Sly (2023)

7/10

mchl888 November 2023

I'm only going to compare this documentary to Arnold Schwarzenegger's because it is brought up so prominently in both of them how competitive they were. How toe to toe they went in the 80s making bigger and bigger action films and getting larger and larger grosses (not to mention biceps).

That said, Arnold's was better. I preferred Schwarzenegger's because it went deeper into his personal life and even his faults as a man and a husband.

Sly, the documentary, was good. But it mostly focused on his career. After the obligatory stuff about how he grew up and what a sonofabitch his father was, it was all about the movies. The hits and the flops. I'd've liked to have heard more about his marriages and his relationship with his kooky mother (which is completely overlooked) and especially about losing his son. Even his other business adventures are ignored. Wasn't he an investor in Planet Hollywood? We hear nothing about that.

Anyway, I enjoyed this. It was the perfect airplane diversion as I killed 7 hours over the Atlantic. But like the Arnold doc, I think Sly's life deserves more than a 2 hour recap. I could have handled at least twice that as long as the second part dove deeper into the man himself.

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6/10

Sly

henry8-34 November 2023

This documentary's looking at the life of Sylvester Stallone is not much more than an extended interview with a few contributions from contemporaries. It does though in the end give you a pretty clear insight into the mind of the man, who to me always seemed to want to come back to his familiar franchises too often, rather than take on something new. I found it interesting then that he largely seems to accept this point as he often found himself uncomfortable making films that were to a large degree outside his control and felt more at home with Rocky and Rambo as can be seen by the quite extraordinary array of rather self indulgent memorabilia in his home. It was also interesting that outside the franchises he controlled, in nearly all cases, he seemed to have needed to change every script, character or ending to suit his personal vision on what the film should say.

The man himself though seems to have been influenced, understandably, by a very rough childhood, controlled by a deeply unpleasant and seemingly jealous father who treated his children appallingly. That said it seems to have toughened and shaped Stallone who ultimately now seems a pleasant person comfortable with life and the most important things in it. In the end you simply have to admire how this guy has dragged himself from nothing and built himself into such an American icon.

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8/10

Not a deep dive but still great

masonsaul4 November 2023

Sly may not be a deep dive into Sylvester Stallone's career but it's an emotional and engaging look into the life and career of a superstar on his own terms. Even if it can't cover everything it still hits the major milestones (and Expendables) whilst still having time for Stallone to acknowledge his own flaws and regrets.

There've been so many jokes about Stallone being an unintelligible muscle man so it's nice to have this to set the record straight. He's a really insightful actor who's put so much of himself in his movies. There are a few times Stallone's decisions and refusal to back down created some of cinema's best moments as well as some missteps he acknowledges which shows how far he's come.

Just as engaging as the anecdotes about filmmaking and how Rocky in particular was created are his observations about life. The pain, the loss and the speed it goes by are all discussed in a very frank manner with some heavy yet beautiful quotes that remind you Sly has a real way with words, in life and on the page.

There's also a great selection of interviews with other people in between Stallone's discussions, some who make perfect sense including Frank Stallone just generally being the best and Arnold Schwarzenegger getting to offer some funny stories about their infamous rivalry as well as others who are just cool to see (Quentin Tarantino!).

Thom Zimny's direction is great overall. Swapping effortlessly between the interviews and archive footage throughout with a generally nice vibe that means you don't want it to end. It only briefly falters in a few moments where it distracts from Stallone's openness by shaking the camera too much in an attempt to get as close as possible.

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6/10

Another carefully curated "documentary" made by its subject

timmyhollywood25 November 2023

Sylvester Stallone executive produces -- meaning approves or disapproves -- the documentary examining his own life and work.

That's red flag number one. Even in an age of ubiquitous "documentaries" (they used to barely exist in the margins of filmmaking), such a project should aspire to illuminate its subject, warts and all.

