What are the best sports movies of all time?

Films are still one of the most popular forms of entertainment and something that most people have a soft spot for. There is nothing like relaxing after a busy day with a fun film after all! The sheer variety when it comes to films also helps explain their popularity. Whether you want to laugh, cry or be scared, there is always a film to catch that does the trick.

One type of movie which is enduringly popular are sports-based flicks. This is no surprise when you consider how central sports are in society and how many people love to follow them. Football, basketball, baseball and hockey are a crucial part of daily life for many and a national obsession.

As with films, this is in large part due to the excitement and thrills sports deliver to fans. When it comes to sports in particular, being able to bet on games also explains why so many people like to get involved with them. As this PointsBet sportsbook review shows, the best sportsbooks are not only safe to use and easy to navigate but offer a range of markets to bet on. For this reason, sports betting is popular and has helped sports themselves to appeal to even more people.

The love we have for sports and films therefore makes it easy to see why sports-based movies do so well. But which are the best ones to watch?

Rocky IV

When it comes to the best sports movies ever made, Rocky IV stands out. Of course, the whole Rocky franchise is pretty awesome, and you could certainly make a case for the first three movies being included here. There is just something about Rocky IV though that is special and makes it hard to forget. Stallone of course is perfect as Rocky again and brings his brooding physicality to the role.

For many though, Dolph Lundgren steals the show as the Russian bad guy Ivan Drago. With some awesome fight scenes in the ring, one of the best training montages of any Rocky movie and James Brown singing ‘Livin’ in America’, it is an excellent sports film. The death of Apollo Creed early in the movie at the hands of Drago also gives it an unexpected emotional depth.

Escape to Victory

While Cyrano might be the ideal film for romance lovers, this is a great flick for sports fans. Soccer is still the biggest sport on the planet and attracts billions of fans to watch the action from leagues such as Serie A or the MLS. As such, it makes perfect sense to see a film based on this sport make our list. Although there have been other soccer movies, Escape to Victory is still seen as the best for many.

The main story is set in World War II and has a group of Allied prisoners organizing a soccer match against their German captors. The match is in fact a cover story for their planned escape attempt, but by the end it becomes much more important than that. The main draw here is the authentic soccer action which comes at the end of the movie and the raft of famous players from the time who make an appearance. This includes greats such as Bobby Moore, Pele and Ossie Ardiles. In the supporting cast. Max Von Sydow and Michael Caine also put in great performances.

Bull Durham

Baseball has its fair share of decent movies but 1988’s Bull Durham is the best in many fan’s eyes. There is no doubt that it is an entertaining take on the sport and features a great lead performance from Kevin Costner. In this film, Costner plays ‘Crash’ Davis and the story has him mentoring the hot new pitcher ‘Nuke’ Laloosh, played by Tim Robbins.

As part of this babysitting role, he comes across Susan Sarandon’s Annie, who is a massive baseball fan and takes a liking to hot young player Laloosh. Both a light-hearted romance and a look into the life of those in baseball who exist quite happily out of the limelight, it is also a story which shows us that growing up is preferable to hanging onto the past.

Top sports movies to watch are awesome

If you love sports and love film, this sort of flick is ideal! The great news is that lots of sports movies have been released over the years, which means you will have no trouble in finding one to watch. It pays to catch the best though and the above films are certainly worth your attention. Full of great stories and performances, they really hit the mark.