The iconic action hero has had enough of digitised spectacle. Fake explosions, computer-generated blood splatter, and all that phony nonsense? Not Stallone's thing. No, according to him, action should be filmed for real—and he doesn't hold back his frustration over how many modern action flicks look these days, especially the CGI overload and the flood of unrealistic superheroes.
Stallone believes today's generation quickly forgets modern action movies because they leave no real impact. Audiences, he argues, seem to prefer supernatural heroes over men who sweat, bleed, and have actual muscles.
First Blood is a movie Stallone holds up as a prime example of how things should be—at least in a perfect world. A piece of genuine craftsmanship: no digital explosions, no excessive effects—just raw muscle, sweat, and grit. He nails the analogy: old-school action movies are like vintage watches—handmade and worth the money. Today's CGI extravaganzas? Like slapping some flashy junk on a plastic watch and screaming about the brand name—completely worthless.
"Great action movies are like buying a vintage watch. Originally it was $35, and now it's $35,000. Why? Because it's handmade. It wasn't over the top. It wasn't supernatural. It was something a unique human being could achieve. That's why I think First Blood is one of the first action films. I relied on body acting to tell the story.
"The character never talks, but you know exactly what's going on through the other characters. They're almost like narrators in his Greek tragedy. The guy never stops moving, and that's what I call an action film. There's not one CGI shot. The audience goes: That is pretty special."
And yeah, maybe it's a bit romanticised—but isn't he kind of right? Today's CGI swamp often feels impersonal and forgettable.
What do you think? Do you agree with Stallone's take?