In film, one of the most frequently floated arguments has always been just who is the best action star of all time. Nowadays, we've got the likes of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Jason Statham and even Keanu Reeves as a few names fans will certainly toss into the hat.
But there's one that stands head and shoulders above the rest, and if you look at Backtrace, you'll see that Sylvester Stallone is the man to whom this prestigious honor belongs.
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Stallone picks up this accolade for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it's his longevity that really puts him ahead in the field. His resume is stacked, with untouchable franchises like Rambo and Rocky under his belt, not to mention other projects that impressed fans of the '80s and '90s action scene. Movies like The Specialist and Demolition Man can be added as one-shots to the list, but unlike his contemporaries who may have fizzled out (here's looking at you Steven Seagal), Stallone is still a big draw in Hollywood and attached to some prime film properties at the moment.
The Creed and Expendables franchises perfectly illustrate his staying power, not to mention he's also been in the superhero realm, debuting in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as Starhawk -- a role he's set to reprise. This isn't even his first comic book movie rodeo, as he was in 1995's Judge Dredd, proving that, as the entertainment industry evolved, Stallone was able to do the same.
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Which brings us to another reason he deserves the title of greatest action star -- he's adapted to the landscape. Sure, he's still ready to walk through hails of gunfire with no bulletproof vest on and just one pistol to take down squads of gangsters, as seen in Backtrace, but Stallone still has that knack for drama, even though the action movie genre is unquestionably his bread and butter.
In Backtrace, you see shades of it, as he's not just a gung-ho cop. For the better part of the film he's in a more emotive role. It's something similar to the subtle detective work of Batman's Jim Gordon, as Stallone plays a cerebral investigator, piecing together clues from a bank heist. When he does cut loose in the finale, it's glorious and tailor-made for his Rambo fans, affirming he's not a one-dimensional actor.
That's another reason why he's the best action star, period. He mixes drama with his heroics in a style unlike any of his peers. Creed got Stallone an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and he was previously nominated for Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay for Rocky in 1976, which is something the likes of Bruce Willis, Kurt Russell, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jean Claude Van Damme can't boast. Rocky won Best Movie and Best Director, and while Stallone went home empty-handed, it started the journey of one of cinema's most iconic franchises.
Stallone still pulls crowds, which admittedly shocks fans who thought he'd nosedive after his early success. Some may look at 2006's Rocky Balboa as a turning point, where he once again showed how nuanced he could be, but when you look back at his entire career, it's never been just about kicking ass and taking names.
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Stallone has been among the explosions and broken bones of some of cinema's most epic action sequences, but it's his diversity, depth and dedication on camera that gives him the edge compared to the rest. You get style, but you get a whole lot of substance as well with Stallone.