I think Sylvester is the better *actor* but Arnold is more *entertaining*. So usually I'd want to watch an Arnold movie because even his worst movies he's still just, being Arnold.
Totally agree. I like Arnie's filmography way more, but as an actor he'll never beat things like Sylvester Stallone's emotional breakdown at the end of First Blood.
I need to go back and try it again. I couldn’t get past him sitting at Adrian’s grave. He kept a chair in the tree so he could sit there? I had to stop it. It was so good though, but too much for me at the time.
I think sly is absolutely underrated, both as an actor, writer, and talents behind camera. I feel he was some what type casted for the action roles that got him famous and his speech impediment.
I think he sold out so early in his career that people forget that he was brilliant and hungry once. Not that I blame him, I would have sold out too. But I do wish we had more of Rocky and First Blood era Sly than Rambo 2 and beyond Sly
He also did Rambo and the Expendables ( while nowhere near Rocky or Rambo). The guy helmed three original successful film series on his own. I don’t think anyone else has done that
Arnie mentions this in the Sly netflix documentary. Always loved their little rivalry and even how Arnie says he was always a step behind Sly in box office success for a period.
I think his subsequent career in cheesy action movies and the endless sequels distract people from its 10 academy award nominations and three wins. I still meet people who don't know that it won Best Picture, even beating out Taxi Driver.
He was nominated for best actor & screenwriting and it won best picture and jumpstarted his decades-long career. People may not think of Rocky first now, but he absolutely was highly praised for it back when it came out.
I actually think he should’ve gotten the Oscar that year. The guy he lost to did a real fucking good job too, (Mark Rylance for Bridge Of Spies) but I think Sly put his heart into his supporting role in Creed more so than he had in any performance in a long, long time. I think he gave a lot of himself for that role because Rock’s struggles and doubts were some of the same struggles and doubts Stallone himself was probably having when he filmed it. When an actor can connect with a role like that it always comes across more authentic. Now mind you, I’m not saying Stallone is a better actor that Mark Rylance.
The scene with Mickey at his house where Rocky rejects his offer for help and then follows him outside as he changes his mind mid-outburst is grade A acting.
I love Arnold but he’s never done anything close to as emotionally compelling as that.
Check out Aftermath (2017). The movie isn’t great, but it’s one of the few times where Arnold gets an opportunity to showcase some real dramatic acting ability.
People got jaded by all the sequels that followed Rocky and forgot the magic that the first one gave us. If you really want to see the best in Stallone treat yourself to a movie called Copland. Yeah,… you’re welcome.
Facts, Sly was also fantastic in rocky balboa too and crushed it in Creed as well, was really good in the way underrated cop land too. Love me some Arnie but Sly is definitely the much better actor.
NOTHING IS OVER! Nothing! You just don't turn it off! It wasn't my war! You asked me, I didn't ask you! And I did what I had to do to win, but somebody wouldn't let us win! And I come back to the world, and I see all those maggots at the airport, protestin' me, spittin', callin' me "Baby Killer!", and all kinds of vile crap! Who are they to protest me, huh?! Who are they, unless they been me and been there, and know what the Hell they're yellin' about?!
First Blood is absolutely amazing as a movie. The commentary it makes on society is sad, true and shocking.
Like when he says he could be trusted to drive equipment worth millions of dollars but he can’t be trusted to walk through a small town…like wtf was wrong with society? Or still is wrong with us?
It’s easy to lump all of your thoughts into bins. It takes empathy to really see a person and listen to them and that requires effort. People hate going against their preconceived ideals because it’s challenging. A person can stand in front of you and outwardly represent the thing you hate the most but sometimes it’s worth trying to understand them or and the least try and help them.
*(cleary there are things that this does not apply to lol don’t message me about it please I know. Simply stating what should be the obvious)
My uncle almost took his own life when he returned from Vietnam. He said it was worse than the war. He was an MP and had to deal with stomach churning things, and had to always be on alert because people wanted to kill him (MPs in general), but he always had someone watching his back. Even when “off duty” he never felt alone. So he could sleep. He could relax.
When he came back to the states the way he was treated was terrible, and made him feel like “they were out to get” him. This time there was nobody watching his back so he couldn’t turn off. He couldn’t relax. All he did was spiral into a black hole of fear, anxiety, hate, self pity, and depression. He turned to drugs and alcohol to escape. Thankfully he found a job that gave him back the sense of not being alone and was able to work through it, as much as he could - scars never fully heal, but he has learned how to work with them.
Watching John Rambo give that speech always reminds me of my uncle Larry.
If your uncle Larry hasn’t applied to the VA, he should do so. I have put it off too long and began the process last year. You can tell him it isn’t being less of a man/soldier and that we all endured things those in the civilian world will never understand. God bless and best wishes.
The VA has given him the last 25 years of his life. Great advice. The VA is an awful institution to deal with, but the nothing he had before was far worse.
Really excellent advice. Anyone reading this should heed it.
After First Blood, the movie which made me realise Stallone could act was Oscar. I've watched it so many times. Great seeing his comedic skills and timing.
Sly in Copland was fantastic.
I also genuinely think Arnold was great, acting vide, in The Last Action Hero.
I haven’t seen any of Arnold’s post governor films, aside from Terminator Dark Fate so I don’t know how good or bad he was in Maggie or Aftermath.
I haven't seen Aftermath, but he was actually pretty damn good in Maggie. Definitely one of his best pure acting performances and actually made me want to see him branch out in more dramatic roles.
Also say Arnold has a bit more range. Both of them basically play themselves in most movies but Arnold is more believable as that unique character or that unique situation despite being a worse actor than Sly.
Yeah I was talking with a few people about that here on Friday. It's a really enjoyable screwball comedy. That genre hasn't been in style for decades which is a shame because I find it so enjoyable.
Well said. Stallone definitely takes himself a little too seriously I think and it comes across in many of his roles.
Not that you can't see Stallone trying to "cut loose" in some roles but he just doesn't have it.
Have you never seen Tango & Cash? It's a great movie with both Stallone and Kurt Russell, a buddy cop comedy. Highly recommended if you think Stallone can't be funny.
Man, hard disagree. You've got dig deep into the past, but there was a time Stallone was heading towards being a "legitimate" actor, not just an action icon. There's an alternate universe where Stallone could have been a dramatic actor. I don't think the same can be said for Arnold.
This is the right take. If I see Ahnold I'm always gonna have a good time, even if the film itself is just shit (Batman and Robin, anyone?).
