The “Rocky” franchise was long lampooned as never ending. Many parody films would feature background posters of an elderly man in boxing gear and would have a title such as “Rocky 64” blaster across it. It has been the butt of many jokes since “Rocky IV”. The ironic thing is after all these years, the franchise is still going strong. The newest film, “Creed II”, is the eighth film in the much beloved “Rocky” universe.
“Creed II” acts as a direct sequel to both “Creed” and “Rocky IV”. The movie begins with the introduction of Viktor Drago, son of Ivan Drago. Ivan Drago had killed Apollo Creed in the ring during the events of “Rocky IV” but lost to Rocky Balboa in a bout held in Russia. As it turns out, this event brought shame to the Drago name. Ivan hopes to restore his family name through his son, Viktor. This brings the Drago, Balboa, and Creed families on a collision course once again as Adonis Creed has just now become the boxing Heavyweight Champion.
“Rocky IV” is one of my least favorite “Rocky” films (“Rocky V” holds the title as worst) so knowing this film would be a direct sequel to that film made me a bit nervous. “Creed II” manages to act as a superior sequel to “Rocky IV” by making the stakes more realistic and grounded. The boxing match isn’t about a country’s glory, it is about a form of redemption for both families.
Michael B. Jordan returns as Adonis Creed and delivers another stellar performance. Sylvester Stallone was fantastic once again as the iconic Rocky Balboa. Supposedly, this may very well be Stallone’s swan song as Balboa (though it’s hard to believe he will completely exit the franchise). I wish Stallone was given a little more to do in this film should this be his last movie. Dolph Lundgren returns as Ivan Drago and despite the fact that he isn’t give many lines, he manages to convey a lot of emotion through his eyes.
The film is rousing and filled with many epic boxing scenes. The fight sequences are expertly shot and make you feel as though you are in each fighter’s corner. One of the few criticisms I have about the film is that it’s a safe and predictable sequel. “Rocky II” was a very good film and also suffered from a predictable story. On the plus side, “Creed II” contains a few cameos that feel rewarding to long time Rocky fans without being distracting or feeling out of place.
I can’t help but feel like this film is a bit of a setup to a larger story to play out in a possible sequel. The film ends without a sense of who the clear cut best fighter is and I have to wonder how that might play out. Also, if a sequel is made, Stallone needs to return in my opinion to officially retire the character. While “Creed II” is a very good movie, Stallone deserves a bigger role with more to do in his final appearance in the franchise.
At it’s heart, “Creed II” is a story about fathers and sons. It’s about not making the same mistake over and over again. Lastly, the movie is about placing family above pride. What makes this film so unique is that both the protagonist and antagonist learn the same lesson.
Grade: B+
The film is rousing and filled with many epic boxing scenes. The fight sequences are expertly shot and make you feel as though you are in each fighter’s corner. One of the few criticisms I have about the film is that it’s a safe and predictable sequel. “Rocky II” was a very good film and also suffered from a predictable story. On the plus side, “Creed II” contains a few cameos that feel rewarding to long time Rocky fans without being distracting or feeling out of place.
I can’t help but feel like this film is a bit of a setup to a larger story to play out in a possible sequel. The film ends without a sense of who the clear cut best fighter is and I have to wonder how that might play out. Also, if a sequel is made, Stallone needs to return in my opinion to officially retire the character. While “Creed II” is a very good movie, Stallone deserves a bigger role with more to do in his final appearance in the franchise.
At it’s heart, “Creed II” is a story about fathers and sons. It’s about not making the same mistake over and over again. Lastly, the movie is about placing family above pride. What makes this film so unique is that both the protagonist and antagonist learn the same lesson.
Grade: B+
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