Here, Sly makes an attempt at a mea culpa, lamenting how he should have spent more time with his family, yet inclusion of that family's story scarcely exists. I had no idea his son, Sage Stallone, had died in 2012 at age 36. And the only reference to that here are life dates shown on screen after the brief segment about Sage appearing in the ill-received Rocky V.

And what about Stallone's other son, Seargeoh? Yes, that's right, Stallone had two sons, and Seargeoh apparently was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. Not that the documentary reveals that -- Seargeoh is never even mentioned; I found out only by searching online, and only after an image of the actor Milo Ventimiglia (who plays Rocky's grown-up son in 2006's "Rocky Balboa") inexplicably appeared beside the name "Seargeoh Stallone" when I Googled it. Try it. You'll see.

The real Seargeoh, apparently, has lived most of his life with his mother, Sasha Czack, now Stallone's ex.

Okay, maybe it's to protect the privacy of his children, and that's fine. But it's a conspicuous absence in a documentary ostensibly about a man's life. Which it is, to a large extent, especially about his childhood, and how his physically abusive (Sly implies this, though never directly says it) and "brow-beating" father may have pushed him to seek external validation from an audience, or crowd.

But the picture really focuses on the work, the ups and downs of Stallone's career, his regrets and his massive successes, and the way his two big franchises, especially the Rocky narrative, are really mirrors for his own life and career. Where this gets the most interesting, at least for this viewer, was when Stallone described these two world-famous characters as ends of a spectrum. Rambo is the broken hero with no home who dies alone. Rocky embraces humanity, and family, and is in turn embraced. Stallone admits he's both characters.

In "Sly," I appreciated this emphasis on the work. I make my own living as a suspense writer, have worked in film, and in my own much smaller and less famous way, have experienced a lot of the frustrations and joys. Every artist does, really. This telling of Sly's life seems like a letter to all artists, that they may aspire to such greatness at their own peril. That even with great success they may, like Sly, be left searching for inspiration, hoping to slow life down, hoping for another good fight.

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6/10

Needs more than 95 minutes, but is still a solid tribute! [+63%]

arungeorge133 November 2023

Warning: Spoilers

For starters, Sly gets half the runtime that Netflix gave Arnie (i.e. About 95 minutes) to tell his story. Owing to this, the piece spends about 90% of its time with Sly himself, and his version of all that transpired thus far in his incredibly eventful life. It is interesting to hear Sly discuss his rough childhood, the rejections he faced while trying to break into the film industry, and his eventual success with Rocky and Rambo.

While his foray into the world of cinema and the birth (and triumph) of those two franchises have already been discussed a lot over the years, it's when Sly discusses how his writing drew from the metaphors of his own experiences that I found the piece most engaging. The daddy issues are briefly summarized, with snippets of information added by his brother Frank Stallone Jr, but nothing we wouldn't expect to hear. Talia Shire, Tarantino, and Arnie are among the ones interviewed. There's also a fleeting mention of the long-lasting injury he accidentally suffered at the hands of Steve Austin on the sets of the first Expendables film.

On the whole, what sticks with me are the one-liners from Sly when he refers to time, choices, and regrets. His daughters show up at the very end in what's a nice finishing touch. But still, 95 minutes just isn't enough.

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7/10

SHOULD HAVE BEEN LONGER

daviddadgidzi29 November 2023

As much as I loved this documentary on Sylvester Stallone, one of my absolute favorite in show business, I am a little bit disappointed by the run time. This clearly could have and deserves to be longer not just for the viewers, but also for the story, SLY.

It almost feels like every story was cut short, and could have been longer.

Sylvester Stallone achieved much against all odds, the story of his greatness is unprecedented and could have easily filled an 8 part docuseries. His family, love life, failures success, children, fame and fortune.

I'm glad I did watch this, will probably not re watch it though, cause it falls short in a lot of ways for me.