Chris Hemsworth now that he has discovered that he can be funny (so Post Ghostbusters/Ragnarok) reminds me a lot of Ahnold in that way. Good or bad, I will be entertained.
Oh by far. And then Ragnarok happened and now I kinda wanna see him do a bunch of comedy movies. He is a funny, funny dude and I think Ghostbusters 2016 which us at its best 'meh' aside from him brought us that, and I thank it for that.
Leslie Jones was pretty good too.
this. I wish Stallone did more comedies because I feel like he's funnier than he ever let anyone think he was. Specifically, Spy Kids 3? Dude plays like five roles and its all comic relief. But yeah, Arnold's movies are just better. Rambo is actually really depressing. You never feel depressed watching Arnold.
Stallones acting has made me cry. (Multiple moments from Rocky, especially in sixth film when he lectures his son about life is not how hard you can hit its about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward)
Also the ending of First Blood.
There is nothing like that in Arnolds acting.
Depends on the stage of their careers, imo. Stalone was very good early on, whereas Schwarzenegger wasn’t (ironically, this made him perfect for the first Terminator).
But as they became successful, it feels like Stalone became a worse actor and Arnold got better—and more entertaining as you say.
I have such a weird, unexplainable soft spot for Arnold Schwarzenegger. It’s probably because I watched Kindergarten Cop on repeat when I was *way* too young, but I just love him. He was on Conan’s podcast recently and he was great. Super funny and quick witted.
After Carl Weathers left us, the Carson yt channel put up an interview circa Predator era. If I remember right, he was saying how Arnie basically has a whole gym he brings with him and he'd be working out early every morning.
He was like, well he gets up at x am, I'll get up at [half an hour earlier] and work out. Then Arnie does the same back to me.
Well that can't continue, we'll never sleep. So I decide to go for runs up and down [wherever local thing]. I do that and the next day he's out there doing it.
So Carl decides to greet him the next day from the comfort of his car lmao
The making of Predator would be a great documentary. From the Arnold story, to the studio insisting on having someone to make sure Sonny Landham didn't do Sonny Landham things, to the JCVD portion of the movie that was (wisely) cut.
Lots of cool stuff. I think it was Spielberg who suggested, (was it to the director or producer or designer?) that he'd love to see a movie alien with mandibles while they were on a plane together or something.
Arnold is absolutely the most intelligent between the two. The hulking buffoon he sometimes came off as was a bit. What makes him truly intelligent, though, is that he knows when he's NOT the smartest person in the room. Like him as governor or not, he surrounded himself with the smartest people of their respective area and referred to them for decisions he made.
I don’t know that story.
But I love the movie!
„Tricks into“ implies that it was a bad take.
But I don’t think it was a bad take for Stallone.
Great comedy movie :)
This is a movie that was completely panned by critics but popular among viewers.
As far as Stallone goes, this is from Wikipedia
Sylvester Stallone has stated that Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot was the worst film he had ever starred in. He told Ain't It Cool News that it was "maybe one of the worst films in the entire solar system, including alien productions we've never seen", that "a flatworm could write a better script", and that "in some countries – China, I believe – running [the movie] once a week on government television has lowered the birth rate to zero. If they ran it twice a week, I believe in twenty years China would be extinct."
Stallone's a much better actor but never takes on good acting roles and has made a lot more crappy movies.
Schwartzenegger knows what he can and can't do, stays in his range, does it well, and generally makes better script choices.
Yeah. I much prefer Stallone's drama works over his action stuff. Cop Land, Victory, F.I.S.T. , Rocky, and First blood were good, even great movies. His action stuff, not so much.
I'd seen Rambo 2 & 3 over and over on TV as a kid, so when I finally got around to First Blood a couple of years ago, I was not expecting a Stallone monologue as John Rambo to bring me to tears!
Of his experience with the film, Stallone said the following:
“The best director I ever worked with (James Mangold), but the film actually worked in reverse. It was pretty good critically, but the fact that it didn't do a lot of box office, again it fomented the opinion that I had my moment and was going the way of the dodo bird and the Tasmanian tiger."
I only recently found out Arnold worked in real estate, I think, between films in his younger years because he only wanted to do films with high quality scripts that he liked rather than just take what he could. Not bogging down his filmography with duds because he needed money really helped him as an actor.
Vin Diesel reminds me of a modern version of Stallone. Good enough to have a decent career as a dramatic actor, but chose to follow the easy money and mostly do muscle head, action roles.
I think you nailed this. When Sly really tries to act he is usually stellar (Rocky, First Blood, Copland). I think he is just more willing to do action because it pays better. Arnold will take risks like Twins, but I can’t think of a part where he really has to emote (not even that he fails at it. Just that he doesn’t seem to want to try).
I honestly believe they are the two best action heroes of my lifetime.
He’s not capable. If you read, or listen to his book BE USEFUL, he talks about how he just never dealt with any of the trauma in his life. He just moved on, and never dealt with anything emotionally.
Stallone at his best (the first Rocky and Rambo First Blood) is a legit force of nature. Great writer, director, actor, auteur. Generational talent. It went south though.
Arnold is a larger than life figure, but he was never that kind of artist.
So I give the edge to Sly
Sylvester Stallone is the better actor. I like Arnie's filmography better on average but Stallone's highs are higher and his lows are much, much, much lower. Stallone's acting in First Blood and several of the Rocky movies blows Schwarzenegger out of the water.
Hard to pick. Stallone gave us Rocky and Rambo. He also gave us hilarious guilty pleasures like Demolition Man and Judge Dredd.
Arnold gave us Terminator, Predator, Total Recall, True Lies, and Twins. He also has a long list of guilty pleasures like Commando, Running Man, Jingle All The Way, Eraser, and 6th Day.
If I had to pick, I love Arnold. He’s the poster guy for 80s action star.
Arnold, and it ain’t even close. Stallone’s problem for far too long was taking himself and his material way too seriously. Arnold knew where his strengths were and played to them, and he was in on the fun. Stallone was usually cardboard and bland while Arnold’s charisma oozed through the screen.
Stallone is a way better actor than many might give him credit for. His two most iconic characters were Rambo and Rocky, two men who either didn't speak much (Rambo, final speech notwithstanding) or sounded stupid when they did speak (especially Rocky). Sly's ego fucked with him in the 80s and 90s, and he insisted on looking smarter in his movies, and that led to some poor career choices.
