Looking back, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger may chuckle at their intense competition when they tried to outdo each other in terms of box office power. In terms of Netflix documentaries about autobiographies, give Arnold the advantage; his three-part series of the same name far surpasses "Sly," which is an overly Stallone-focused reflection on his "Rocky" ascent.
To put it plainly, too much of the documentary consists of Stallone blathering about his life and career. There are a few interesting revelations, such as how Dolph Lundgren admitted him to the hospital while filming "Rocky" and some fortunate casting choices, but there are also a lot of self-serving and, to be honest, stale observations.
To put it plainly, too much of the documentary consists of Stallone blathering about his life and career. There are a few interesting revelations, such as how Dolph Lundgren admitted him to the hospital while filming "Rocky" and some fortunate casting choices, but there are also a lot of self-serving and, to be honest, stale observations.
Stallone talks candidly about growing up with an abusive father, how he became a writer to escape the thuggish parts he was constantly being offered, and how he turned down a lot of money to make "Rocky," even though the studio liked the script and was adamantly against him starring in it.
"Sly" falls short in contextualizing how Stallone's cinema fit into the 1970s, '80s, and '90s because of its unwavering emphasis on his perspective, especially with regards to how Rocky and Rambo became Cold War foot soldiers. To put it plainly, Zimny has let this feel too much like a product that is licensed.
"Sly" falls short in contextualizing how Stallone's cinema fit into the 1970s, '80s, and '90s because of its unwavering emphasis on his perspective, especially with regards to how Rocky and Rambo became Cold War foot soldiers. To put it plainly, Zimny has let this feel too much like a product that is licensed.
"Sly" is valuable as a pop-culture document as it allows a well-known artist to share their life story with those who were raised on their creations. It's not really a contender, though, more of a lightweight when compared to the greatest of that prolific genre.