How to watch the Rocky movies in order: the Rocky and Creed timeline explained

Want to know how to watch the Rocky movies in order, as well as the Creed films? This is how to do so

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Want to know how to watch the Rocky movies in order? You’ve come to the right place.

Below, we’ll explain the correct order to watch the Rocky films in, as well as the Creed movies, which are spiritual successors to the Rocky flicks. First, we’ve outlined how to stream all nine films in timeline order, starting with 1976’sRocky, and ending withCreed II, which arrived in theaters in 2018. Happily, they’re pretty easy to find – they rank among thebest Amazon Prime Video movies. Well, the good ones do, anyway.

After that, you’ll find individual entries for each sports-drama flick, including their theatrical release dates, cast details, and plot synopses. Finally, we’ve listed each film ranked by their Rotten Tomatoes score – because we all know how important movie rankings are, right?

So, ahead ofCreed III’s theatrical release – read our spoiler-freeCreed IIIreviewwhile you’re here – here’s how to watch the Rocky and Creed movies in order.Mild spoilers followfor both film series.

Rocky movies in order: Quick list

Want a quick rundown of how to watch theRockymovies in order? Check out the list below, which orders them by year of release. It also includes the twoCreedfilms to release so far:

Rocky movies in order: where to watch

You can stream theRockymovies in order onPrime Videoworldwide. The first twoCreedfilms are available on the same platform, too.

Why Prime Video?Amazonbough MGM Studios – the owner of theRocky-Creedfranchise – for $8.5 billion in March 2022. Subsequently, Prime Video became the one and only home to all eight movies to date, meaning you’ll have to purchase a subscription if you want to watch them for free on one of the world’sbest streaming services.

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All sixRockyfilms are also available to rent and/or buy on digital stores includingAppleTV,Google Play,YouTube, and Sky.Creed IandCreed IIare rentable on Rakuten, Sky, Apple TV and the Microsoft Store. You can buy bothCreedmovies on Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, Sky, and the Microsoft Store, too.

Rocky movies in order: full timeline

Rocky

Release date:December 3, 1976

Cast:Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith, Tony Burton, Joe Spinell, Pedro Lovell

Plot:The eponymous movie (and surprise 1977 Oscar Best Picture winner) that kickstarted the beloved franchise. Here, we’re introduced to working class Philadelphia citizen Rocky Balboa (Stallone), the debt collector for a Mafia loanshark who moonlights as a small-time boxer. But, when heavyweight champion of the world Apollo Creed (Weathers) offers him an unlikely shot at the world title, Rocky’s infamous journey to the top of the sport begins in bruising and thrilling fashion.

Rocky II

Release date:June 15, 1979

Cast:Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith, Tony Burton, Sylvia Meals, Joe Spinell, Paul J Micale

Plot:In something of a retread of its predecessor,Rocky IIpits the titular boxer against Apollo Creed once more. This time, though, Rocky is forced to contend with becoming an overnight sensation – he narrowly lost to Creed in 1976’sRocky, but earned the respect of his peer and gained his own mass fan following – and the celebrity lifestyle that follows.

Rocky III

Release date:May 28, 1982

Cast:Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith, Tony Burton, Mr T, Ina Fried, Hulk Hogan

Plot:Rocky IIImarked the first time that the legendary fighter came up against someone other than Apollo Creed in a major bout. Mr T’s Clubber Lang proved to be a formidable adversary for Balboa, too, the latter losing their first encounter before the duo engage in a rematch for the ages.Rocky IIIalso proved to be an emotional affair for its main characters, with Burgess Meredith’s Mickey Goldmill – Rocky’s trainer – dying after suffering a heart attack following the first fight. We love ya, Mick.

Rocky IV

Release date:November 27, 1985

Cast:Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Dolph Lundgren, Brigette Nielsen, Tony Burton, Rocky Krakoff, Sylvia Meals

Plot:With the US and Russia locked in a bitter Cold War in the real world,Rocky IVeffectively used the “West versus East” narrative to pit Balboa against his most intimidating enemy yet: the towering, muscular Russian fighter Ivan Drago (Lundgren). We won’t reveal why Rocky ends up fighting Drago – doing so would reveal a major story spoiler – but it’s a match that has huge ramifications for theRockyandCreedseries.

Rocky V

Release date:November 16, 1990

Cast:Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Tommy Morrison, Sage Stallone, Richard Gant, Tony Burton, Paul J Micale, Michael Williams

Plot:After four films spread across nine years, the arrival of the 1990s almost proved to be the death knell for the Rocky movie series.Rocky Vis easily the worst flick of the bunch, though it does pit a financially struggling Rocky against his protégé Tommy Gunn (Morrison), laying the foundations for Rocky’s change of profession – from fighter to boxing coach – inCreed.

Rocky Balboa

Release date:December 20, 2006

Cast:Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young, Antonio Tarver, Milo Ventimiglia, Geraldine Hughes, James Francis Kelly III, Tony Burton, Pedro Lovell

Plot:16 years afterRocky Vnearly laid the franchise to rest, 2006’sRocky Balboaproved there’s life in the old dog yet. An emotionally-charged movie, the film – also referred to asRocky VI– sees an ageing Rocky come out of retirement for an exhibition match against the hotheaded Mason Dixon (Tarver). It marks the first time Talia Shire doesn’t appear in a Rocky movie. The reason why becomes clear when you watch it, and only adds to the nostalgia, poignancy, guilt felt by Rocky and company, and eventual personal triumph that follows.

Rocky movies in order: Creed timeline

Creed

Release date:November 25, 2015

Cast:Michael B Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Sylvester Stallone, Phylicia Rashad, Tony Bellew, Graham McTavish, Wood Harris, Ritchie Coster

Plot:The second film directed by futureMarvelhelmer Ryan Coogler (Black Panther), 2015’sCreedrevived the Rocky movie series in spectacular fashion. Amateur boxer Adonis Creed (Jordan), the son of Apollo, seeks out Rocky Balboa to train and mentor him as he bids to follow in his father’s footsteps and become the undisputed champion of the world. A superb start to the Creed film series that honors the legacy of what came before.

Creed II

Release date:November 21, 2018

Cast:Michael B Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Sylvester Stallone, Phylicia Rashad, Dolph Lundgren, Florian Munteanu, Wood Harris, Russell Hornby, Milo Ventimiglia, Andrew Ward, Brigette Nielsen

Plot:LikeRocky II,Creed IIretreads old ground narratively and thematically. This time around, Adonis faces a championship fight with Viktor Drago, the son of Ivan fromRocky IV. There’s plenty riding on this bout – revenge, living up to your father’s legacy, and more besides – but it’s the more personal and intimately dramatic moments that makeCreed IIshine as a spectacle.

Movingly, it also marks the final appearance from Stallone in the franchise he created. The legendary actor refused to return forCreed IIIfor two main reasons: the direction the movie series is going in, and his ongoing feud with the Winkler family (producers on the whole franchise) over who owns the rights to the Rocky films.

Rocky movies in order: all films ranked

Ranking the Rocky movies in order is a subjective matter. One person’s favorite film is another’s least enjoyable, so there’s no definitive ranking of all eight movies to date.

We can use review aggregation websiteRotten Tomatoes, though, to get an idea of which Rocky and Creed flicks are viewed as the best and worst at large. Below, we’ve ranked every Rocky and Creed movie by their Rotten Tomatoes audience score (from best to worst), which gives us a decent overview of which ones people enjoy the most.

For more movie ranking-based articles, read ourbest Marvel movies,best Batman movies,best Harry Potter movies, andbest Ridley Scott moviesguides.

As TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You’ll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.

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