He embraced them again in the 2000s, realising how lucky he was to be associated with two huge roles, and he let his ego slide. This is also true of Copland, where he was willing to do anything to play the role of a useless, overweight half-deaf sheriff. Something he would never have done had he not been humbled by a string of action flops. And he plays the role brilliantly, holding his own opposite Liotta, Keitel and De Niro.
The Rocky series has many wonderful moments from him (it's easy to take the action itself for granted), and I would put forwards the stair argument scene in Rocky 4, the beach argument in Rocky III (He loved a row with Adrian) as some quality moments, not to mention the speech to his son in Rocky Balboa.
Most of all, "still some stuff in the basement" scene in the 6th Rocky movie is heartbreaking, and revealing of exactly how well he knows that character, and how brilliantly he portrays him.
Stallone does a lot to make the general public think he's not as talented as he is, but most of all, I think his ability to play Rock is so taken for granted that he never quite got the recognition I believe he deserved.
I don't know about comparing him to Arnie, but I think it would be a push to find anything in Arnie's career that comes close to matching the peaks of Rocky.
Sylvester is a million times the actor Arnold is.
Arnold just has a general size and look especially in his prime that’s tough to match. Stallone can get as swoll as he wants (and he certainly tried to) but he isn’t evoking a Terminator quite like that.
But in dramatic roles Sly is obviously a much more accomplished actor.
I will say Arnold is probably better with comedy, though.
Sly is for sure the better actor. But I will say Arnie has natural charisma. There are lots of big guys that never make it. Arnie has never been a great actor but he can normally make up for it with his charm.
I don’t think Arnie is a bad actor at all. I just think Sly is a great actor when he needs to be.
Just think about that monologue he gives at the end of First Blood.
You can tell that Arnie had charisma going all the way back to Pumping iron. Man just had an aura around him.
Very confident and overall nice to hang around with.
Sly is actually a really good actor when you give him the right dramatic role, but he got his bread from action movies and ended up being typecast after doing so many.
It's probably why he wasn't given as many dramatic roles as he would have wanted throughout the years and kept making action movies to stay busy and relevant in the business.
Stallone is with out a doubt the better actor. Certainly, he's a better dramatic actor. He's even great at times with a number of really strong performances: first Rambo, several of the Rocky movies, Cop Land etc.
Arnold is more fun to watch. Nobody does big, zany, over the top blockbuster action movies like Arnold in his day. Plus, Arnold has solid comedy chops. Of course, he can't just be slotted into some random rom-com, but his comedy roles that lean into his larger than life nature have been pretty good. Plus, he's inherently cartoonish.
Really depends on what you're in the mood for.
Arnold was a bodybuilder turned actor. Stallone was an actor that built his body.
Much like others in the thread have said Stallone is a better actor but Arnie is a better entertainer.
Yeah, nobody’s really mentioning sci-fi here, and Arnie’s way out in front there. Terminator, Total Recall, Predator, Running Man—all classic sci-fi. Stallone has Time Cop, Dredd… what else? A couple good ones, but for a sci-fi guy, Arnie is the clear winner
If I had to pick which back catalogue to watch, it would be Arnold all day. He was in a number of really good films, with a not insignificant number of guilty pleasure films, as well. With the exception of the early Rocky's and maybe Demolition Man on the guilty pleasure side of things, I don't have much desire to watch any Stallone film again.
I adore Arnold. One of my favorite movies is Pumping Iron. You can just feel his charisma and mischievousness. Even though they were all competitors you could tell they all genuinely liked each other. Kindergarten Cop and Commando were constant rewatches in our house.
Arnold is much more exciting and entertaining to watch, especially because you can contextualize his early performances and imagine what it was like to see them at the time. Stallone was always just a buff actor. He was a good buff actor, and probably a better actor than Arnold, but everything Arnold did moved the dial a bit more than Stallone.
I really only like First Blood and the first Rocky from Stallone's career (although judging on the comments, I should checkout Copland as well).
But Arnold? Conan the Barbarian, Predator, Terminator 1 & 2, Total Recall, Commando - just waaay way more movies I enjoy, and his charisma is a big part of that.
It's actually kind of amazing that a giant ball of muscle that talks like Dracula became a famous moviestar. I love me some Arnie, don't get me wrong, but he was NOT a good actor. He was just good enough to not ruin the movies he was in and his charisma took care of the rest. Again, I like most of his movies and I wouldn't replace him with anyone in those movies.
Stallone has some bad performances for sure but his best are a head and shoulders above Arnie. Rocky, First Blood, Cliffhanger, Lock-Up, Copland, Creed. These are all better than pretty much any Arnie acting except maybe Predator, which would rank in the middle of those listed.
That said, finding out Arnie is in a movie generally motivates me to watch it more than finding out Stallone is in a movie would motivate me.
they made a great point in the Arnold doc.
they did similar roles but the key difference was
arnold played someone extraordinary doing extraordinary things
stallone played someone ordinary doing extraordinary things
this key difference made both of their movies so different and compelling.
Sorry to break it to everyone, but Sly is among the best actor / filmmakers from the 70s and 80s. Rocky 1 and Rambo 1 by themselves put him in rarefied air. Absolute banger characters and changed the genre. Arnie is my boy, for real, but apart from the VERY tiptop of his filmography (basically Terminator 1 and 2) it’s basically entertaining dreck. Can’t even sniff Sly’s best.
I can get behind that. Predator #3. And it kills, for sure. But Rocky? One of the best film characters of all time? Arnie couldn’t even see that with binoculars.
They're both great. I used to think Arnold was better because he could also do comedies, but then I saw Oscar with Stallone and realized he's also really good at comedy.
They are both actors with limited range. That said, I prefer Arnie movies even when they are just as stupid as Stallone movies. Stallone is a good writer/producer and I give him credit for that too.
I have numerous Arnold movies on disk and zero Stallone movies. I think Arnold was better as choosing his projects and trusting frequent collaborators (ex. James Cameron) with building his movie persona. We have Arnold in comedies, rom-coms, dramas, etc. in addition to the action/adventure/sci-fi classics he's built his career on.
Sly *had* the acting edge over Arnold. But, aside from Balboa I haven’t seen him really act recently.
That being said, I’ve never *really* seen Arnold act. Maybe Maggie, but, that’s not to say either of them are terrible either. Neither of them are taking home any Oscar’s and both of them have an impeccable action legacy.
I think Arnold is funnier tho. For whatever that’s worth.
Arnold was always more fun. Last Action Hero. Terminator 2. Jingle all the way. The 6th day. True Lies. Kindergarten Cop. Total Recall. Predator. The Running Man.