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10/10

Life lessons

dreyesgfy-907115 November 2023

I was never a Stallone fan and I'd never thought I would utter, much less write this in a review but his words were profound and left me wishing this was twice as long as it was. I think a lot of this will be lost on anyone under 50 because it's largely about his regrets. Life up until 40 is all about addition and life after 40 is about subtraction. Time is brutal and callous, nothing punches harder than life, all things that people learn as time passes. Looking back at pictures of his kids and remembering what film he was making at the time and wishing he would have invested that time into real people(his family) and not movie characters is every dads regret. You can see the pain when he says all the stages of his kids lives that he misses and that time is the one thing that he can't get back. His ability to have that kind of vulnerability on film says a lot about him as a man. Maybe I just feel this way because I feel the same way when it comes to my life and children.

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7/10

Terrific Look at the Mind and Heart of SLY

tkdlifemagazine3 November 2023

This is a really well done look at the journey of Sylvester Stallone from a poor kid in Hell's Kitchen to a superstar. Stallone, as noted by rival Arnold Schwarzenegger, is the only person who spear-headed three blockbuster franchises-Rocky, Rambo, and The Expendables. He was a guy driven by passion, vision, and the belief that he had more to offer than people could see. I love how a senior Stallone walks us along this journey. We see his thought processes. We see his written notebooks. We see the physical locations where he grew up and where much of the pictures were shot. The personal interviews. The old movie footage. Everything about this makes the documentary greater than the sum of its parts.

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10/10

Sly: The Artist

zkonedog4 November 2023

For many, Sylvester Stallone is likely viewed as little more than a musclebound action hero of 1980s & 90s flicks. This documentary from director Thom Zimny sets the record straight, portraying the Stallone that longtime fans know: the thoughtful, well-written artist. Whether you are relatively new to everything Sly or a seasoned connoisseur of his works, this doc has something for you.

Basically, "Sly" is one long interview with the man himself (interspersed with the thoughts of a few others) covering key points of his film career and life-in-general. Stallone ambles down the same mean streets of Hell's Kitchen, NY he grew up on, pontificates on a troubled early family life, and details his struggles breaking into Hollywood. From there--after the rocketship success to stardom on the back of 1976's Rocky--Sly recounts the ups and downs of a life in showbiz--including a late-career reinvention starting with Rocky Balboa & Rambo IV and carrying over into The Expendables.

One of the key tenets of a solid biography that I always look for is whether or not the subject seems to have learned anything from life experiences or can look back on a career/life with clear eyes. That is never a problem for Stallone, who clearly has a solid grasp at all times on who he was, who he is, and who he wants to be. For those unfamiliar with Sly, the depth of his emotional observations may surprise you.

Perhaps the hallmark of "Sly" is how well it can work for multiple audiences. As I've intimated already, it might be eye-opening for Stallone "newbies" to see him in a softer, more human light. But at the same time, longtime fans of the iconic actor are also treated to clips or observations heretofore unseen. For example, Sly speaks more candidly about Rocky 5 here than I've ever heard, and I also had no idea the depths of his father's influence on his life and art.

Overall, "Sly" is a documentary of the highest order. When you combine an adroit subject with a storied career and put it in the hands of a capable filmmaker, the end result is pretty special.

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7/10

Pretty good, but should have been a docuseries

KinoBuff202113 November 2023

'Sly' (2023) is good. Its fine. Nothing really bad about it except for being too short especially for a legend in film and American culture, Sylvester Stallone. Besides that it remains an interesting and inspiring look at Stallone's life.

This documentary should have been a docuseries like his rival, Arnold Schwarzenegger had done. Since Stallone is known for his amazing action-hero characters most people will never see the more intellectual and personal side of his life that is his true character.

Led by Stallone's narration with sparse but insightful interviews, this film gives a great look behind the scenes of some his most legendary films like 'Rocky' (1976) which lays the foundation for Stallone's career.

Its good. Definitely give it a watch but get ready as you'll likely want to binge Sly's films for the next few weeks. So get some popcorn ready!

