My Favorite Sylvester Stallone Movie Is Neither Rocky Nor Rambo, But This Widely Panned Claustrophobic Disaster Film

Ask anybody. Literally anybody. If they love Sylvester Stallone, then their favorite movie of his is either Rocky or First Blood.

And, yeah, I love those movies, too. I've seen every Rambo movie, as well as every Rocky film, and while I love most of them, none of them is my actual favorite Sly Stallone flick. I mean, yeah, I do have a soft spot for Judge Dredd, but my personal favorite of his will likely always be 1996's disaster film, Daylight.

Ah, Daylight, the film that makes me dread going into New York City (and I go there a lot) every single time. Critically panned (though, when has that ever stopped me from liking a movie?), and definitely one of Stallone's least talked about films, it's still my favorite of his for some reasons. Here are just a few.

As A New Jersian, I Both Love And Hate The Setting

As mentioned in the intro, I go to New York City a lot, and it's mostly because I live in New Jersey (home to the best superheroes, baby). I almost always take the bus. The only problem? I have to go through the Lincoln Tunnel. Now, this may not sound like a big deal, but you would be surprised at how uncomfortable I get every time I go through it, and it's all due to this movie right here.

You see, I'm not a claustrophobic person, but this movie (and Buried, with Ryan Reynolds, I'm sure) is a claustrophobic person's nightmare! I mean, it must be if even I feel uncomfortable watching it. There's a truck filled with toxic waste that is going to be dumped off in New Jersey (wow, what were you trying to say about my home state, Hollywood?), and it enters the Lincoln Tunnel. But uh oh, some jewel thieves are in a high-speed chase with the police, and they manage to crash into the truck, and BOOM! Explosion.

Rubble falls, and both ends of the tunnel are blocked off. People are trapped within, and there's the looming threat of water coming down and drowning everybody below. And do you SEE why I'm now paranoid whenever I go into the Lincoln Tunnel? I watched this movie as a teenager, and I'm STILL freaked out by it.

That said, I love it, too, because it's one of the only movies where I am intimately familiar with the setting. So, it's a love-hate relationship, really.

It Also Truly Feels Like A Harrowing Experience For Everyone Involved

Now, even though Daylight wasn't on our list of disaster movies, I would consider it one of the best in the genre, even if it is a more personal, self-contained story. You see, once the rubble falls, the problems begin immediately.

First, there's toxic gas from the trucks to worry about, which kills several people. Then, there's falling rubble, which crushes folks. Then, there are explosions. Then, there's water that leaks into the tunnel, and man, oh man, you want rising action? This movie has it by the boatloads. And what’s best about it is that it’s all really believable. I mean, the events are ridiculous, but the way the people react to the turn of events that take place is pretty realistic.

For instance, Viggo Mortensen is in the movie, and he plays a sports celebrity whom people have seen on TV. Inversely, Stallone plays a former EMS chief who actually knows what he’s talking about, but he lives a much less glamorous life than the celebrity. Now, instead of people listening to the person who actually has an idea of how they could get out, they instead follow the celebrity because they think he knows what he’s talking about just because he’s famous.

That’s totally believable. Lots of people think celebrities are authorities on something they may have no idea about, and I could see something like this happening in real life. Not me, though. I’m trusting the guy who looks like Sylvester Stallone. Speaking of which…

Sly Stallone Is Really Heroic In The Film

Is John Rambo a hero (we’re getting a new Rambo, by the way)? Well, if we’re talking about the First Blood John Rambo, then no. But, if we’re talking about everything after First Blood? Then yeah, I guess. I mean, the “bad guys” are more clearly defined in the later Rambo films, so I suppose Rambo could be seen as heroic, even though he’s mowing down tons of dudes.

However, I don’t have that quandary of wondering whether Stallone is heroic or not in Daylight, because yes, his character, Chief Kit Latura, is indeed heroic. When things get serious within the collapse, he immediately gets into action, helping anybody he can. Some of his former colleagues are there, and he gets with them right away, discussing possible plans to get everybody out. He even encounters the person who replaced him on the job, and Kit tries to work with him, even though his help is not appreciated.

That said, since this is a Stallone movie, it couldn’t just be him offering to help. Instead, he gets into action. In one harrowing scene, Kit goes through the ventilation system, which is dangerous since the fan could come back on at any moment. In another scene, Kit uses explosions to STOP a leak.

In every way, Stallone’s character is the hero that these people need, and it all leads up to a pretty dramatic ending.

I Love The Conclusion

You know how a ticking clock is always an important element in any action film? Well, the ticking clock in this one is the water, as it’s bursting through the walls and constantly leaking. Now, I’m going to show my ignorance here because I honestly had no idea that when you’re going through the Lincoln Tunnel, you’re actually going below the Hudson River.

I mean, it’s completely obvious, but when I was a teenager, when this movie came out, I never questioned why we had to go through a tunnel at all. I just tuned out and stared at the tiled walls while I listened to 311 or something.

Well, in this film, the water is constantly flooding the tunnel, and Kit and his new lady friend, Madelyne (Amy Brenneman), are literally up to their necks in water. So, Kit blows the roof off, which sounds like it makes no sense, but that’s how bad it’s gotten in the tunnel. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Well, anyway, mud rains down on Kit, and we think he’s a goner, only for Madelyne to make it to the surface, and Kit floats in the water.

It’s a really exciting conclusion, and probably one of my favorites in Stallone’s filmography.

In The End, It’s One Of Stallone's Most Unique Movie

Now, I’m not going to say that Daylight is more original than a movie like Demolition Man, nor will I say that it’s a stark departure from his other films like F.I.S.T. I also wouldn’t say it’s as ridiculous as something like Over the Top, nor would I say it’s an underrated Stallone film that deserves a reassessment, like Oscar.

What I will say, though, is that Daylight is a unique film in Stallone’s filmography that doesn’t get talked about enough. It’s a disaster film, an action movie, and a great vehicle for Stallone in the ‘90s, and one that I don’t hear nearly enough people talking about.