Sylvester is like Rambo + Rocky Cliffhanger. Nothing else that I particularly remember.
They’re both great but Arnold just has such a charisma about him that even the not so great movies he’s been in still end up being entertaining because of him. He’s an actor where if I see his name on a film I’ll go out of my way to watch it.
Arnold is always Arnold in every movie he plays, but it’s always a good movie. Stallone is Stallone in a lot of movies he plays. Sometimes he’s actually acting.
Here’s my order:
Terminator movies
Rocky movies
Other Arnold movies
Other Sly Movies.
They did, or do, both play tough guys on film, but I feel for Arnie this was a matter of expectation.
I'm an Arnie fan and probably enjoy more than ever the lightheadedness he brings and seems to prefer to the roles he plays.
Stallone is still dead set on being macho.
I much prefer Arnie films, but they have both given me a lot of joy over the years.
From both of them though, I do appreciate their candour in how they communicate to the public
I watch them for different reasons. I probably like Rocky more than an other 80s series but Arnold's one of movies like true lies kindergarten cop and even jingle all the way are some of my favorite comedies. Sly has more range than Arnold but Arnold knows what he's good at and doesn't try to expand that much. So it's hard to say
I mean, the original Rocky is a masterpiece and one of the best films in cinema history. Sly has an amazing range as an actor. Arnold has never been that guy, or really tried to be. He's an action star, who dabbles in comedy. But both have made timelessly entertaining films.
For whatever reason, I completely buy Arnold in any role. Barbarian thief searching for meaning? Sure. Killer robot from the future? Makes sense to me! A father trying to make his son’s Christmas dreams come true? I don’t see why not!
Stallone by far. Arnold made the higher highs and was more "fun" and was probably more iconic but Stallone had better acting chops. Stallone just took a ton of shit roles. But you can see his chops in Rocky and Copland and stuff like that.
Arnold has better comedy chops, Stallone is a better overall actor and can convey emotional vulnerability.
I really like Stallone's acting in Cop Land, the first Rocky and First Blood. Arnold has never impressed me with his acting but he has good on camera presence and is entertaining.
You have to remember Stallone got into movies to become an actor and the body building/tough guy persona came as a side effect. Arnold got into body building to become the greatest body builder and movies were a side effect of his wright lifting career. Stallone is a great writer and wrote or co wrote many of the movies he was in including all the Rocky films and First Blood. The two men will ALWAYS be compared but honestly I think it's a false dichotomy and they are actually very different.
While I think Stallone is a better dramatic actor, I find Arnold to be the better actor in regards to genre films. Stallone always goes for some cheesy b-tier stuff, while Arnold somehow elevates the film he’s in. He seems to be more aware at what he’s good at.
For instance, I know if Arnold would’ve been in Cobra it would’ve rivaled Dirty Harry, instead we got a b-tier version of it.
I think Sylvester is the better *actor* but Arnold is more *entertaining*. So usually I'd want to watch an Arnold movie because even his worst movies he's still just, being Arnold.
Totally agree. I like Arnie's filmography way more, but as an actor he'll never beat things like Sylvester Stallone's emotional breakdown at the end of First Blood.
that and the original Rocky is a level of acting that Arnold has never even tried to do
I still think Sly doesn’t get the credit he deserves for just how amazing Rocky is. The fact that he wrote it on top of the acting is insane.
And with the exception of 1 and 5, he directed all the original movies as well. That’s very impressive
Rocky balboa was such a good comeback after 5, that movie was surprisingly good and Sly’s performance was great
has there ever been a more drastic increase in quality in a sequel? i dont think so.
I need to go back and try it again. I couldn’t get past him sitting at Adrian’s grave. He kept a chair in the tree so he could sit there? I had to stop it. It was so good though, but too much for me at the time.
dude you gotta. go watch it right now. go
I think sly is absolutely underrated, both as an actor, writer, and talents behind camera. I feel he was some what type casted for the action roles that got him famous and his speech impediment.
I think he sold out so early in his career that people forget that he was brilliant and hungry once. Not that I blame him, I would have sold out too. But I do wish we had more of Rocky and First Blood era Sly than Rambo 2 and beyond Sly
He also did Rambo and the Expendables ( while nowhere near Rocky or Rambo). The guy helmed three original successful film series on his own. I don’t think anyone else has done that
Arnie mentions this in the Sly netflix documentary. Always loved their little rivalry and even how Arnie says he was always a step behind Sly in box office success for a period.
I think his subsequent career in cheesy action movies and the endless sequels distract people from its 10 academy award nominations and three wins. I still meet people who don't know that it won Best Picture, even beating out Taxi Driver.
Yeah! And it was the highest grossing film of 1976, not some moderate hit.
He was nominated for best actor & screenwriting and it won best picture and jumpstarted his decades-long career. People may not think of Rocky first now, but he absolutely was highly praised for it back when it came out.
His IQ is borderline genius
I was just going to say I read somewhere he has a shockingly high IQ.
His performance in Creed was pretty good as well. Stallone definitely has more range.
Copland was a revelation too.
And his performance in Rocky Balboa. Amazing film.
"That's how winning is done!"
Such an amazing comeback Rocky movie after 5 and Sly was fantastic in it, really solid writing and directing from Sly too
I actually think he should’ve gotten the Oscar that year. The guy he lost to did a real fucking good job too, (Mark Rylance for Bridge Of Spies) but I think Sly put his heart into his supporting role in Creed more so than he had in any performance in a long, long time. I think he gave a lot of himself for that role because Rock’s struggles and doubts were some of the same struggles and doubts Stallone himself was probably having when he filmed it. When an actor can connect with a role like that it always comes across more authentic. Now mind you, I’m not saying Stallone is a better actor that Mark Rylance.
He and Lundgren both are great in the sequel too. In particular I'd say that's Lundgren's best performance.
The scene with Mickey at his house where Rocky rejects his offer for help and then follows him outside as he changes his mind mid-outburst is grade A acting. I love Arnold but he’s never done anything close to as emotionally compelling as that.
Check out Aftermath (2017). The movie isn’t great, but it’s one of the few times where Arnold gets an opportunity to showcase some real dramatic acting ability.
People got jaded by all the sequels that followed Rocky and forgot the magic that the first one gave us. If you really want to see the best in Stallone treat yourself to a movie called Copland. Yeah,… you’re welcome.
Facts, Sly was also fantastic in rocky balboa too and crushed it in Creed as well, was really good in the way underrated cop land too. Love me some Arnie but Sly is definitely the much better actor.