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10/10

It's a dialog with a father you never had

dmitrynovo8 November 2023

I'll be philosophical here. It's not a movie about Sly, it's him taking on a role of a father and talking to YOU about love, struggle, challenges and life. That's how i felt. Because he was sincere. There's no acting in this movie, it doesn't even seem like there's a script - he's just answering questions that you'd probably ask him if you were there and that gives the sense of being present there with him, listening to his stories. He's not being judgmental and he's not telling you what to do, like those pr***s on youtube. He's soft, something you don't expect at first, but because he knows he made mistakes in life and he knows his own psychology that was installed during his childhood and how hard it is to deal with it - the movie is not a lecture and it's not a "look how great i am!", it is a dialog. And i insist on using the word "dialog" because even though a dialog is a conversation between 2 people, and you're obviously not there, you still feel like you've talked and the talk made your life a little bit brighter, a little bit less nihilistic.

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7/10

A Hollywood legend pressed into 90 minutes

DLochner5 November 2023

There is a three-part series for Arnold Schwarzenegger and only one part for Sylvester Stallone. It's kind of a shame, especially since his life is at least as exciting, if not the most exciting. In the '70s, Sylvester Stallone was doing poorly, very poorly. And to see that once is incredible. An honorable man, with an honorable story. An intimate look, albeit explained in a somewhat monotonous way. It feels like the same people always have their say when they talk about Stallone or think they have something to say about him. A straightforward film about a person who has so much more to say than this film. All in all, a nice overview but not worthy of a person like Stallone.

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5/10

Not as complete as it could have been

atleverton5 November 2023

A good introduction to the life of Sylvester Stallone, and a good companion piece to the earlier documentary released on Netflix about Arnold Schwarzenegger entitled Arnold, this suffers from a lack of acknowledgment of significant controversies in Stalone's career, most notably several sexual assault accusations. One can have problems with how Schwarzenegger addressed his controversies, he addressed them. Stallone seems more interested in building the narrative of a sensitive boy who was tormented by his father. Of course, that is probably true, it does not absolve one from responsibility for one's own actions. An interesting watch, but a bit incomplete.

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7/10

Wasted potential

danielcereto5 November 2023

Warning: Spoilers

I grew up in the 80's as a teen so Stallone and Schwarzenegger were my favorite action heroes. Just a special thanks to Bruce Willis and Die Hard movie. So consequently, I love all of them, but...

First and foremost, Sly has more acting talent than Schwarzenegger. They were great both, but after watching this short documentary, I can say that overall, Sly acting career is better than Arnold. But to be honest, Arnold probably has more charisma. That's how he become the Governator of California.

Second, this documentary feels rushed and incomplete. A big wasted opportunity. Some topics are barely spoken and it is a shame. Overall it looks like a bit superficial even they *spoiler alert* talk about his lost son. It feels incomplete, not like the Arnold's documentary series. A shame.

Anyway, overall the documentary is good but feels incomplete. A wasted opportunity, and clearly lost potential because of Netflix. I loved what I watched but feels short to explain the career of Sly. Anyway, I recommend to people who were born around the 80's and 90's. Probably, Tik Tok generation doesn't know anything about this man. So definitely, not for them.

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6/10

Too much talking

pontopacifico4 November 2023

Stallone talks too much. There's no space for anybody else to speak. The result us documentary where you see no flaws, no personal information. Nothing about the man, his wives, daughters or wrong bets he had tried along his life. There are no details about his career or the movies he's been in that we haven't alteady known. No interviews with his directors or other actors. No Lundgreen, no Carl Weathers, no Richard Creena, no Brian Denehy on backstage, now or then.

With the exception of the paternal violence, you've seen it all. I was totally disapointed, as I was hoping to see the same honesty that Arnold Schwarzenegger brought in his documentary. In the end, one can conclude that the Stallone piece is all about vanity.

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6/10

Some new anecdotes but we already heard most of it, and he deserve more

ConditionsOfUse18 November 2023

Warning: Spoilers

This is Sylvester Stallone's story, as he would like to tell it. For a little over 90 minutes, we see and hear Stallone reminisce about his life, the highlights of his career, with a few handpicked A-listers and has-beens adding anecdotes along the way. On paper, it sounds like an interesting movie, at least that's what the trailer made it look like.

