I do understand why a lot people would have a less than spectacular view of Stallone's acting career, he did end up repeating himself quite a bit as a performer, and he picked some absolutely dreadful films along the way. But, in the beginning, he did show a lot of promise, not only as an actor, but as a writer as well. I believe the problem was sequel-hysteria, for every decent movie he made, he felt the need to do multiple sequels, and it killed the charm quickly. Now, that said, I did like the last Rocky movie, and the last Rambo movie was numbingly violent, but very well made.
I really think that Copland was highly underrated and his performance is very understated. It's one of his best acting jobs yet.
He's also quite good in F.I.S.T and Paradise Alley as well. Particularly Paradise Alley, which he wrote, directed, starred in, and also wrote the novel, it's actually a pretty good read. But, during this time, he was a much more respected artist, the author of an Oscar winning picture, and critics were favorably comparing him to the likes of De Niro, and Pacino.
I'm a bit partial to the first Rocky, because I was born in that neighborhood, and I know it like the back of my hand.