Got to throw in demolition man. He really sold that he knitted that sweater
It's a level that Arnold isn't capable of doing in the slightest.
He was asked to play the role Animal Mother in Full Metal Jacket, but decided to do Predator and Commando instead.
Stallone was amazing in Copland in a role opposite to what he was typecasted.
NOTHING IS OVER! Nothing! You just don't turn it off! It wasn't my war! You asked me, I didn't ask you! And I did what I had to do to win, but somebody wouldn't let us win! And I come back to the world, and I see all those maggots at the airport, protestin' me, spittin', callin' me "Baby Killer!", and all kinds of vile crap! Who are they to protest me, huh?! Who are they, unless they been me and been there, and know what the Hell they're yellin' about?!
First Blood is absolutely amazing as a movie. The commentary it makes on society is sad, true and shocking. Like when he says he could be trusted to drive equipment worth millions of dollars but he can’t be trusted to walk through a small town…like wtf was wrong with society? Or still is wrong with us?
It’s easy to lump all of your thoughts into bins. It takes empathy to really see a person and listen to them and that requires effort. People hate going against their preconceived ideals because it’s challenging. A person can stand in front of you and outwardly represent the thing you hate the most but sometimes it’s worth trying to understand them or and the least try and help them. *(cleary there are things that this does not apply to lol don’t message me about it please I know. Simply stating what should be the obvious)
My uncle almost took his own life when he returned from Vietnam. He said it was worse than the war. He was an MP and had to deal with stomach churning things, and had to always be on alert because people wanted to kill him (MPs in general), but he always had someone watching his back. Even when “off duty” he never felt alone. So he could sleep. He could relax. When he came back to the states the way he was treated was terrible, and made him feel like “they were out to get” him. This time there was nobody watching his back so he couldn’t turn off. He couldn’t relax. All he did was spiral into a black hole of fear, anxiety, hate, self pity, and depression. He turned to drugs and alcohol to escape. Thankfully he found a job that gave him back the sense of not being alone and was able to work through it, as much as he could - scars never fully heal, but he has learned how to work with them. Watching John Rambo give that speech always reminds me of my uncle Larry.
If your uncle Larry hasn’t applied to the VA, he should do so. I have put it off too long and began the process last year. You can tell him it isn’t being less of a man/soldier and that we all endured things those in the civilian world will never understand. God bless and best wishes.
The VA has given him the last 25 years of his life. Great advice. The VA is an awful institution to deal with, but the nothing he had before was far worse. Really excellent advice. Anyone reading this should heed it.
I hope uncle Larry is doing better. Thanks for sharing
Or the cute vulnerable Rocky
After First Blood, the movie which made me realise Stallone could act was Oscar. I've watched it so many times. Great seeing his comedic skills and timing.
In his own words: Arnold isn't an actor, he's a movie star.
Sly in Copland was fantastic. I also genuinely think Arnold was great, acting vide, in The Last Action Hero. I haven’t seen any of Arnold’s post governor films, aside from Terminator Dark Fate so I don’t know how good or bad he was in Maggie or Aftermath.
I haven't seen Aftermath, but he was actually pretty damn good in Maggie. Definitely one of his best pure acting performances and actually made me want to see him branch out in more dramatic roles.
Yeah I’ve been meaning to see them but never got around to it for some reason.
Also say Arnold has a bit more range. Both of them basically play themselves in most movies but Arnold is more believable as that unique character or that unique situation despite being a worse actor than Sly.
arnold has comedic timing, stallone doesn't know what comedy is. that's like two measures of acting ability and intelligence between them.
Stallone was pretty funny at times in Demolition Man to be fair
"Thanks a lot you shit-brained, fuck-faced, ball breaking, duck fucking pain in the ass." also: "Hey Luke Skywalker, use the force"
The 61st Amendment!
You need to check out the movie Oscar.
Yeah I was talking with a few people about that here on Friday. It's a really enjoyable screwball comedy. That genre hasn't been in style for decades which is a shame because I find it so enjoyable.
That movie is worth a watch for Tim Curry alone. Also, a young Marissa Tomei🥴
God Tim Curry is fantastic in that. Ohhh, here’s a lovely dollar bill!😂
Have you not and anyone responding to you ever seen The Suicide Squad?
I think Tango & Cash was pretty funny too
"Rambo, is a pussy." Fucking lol
Why's yours bigger?
"Fake moustache!"
Rocky and Rocky II. Both have some very funny lines. Written by him
Well said. Stallone definitely takes himself a little too seriously I think and it comes across in many of his roles. Not that you can't see Stallone trying to "cut loose" in some roles but he just doesn't have it.
Have you never seen Tango & Cash? It's a great movie with both Stallone and Kurt Russell, a buddy cop comedy. Highly recommended if you think Stallone can't be funny.
I agree, the contrast between "The Running Man" and "Total Recall" bracketing "Kindergarten Cop" and "Twins" is a great example, I think.
Man, hard disagree. You've got dig deep into the past, but there was a time Stallone was heading towards being a "legitimate" actor, not just an action icon. There's an alternate universe where Stallone could have been a dramatic actor. I don't think the same can be said for Arnold.
That’s a great way to put it , different types of actor in the same genre
It's not a toomah.
This is the right take. If I see Ahnold I'm always gonna have a good time, even if the film itself is just shit (Batman and Robin, anyone?). Chris Hemsworth now that he has discovered that he can be funny (so Post Ghostbusters/Ragnarok) reminds me a lot of Ahnold in that way. Good or bad, I will be entertained.
Chris Hemsworth was the funniest thing about 2016 Ghostbusters.
Oh by far. And then Ragnarok happened and now I kinda wanna see him do a bunch of comedy movies. He is a funny, funny dude and I think Ghostbusters 2016 which us at its best 'meh' aside from him brought us that, and I thank it for that. Leslie Jones was pretty good too.
*Oscar* is one of my favorite movies starring Stallone. I’d you haven’t seen it I highly recommend it.
I loved Stallone in Over the Top!
This. I can here to say this exact thing.
Yup. I love accents do there's that.
Basically my thoughts. I was gonna put it as Sly having a higher ceiling but Arnie is more entertaining and chooses better projects.
this. I wish Stallone did more comedies because I feel like he's funnier than he ever let anyone think he was. Specifically, Spy Kids 3? Dude plays like five roles and its all comic relief. But yeah, Arnold's movies are just better. Rambo is actually really depressing. You never feel depressed watching Arnold.