However, with a career spanning over six decades, it feels like a lot of ground wasn't covered, and many rocks remained untouched. Perhaps the film wouldn't have been that different if it were a three-hour film, but in a biopic, it's not only about the conclusion but also about the journey.

For instance, there's a thorough exposition about his early life and his rise to fame, trying to lay a foundation for repeating themes in his life, like the relationship with his dad and his need to rebound again and again after listening to the wrong people. But we never deep dive into what really happened there.

All the interviews were done separately, and I think having Stallone and Talia Shire in the same room, speaking about their on-screen and maybe off-screen relationship, bringing up memories from 50 years ago and so on, could have brought much more significance and depth to this documentary.

The movie rushes over the late '80s part of his career, and besides "Rocky V," the '90s and early '00s are ignored. There's no word about "Creed" nor the '00s and the '10s. Stallone, unlike his on-screen persona, is a very articulate person. However, it is disappointing that Netflix, Thom Zimny, the director, or Stallone himself decided to commemorate Stallone's selected cinematic legacy over making a brave decision to ask more difficult questions.

Another blame is on Netflix, which has the means but prefers to play it safe when it comes to documentaries. I guess nobody wants to upset an actor or producer and ruin a potential collaboration in the future. That's one of the main reasons why cinema is still superior to streaming. It's not about the size of the screen or your sound system; it's about being able to tell a story without being chained to multiple business considerations that hold you back from punching hard at your subject and telling the best story.

An independent documentary production about the 1987 film "Robocop" was released earlier this year. It's a five-hour mini-series about one sci-fi movie. It sounds like a lot, but it's fascinating. At this time and day, where we are finally starting to summarize and bid farewell to the '70s and '80s generation of stars, I believe that certain biopic documentaries deserve a longer format, taking advantage of every living persona who is still out there and archiving in order to create a detailed and complete portrait of someone who was part of a generational pantheon.

Stallone mentions over and over again in the movie how our lifetime flies in a blink of an eye. He should also have in mind that no life story is perfect, and for those who choose fame and the public eye, life is even more complicated, full of obstacles, temptations, ego, and rivalries. Our failures go hand in hand with our triumphs, and that's what makes us human and interesting.

I hope Stallone will be able to open up again in the future. I will be interested to watch it.

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9/10

8.8/10. For all of those who didn't get it

athanasiosze7 December 2023

You can't understand what this is about if you are under 35-40 years old. You can't understand what you just watched if you have never felt broken, beaten and frustrated. There is a scene with Stallone on his father's deathbed and everyone whose father has passed or he is old will cry, or at least feel emotional, watching this scene. You've got to be at a certain age to realise what is going on here. This is not a documentary about useless details/controversies/beef with Arnold and so on. This is a slice of life. Not just Stallone's life but Life itself. Real as it gets. This is not about the actor Stallone neither the celebrity Stallone. This is about the man behing these roles. About what made these characters real. And then, caricatures. And finally, real again. This is Sly being real, spitting truths about life and communicating to the viewers the wisdom he gain during his experiences. Does that sound preachy to you? That's ok. If i were 20-30 years old, maybe i would feel the same way, maybe it would seem even cringey or awkward to me. The older you are, the more you realise what this is about. Anyone who loved this guy watching him from back then (80's), is gonna get emotional. This documentary is touching, raw, honest, sad, powerful, bitter and encouraging and so many other things even contradictory to each other. Just like life itself.

Sylvester Stalone touched many peoples' souls with his movies. They weren't all perfect, he was not perfect but at the end of the day, he tried to give hope to the viewers. That's all that matters. There are no happy endings in life, at some point, everything you ever touch will turn to dust. But cinema is another thing. Thank you mr Stallone, at least in your movies, these satisfying endings will always be there.

