic and charming his screen presence is to this day.

Simon says Sly receives:

Also, see my review for Bruce Springsteen's Letter to You.