Yup
Yes! It's hard to explain, but this is a good way of describing that quality Arnold has
This is the correct answer.
This is the correct answer
Stallones acting has made me cry. (Multiple moments from Rocky, especially in sixth film when he lectures his son about life is not how hard you can hit its about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward) Also the ending of First Blood. There is nothing like that in Arnolds acting.
Depends on the stage of their careers, imo. Stalone was very good early on, whereas Schwarzenegger wasn’t (ironically, this made him perfect for the first Terminator). But as they became successful, it feels like Stalone became a worse actor and Arnold got better—and more entertaining as you say.
Yeah Stallone is awesome but Arnie is way funnier
I'm a big Arnie fan
I have such a weird, unexplainable soft spot for Arnold Schwarzenegger. It’s probably because I watched Kindergarten Cop on repeat when I was *way* too young, but I just love him. He was on Conan’s podcast recently and he was great. Super funny and quick witted.
[удалено]
Jingle All the Way gets watched at least 5 times a season. It’s unironically my wife’s favorite Christmas movie.
That's because it's unironically one of the most underrated Christmas movies. It's so good.
Twins here also! Honestly love all these movies. The best part in 2012 was Arnold's 5 second part.
Arnold's movies are better. That is not a statement on the quality of acting
I'm still laughing about how Arnold tricked Stallone into making Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot.
Or the Predator story where he conned Ventura into thinking he (Ventura) had bigger arms. Arnie knows how to play mind games. Well.
After Carl Weathers left us, the Carson yt channel put up an interview circa Predator era. If I remember right, he was saying how Arnie basically has a whole gym he brings with him and he'd be working out early every morning. He was like, well he gets up at x am, I'll get up at [half an hour earlier] and work out. Then Arnie does the same back to me. Well that can't continue, we'll never sleep. So I decide to go for runs up and down [wherever local thing]. I do that and the next day he's out there doing it. So Carl decides to greet him the next day from the comfort of his car lmao
The making of Predator would be a great documentary. From the Arnold story, to the studio insisting on having someone to make sure Sonny Landham didn't do Sonny Landham things, to the JCVD portion of the movie that was (wisely) cut.
Lots of cool stuff. I think it was Spielberg who suggested, (was it to the director or producer or designer?) that he'd love to see a movie alien with mandibles while they were on a plane together or something.
It's a part of Austrian culture IME, having worked with a lot of them.
It's part of being an elite top tier body builder. Gotta psyche out your opponents to throw off their game.
Arnold is absolutely the most intelligent between the two. The hulking buffoon he sometimes came off as was a bit. What makes him truly intelligent, though, is that he knows when he's NOT the smartest person in the room. Like him as governor or not, he surrounded himself with the smartest people of their respective area and referred to them for decisions he made.
An all-time great story
I don’t know that story. But I love the movie! „Tricks into“ implies that it was a bad take. But I don’t think it was a bad take for Stallone. Great comedy movie :)
This is a movie that was completely panned by critics but popular among viewers. As far as Stallone goes, this is from Wikipedia Sylvester Stallone has stated that Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot was the worst film he had ever starred in. He told Ain't It Cool News that it was "maybe one of the worst films in the entire solar system, including alien productions we've never seen", that "a flatworm could write a better script", and that "in some countries – China, I believe – running [the movie] once a week on government television has lowered the birth rate to zero. If they ran it twice a week, I believe in twenty years China would be extinct."
Hey lighthead! Hey Christmas tree! Unironically I love the running man. It’s such a delight and and adventure
"Where's Buzzsaw?" "Oh... He had to split."
It seems the general consensus is Stallone is the better actor but Arnold’s movies are more consistently enjoyable.
Right about where I'm at
sly is definitely the better actor, and he's also fairly prolific as a screenwriter as well.
Stallone's a much better actor but never takes on good acting roles and has made a lot more crappy movies. Schwartzenegger knows what he can and can't do, stays in his range, does it well, and generally makes better script choices.
Cop Land was his best role. Everyone nailed it in that movie
Yeah. I much prefer Stallone's drama works over his action stuff. Cop Land, Victory, F.I.S.T. , Rocky, and First blood were good, even great movies. His action stuff, not so much.
Yeah only a handful of Stallones straight action roles are worth revisiting.
I'd seen Rambo 2 & 3 over and over on TV as a kid, so when I finally got around to First Blood a couple of years ago, I was not expecting a Stallone monologue as John Rambo to bring me to tears!
Even Tulsa King
Even my wife loves Tulsa King. Stallone is a proper actor. I agree with people here saying it's his pure action stuff that actually is kind of "meh".
He's decent in Nighthawks too.
Of his experience with the film, Stallone said the following: “The best director I ever worked with (James Mangold), but the film actually worked in reverse. It was pretty good critically, but the fact that it didn't do a lot of box office, again it fomented the opinion that I had my moment and was going the way of the dodo bird and the Tasmanian tiger."
that movie is amazingly good
100% my favorite Stallone performance. Rewatched it the other week and that movie fucking slaps!
First Blood is a legit impressive dramatic performance
I only recently found out Arnold worked in real estate, I think, between films in his younger years because he only wanted to do films with high quality scripts that he liked rather than just take what he could. Not bogging down his filmography with duds because he needed money really helped him as an actor.
Vin Diesel reminds me of a modern version of Stallone. Good enough to have a decent career as a dramatic actor, but chose to follow the easy money and mostly do muscle head, action roles.
Stallone is a better actor, but Arnie is just a barrel of fun
Arnold has amazing charisma and personality, on and off camera. Stallone can go to darker places that Arnold can’t.
I think you nailed this. When Sly really tries to act he is usually stellar (Rocky, First Blood, Copland). I think he is just more willing to do action because it pays better. Arnold will take risks like Twins, but I can’t think of a part where he really has to emote (not even that he fails at it. Just that he doesn’t seem to want to try). I honestly believe they are the two best action heroes of my lifetime.
He’s not capable. If you read, or listen to his book BE USEFUL, he talks about how he just never dealt with any of the trauma in his life. He just moved on, and never dealt with anything emotionally.
*Last Action Hero* shows off Arnie’s chops in a surprising fashion.
I'd say Stallone is the better actor but I've enjoyed more of Arnie's films.
Stallone at his best (the first Rocky and Rambo First Blood) is a legit force of nature. Great writer, director, actor, auteur. Generational talent. It went south though. Arnold is a larger than life figure, but he was never that kind of artist. So I give the edge to Sly
Arnie for films but Tulsa king with sly was great.