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7/10

SLY - keep punching !

giedriusles4 November 2023

A great documentary about a great actor - a man, it's just very disappointing that you feel rushed and everything is tried to fit only up to 90 minutes...NETFLIX got upset because Arnold Schwarzenegger got 3 hours of full time to tell very different stories.

I'm glad that Silvestras himself told more about his childhood and his relationship with his family, although certain details are repeated throughout the documentary, but at the very beginning of the acting - the attitude is somewhat lost, so most of the fans - viewers will be in line. There are also several interviews with famous faces, I thought there would be a lot more of them and even just episodic performances, so this alone shows that NETFLIX is not trying to devote more quality to the overall content.

At the end of the film - a documentary, the behind-the-scenes and personal losses are very much covered, which could have been expanded more, but it is what it is. It went by very quickly and I like the information much more..

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10/10

Sly Stallone Legend

roosteronline8 November 2023

Having grown up with Sly and Arnie in my childhood means everything. To watch this documentary really hits me. I really feel for the man. His childhood, his family and the great films he made, kept me entertained when i needed it. Ive used his films over the years to get through things and also be thoroughly entertained. Whether it was videos, dvds or on the internet i was always there watching since the first Rocky film.

Rambo 4 machine gun seen was pure Stallone.

Your dream made other peoples dreams. Even the comedy films were funny. Tulsa king recently and expendables have revitalised your brand.

Loved this documentary, watched it when i should have been working from home. Big shout from Scotland. Sly you're a legend mate!

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A watchable but slight doco

eddie_baggins28 November 2023

A long-serving superstar that has lived a colorful life full of ups and downs, mostly in the public eye, getting a raw and open insight into the life and times of iconic Hollywood performer Sylvester Stallone is an appealing proposition but despite having the backing of its subject matter, director Thom Zimny's documentary feature released via Netflix's streaming platform doesn't ever feel like the quintessential examination of Stallone's life and despite being watchable throughout, feels like a missed opportunity for a deeper dive into a divisive figure that has stood the test of time.

Allotting most of its relatively brisk runtime to allow for Stallone to reminisce and ensure that the narrative of Zimny's film is directed into his favour, Sly never feels like it allows itself to veer off into the darker or more risky territory the best of these type of documentaries venture too as we are given some interesting career insights by the man of the moment and getting to hear about the likes of Rocky and Rambo's early days are unquestionably good value but you can't help but feel there was much more to explore and more talking heads that could've helped us explore the rise, fall and rise of Stallone over his 50 plus years in the industry.

Over these many years in the Hollywood system, Stallone has done it all from Oscars, public adoration and ridicule, personal overcomings, health issues and a constant need to try and prove that he is more than many credit him to be and his passion and commitment to his cause is one that anyone can get behind and Stallone's ability to pivot himself and his career multiple times is one of the most impressive examples in the history of cinema.

For any fan of cinema, from the most casual to the most hardcore there's going to be a moment in time where Stallone has played a part in your cinematic journey and as a piece that allows us to reflect back on the times gone by and all the moments Stallone has entertained or enthralled us, often against the odds, Sly acts as an easy to consume distraction that will most likely see viewers seek out one of his classics for a re-watch.

It's just a shame Zimny didn't make the most of his personal access to his subject matter and that the film itself didn't try do more than the bare basics to give us something more memorable, deserving of its unforgettable central figure.

Final Say -

A nice distraction and a product that's sure to appease long-term fans of Stallone and the Stallone brand, Sly never really gets out of first gear to make the most of its possibilities but as a simplistic exploration of the life and times of a Hollywood legend, Sly scraps by neatly enough.

3 Rocky statues out of 5

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

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6/10

Left me feeling a bit sad...

imseeg4 November 2023

Larger than life and forever glorious in his movies, but so vulnerable in real life. This documentary is half a review by Sly himself of his biggest franchises Rocky and Rambo. The other half is about his upbringing with a distant mother and a hardhitting and cold father and all the personal issues (regrets, mental pain and still wanting to prove himself to his father) that were molded into him in his youth and which "he cant shake out of..".