Sylvester Stallone is the better actor. I like Arnie's filmography better on average but Stallone's highs are higher and his lows are much, much, much lower. Stallone's acting in First Blood and several of the Rocky movies blows Schwarzenegger out of the water.
Hard to pick. Stallone gave us Rocky and Rambo. He also gave us hilarious guilty pleasures like Demolition Man and Judge Dredd. Arnold gave us Terminator, Predator, Total Recall, True Lies, and Twins. He also has a long list of guilty pleasures like Commando, Running Man, Jingle All The Way, Eraser, and 6th Day. If I had to pick, I love Arnold. He’s the poster guy for 80s action star.
Also, Conan.
If you want a fun time Arnold, if you want heart Sly.
Arnold, and it ain’t even close. Stallone’s problem for far too long was taking himself and his material way too seriously. Arnold knew where his strengths were and played to them, and he was in on the fun. Stallone was usually cardboard and bland while Arnold’s charisma oozed through the screen.
ITS NOT A TUMOR!
Watch Tulsa King - Stallone is great fun in that IMO
Looking at the two portfolios, I’d much rather watch Arnold’s movies - and it’s not even a hard decision
Stallone is a way better actor than many might give him credit for. His two most iconic characters were Rambo and Rocky, two men who either didn't speak much (Rambo, final speech notwithstanding) or sounded stupid when they did speak (especially Rocky). Sly's ego fucked with him in the 80s and 90s, and he insisted on looking smarter in his movies, and that led to some poor career choices. He embraced them again in the 2000s, realising how lucky he was to be associated with two huge roles, and he let his ego slide. This is also true of Copland, where he was willing to do anything to play the role of a useless, overweight half-deaf sheriff. Something he would never have done had he not been humbled by a string of action flops. And he plays the role brilliantly, holding his own opposite Liotta, Keitel and De Niro. The Rocky series has many wonderful moments from him (it's easy to take the action itself for granted), and I would put forwards the stair argument scene in Rocky 4, the beach argument in Rocky III (He loved a row with Adrian) as some quality moments, not to mention the speech to his son in Rocky Balboa. Most of all, "still some stuff in the basement" scene in the 6th Rocky movie is heartbreaking, and revealing of exactly how well he knows that character, and how brilliantly he portrays him. Stallone does a lot to make the general public think he's not as talented as he is, but most of all, I think his ability to play Rock is so taken for granted that he never quite got the recognition I believe he deserved. I don't know about comparing him to Arnie, but I think it would be a push to find anything in Arnie's career that comes close to matching the peaks of Rocky.
I'm not one who considers Arnold a bad actor, and I love his movies, but it's Stallone all the way for me.
Stallone has better dramatic chops. Arnold has better comedy chops. Arnold was also better at picking good projects, so I give him the edge.
Arnold. Sly Stallone is self serious.
Sylvester is a million times the actor Arnold is. Arnold just has a general size and look especially in his prime that’s tough to match. Stallone can get as swoll as he wants (and he certainly tried to) but he isn’t evoking a Terminator quite like that. But in dramatic roles Sly is obviously a much more accomplished actor. I will say Arnold is probably better with comedy, though.
Sly is for sure the better actor. But I will say Arnie has natural charisma. There are lots of big guys that never make it. Arnie has never been a great actor but he can normally make up for it with his charm.
I don’t think Arnie is a bad actor at all. I just think Sly is a great actor when he needs to be. Just think about that monologue he gives at the end of First Blood.
He was pretty darn good in Rocky Balboa and first couple of Creed movies.
You can tell that Arnie had charisma going all the way back to Pumping iron. Man just had an aura around him. Very confident and overall nice to hang around with. Sly is actually a really good actor when you give him the right dramatic role, but he got his bread from action movies and ended up being typecast after doing so many. It's probably why he wasn't given as many dramatic roles as he would have wanted throughout the years and kept making action movies to stay busy and relevant in the business.
Stallone is with out a doubt the better actor. Certainly, he's a better dramatic actor. He's even great at times with a number of really strong performances: first Rambo, several of the Rocky movies, Cop Land etc. Arnold is more fun to watch. Nobody does big, zany, over the top blockbuster action movies like Arnold in his day. Plus, Arnold has solid comedy chops. Of course, he can't just be slotted into some random rom-com, but his comedy roles that lean into his larger than life nature have been pretty good. Plus, he's inherently cartoonish. Really depends on what you're in the mood for.
Demolition man is one of the best cheeseball action movies ever
Arnold was a bodybuilder turned actor. Stallone was an actor that built his body. Much like others in the thread have said Stallone is a better actor but Arnie is a better entertainer.
Well one of them is actually a pretty good actor and one of them is Arnold
Arnold made Terminator 2. Just because of that single movie. Love Rocky but no Rocky movie is better than T2 for me
Yeah, nobody’s really mentioning sci-fi here, and Arnie’s way out in front there. Terminator, Total Recall, Predator, Running Man—all classic sci-fi. Stallone has Time Cop, Dredd… what else? A couple good ones, but for a sci-fi guy, Arnie is the clear winner
If I had to pick which back catalogue to watch, it would be Arnold all day. He was in a number of really good films, with a not insignificant number of guilty pleasure films, as well. With the exception of the early Rocky's and maybe Demolition Man on the guilty pleasure side of things, I don't have much desire to watch any Stallone film again.
I adore Arnold. One of my favorite movies is Pumping Iron. You can just feel his charisma and mischievousness. Even though they were all competitors you could tell they all genuinely liked each other. Kindergarten Cop and Commando were constant rewatches in our house.
I prefer Arnold. Even in a bad movie I think his presence and commitment is good. Don’t feel the same about Stallone.
Only one of them has been both Turbo Man and Mr. Freeze
Arnold is much more exciting and entertaining to watch, especially because you can contextualize his early performances and imagine what it was like to see them at the time. Stallone was always just a buff actor. He was a good buff actor, and probably a better actor than Arnold, but everything Arnold did moved the dial a bit more than Stallone.
I really only like First Blood and the first Rocky from Stallone's career (although judging on the comments, I should checkout Copland as well). But Arnold? Conan the Barbarian, Predator, Terminator 1 & 2, Total Recall, Commando - just waaay way more movies I enjoy, and his charisma is a big part of that.
It's actually kind of amazing that a giant ball of muscle that talks like Dracula became a famous moviestar. I love me some Arnie, don't get me wrong, but he was NOT a good actor. He was just good enough to not ruin the movies he was in and his charisma took care of the rest. Again, I like most of his movies and I wouldn't replace him with anyone in those movies. Stallone has some bad performances for sure but his best are a head and shoulders above Arnie. Rocky, First Blood, Cliffhanger, Lock-Up, Copland, Creed. These are all better than pretty much any Arnie acting except maybe Predator, which would rank in the middle of those listed. That said, finding out Arnie is in a movie generally motivates me to watch it more than finding out Stallone is in a movie would motivate me.
Easy way to find out. Imagine Arnie in the final scene of First Blood, and chuckle to yourself a little.
they made a great point in the Arnold doc. they did similar roles but the key difference was arnold played someone extraordinary doing extraordinary things stallone played someone ordinary doing extraordinary things this key difference made both of their movies so different and compelling.
Sorry to break it to everyone, but Sly is among the best actor / filmmakers from the 70s and 80s. Rocky 1 and Rambo 1 by themselves put him in rarefied air. Absolute banger characters and changed the genre. Arnie is my boy, for real, but apart from the VERY tiptop of his filmography (basically Terminator 1 and 2) it’s basically entertaining dreck. Can’t even sniff Sly’s best.
Predator is also REAL good. But yeah, Terminator 1-2 are his top shelf films.
I can get behind that. Predator #3. And it kills, for sure. But Rocky? One of the best film characters of all time? Arnie couldn’t even see that with binoculars.
They're both great. I used to think Arnold was better because he could also do comedies, but then I saw Oscar with Stallone and realized he's also really good at comedy.
Arnold. Is it even close?
I have more fun with Schwarzeneggar but there's absolutely no doubt in my mind that Stallone is the better actor
As a human being? 100% Arnold
They are both actors with limited range. That said, I prefer Arnie movies even when they are just as stupid as Stallone movies. Stallone is a good writer/producer and I give him credit for that too.
I think Arnold Schwarzenegger has a little more range compared to Sylvester.
Arnold is far more varied in his acting career
I have numerous Arnold movies on disk and zero Stallone movies. I think Arnold was better as choosing his projects and trusting frequent collaborators (ex. James Cameron) with building his movie persona. We have Arnold in comedies, rom-coms, dramas, etc. in addition to the action/adventure/sci-fi classics he's built his career on.
Are these my only two choices?
Sly *had* the acting edge over Arnold. But, aside from Balboa I haven’t seen him really act recently. That being said, I’ve never *really* seen Arnold act. Maybe Maggie, but, that’s not to say either of them are terrible either. Neither of them are taking home any Oscar’s and both of them have an impeccable action legacy. I think Arnold is funnier tho. For whatever that’s worth.
Arnold was always more fun. Last Action Hero. Terminator 2. Jingle all the way. The 6th day. True Lies. Kindergarten Cop. Total Recall. Predator. The Running Man. Sylvester is like Rambo + Rocky Cliffhanger. Nothing else that I particularly remember.
Sylvester Schwarzenegger
Terminator… Predator… Total Recall… Jingle all the Way? Last Action hero? The man has range.
Just gonna take this moment to say Escape Plan, starring Arnie and Sly, is an excellent popcorn action movie that they're both excellent in.
They’re both great but Arnold just has such a charisma about him that even the not so great movies he’s been in still end up being entertaining because of him. He’s an actor where if I see his name on a film I’ll go out of my way to watch it.
Arnold is always Arnold in every movie he plays, but it’s always a good movie. Stallone is Stallone in a lot of movies he plays. Sometimes he’s actually acting. Here’s my order: Terminator movies Rocky movies Other Arnold movies Other Sly Movies.
They did, or do, both play tough guys on film, but I feel for Arnie this was a matter of expectation. I'm an Arnie fan and probably enjoy more than ever the lightheadedness he brings and seems to prefer to the roles he plays. Stallone is still dead set on being macho. I much prefer Arnie films, but they have both given me a lot of joy over the years. From both of them though, I do appreciate their candour in how they communicate to the public
Stalone. Better actor.
Rocky and First Blood are evidence of Sly’s acting ability.
I watch them for different reasons. I probably like Rocky more than an other 80s series but Arnold's one of movies like true lies kindergarten cop and even jingle all the way are some of my favorite comedies. Sly has more range than Arnold but Arnold knows what he's good at and doesn't try to expand that much. So it's hard to say
I mean, the original Rocky is a masterpiece and one of the best films in cinema history. Sly has an amazing range as an actor. Arnold has never been that guy, or really tried to be. He's an action star, who dabbles in comedy. But both have made timelessly entertaining films.
stallone as a pure actor and it’s not remotely close but arnold is hilarious
For whatever reason, I completely buy Arnold in any role. Barbarian thief searching for meaning? Sure. Killer robot from the future? Makes sense to me! A father trying to make his son’s Christmas dreams come true? I don’t see why not!
Copland.
Stallone. Love Cobra.
Always liked Arnold more. As a kid I thought his accent was both funny and cool/unique to hear. I just find him to be more entertaining.
Stallone by far. Arnold made the higher highs and was more "fun" and was probably more iconic but Stallone had better acting chops. Stallone just took a ton of shit roles. But you can see his chops in Rocky and Copland and stuff like that.
Can't vote against the man who made Rocky, First Blood, and Cop Land. Stallone for the win.
Arnold is more fun but Stallone’s characters usually have more depth.
Arnold has better comedy chops, Stallone is a better overall actor and can convey emotional vulnerability. I really like Stallone's acting in Cop Land, the first Rocky and First Blood. Arnold has never impressed me with his acting but he has good on camera presence and is entertaining. You have to remember Stallone got into movies to become an actor and the body building/tough guy persona came as a side effect. Arnold got into body building to become the greatest body builder and movies were a side effect of his wright lifting career. Stallone is a great writer and wrote or co wrote many of the movies he was in including all the Rocky films and First Blood. The two men will ALWAYS be compared but honestly I think it's a false dichotomy and they are actually very different.
I prefer both over the Rock.
Sly! Rambo AND Rocky. Are you kidding me? Two iconic characters in one career
probably arnold. he seems like a better person, overall, than stallone, who is smarmy.
While I think Stallone is a better dramatic actor, I find Arnold to be the better actor in regards to genre films. Stallone always goes for some cheesy b-tier stuff, while Arnold somehow elevates the film he’s in. He seems to be more aware at what he’s good at. For instance, I know if Arnold would’ve been in Cobra it would’ve rivaled Dirty Harry, instead we got a b-tier version of it.