The good: Sylvester Stallone is a force of it's own. You can watch any interview with the man and it is always fascinating and funny to watch, but this documentary left me behind with a bit of a sad feeling, caused by the sad note this movie ends on, namely the fall of a once great action star. Why did they choose to use such a downer ending?

Let's watch one of the great classic movies Sylvester Stallone starred in, one for example being the terrific "Copland", or the visceral "Rambo" or the classic "Rocky", to forget that even this action hero is just another human like you and me...

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10/10

That's Sly for ya!

fran-stampalija6 November 2023

Arguably one of the simplest documentaries, at first glance, even superficial when trying to explain Sylvester Stallone.

Now, that may seem true, unless you grew up watching his movies and followed all of his characters grow old (mature) along with him. Waiting for the next sequel, sometimes for years. Sly has always been underrated and underestimated. I mean, First blood - probably one of the best war dramas out there. On par with the far more acclaimed ones from directors who dish out masterpieces. Rocky is another one. Fantastic storyline and character development.

Worthwhile documentary!

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6/10

A bit like most of his movies - watchable but not great

Jaffa556 November 2023

As other reviewers have mentioned this felt (and was) a much more compressed insight into a 20th century icon than the Netflix documentary on Arnold Schwarzenegger. I'm always intrigued by rags to riches stories (not massively common in the movie industry) and this side of Stallone's life was covered reasonably well.

However unlike the Arnie documentary, there were massive gaps here with regard to Stallone's various issues and actions outside of making movies. Whilst I don't think an actors personal life should be opened out to all and sundry, this did feel like a missed opportunity to get more insight (from himself and other actors) into Stallone's real life and thoughts beyond the one in front of the camera. Stallone was a good actor when given the chance but his choice of movies frequently let him down once he became a big star, something he was all to aware of.

Ultimately 'Sly' showed a reflective, slightly sad man who felt he should have spent more time with his family, but gave us little other insight as to who he really is.

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5/10

Well....hm

ndrowasb19 November 2023

I have been a fan and admirer of Sylvester Stallone since the 80s. I love the Rocky movies ( Rocky III) is my favorite and most of The Expendables. That being said, this was superficial. I didn't know about his father (wow) and as a horsewoman I knew from watching the Rambo movies he learned to ride well from somewhere. But he spent very little time taking about his Mother, his son who was tragically lost, his wife, daughters, his other son ( who is autistic) and I believe is still with us? It felt like numerous missed opportunities. I know most big movie stars with this long of a career have trophy rooms and memorabilia etc... but no less than 3 HUGE life sized statues, multiple busts of his face?? Yikes that's a lot of ego!

Sly came across as a man so embittered by his fathers abuse that he made a career out of it and is still bitter about IT. I know from people in the movie business that he is one of the nicest people in the business so I was a little confused. He has a unique perception of what works for his movies and the life lessons here are if it doesn't " keep punching" The tenacity of which he approached his career, was pretty amazing, but very little in depth about other actors ?

Of course I've heard stories about his jealousy and temper and I see now, those are probably true...the sad thing is the last 20 minutes of this felt very forced and very " acted" I would have like to known more about who he is as a father, husband, just basic stuff, but decades in the business, I'm sure he is protecting what is private and most important to him. The sad thing, I wanted reality and what is presented is not.

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6/10

Good but, Arnold did it first

laceypletcher5 November 2023

I liked this as a snapshot and I respect the man as a writer and director, as well as actor, but I just felt like he was trying to fast follow the Arnold documentary. (Evidenced by the shorter run time.) I know their rivalry is over, but seems forced since Arnie had one. Interesting story and I don't discredit him for what he's achieved, it was the CONCEPT that just felt like a copy cat- oh Arnie had one and so I need one now too. I enjoyed it as a whole especially from a rags to Hollywood icon American story, but as an Arnie fan for 34 years it's hard to not feel the comparison and think this is a guy that felt he needed his glory/mark on Hollywood as a muscleman that made it to be in a doc as well.

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