Adonis Johnson Creed is finally becoming a household name. He finds himself as one of the top boxers. Rocky is at his corner for the fights. Bianca is still by his side through thick and thin. Things are all well. In the Ukraine, Viktor Drago is a very lethal fighter. Trained by father Ivan, his life is hell. Both had endured so much since Ivan's loss to Rocky that it exiled them from Soviet Russia. The hope to bring glory back to them and Russia sends them to Philadelphia for a fight against Adonis.
Going in, I was somewhat expecting something over the top like Rocky IV. Being down to earth helps Creed II and doesn't stray away from what made the first one good. This is similar to Creed, but sprinkled with Rocky II, III, and IV. However, it doesn't wind up being a one sided amount of screen time with one set of characters. They give Ivan and Viktor a decent amount of time and they create a fair amount of backstory for Ivan. Another thing is that they are not portrayed as super villains. They are just people trying to make a name for themselves once again. Otherwise, it's still a gritty film.
Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone are still great and provide a nice chemistry as fighter and trainer. They feed off each other with phenomenal performances that feels very real as Adonis and Rocky. Tessa Thompson is excellent and I like that Bianca is given a lot of development. There is more to her compared to Adrian. A lot more, and she is a complete character. Between the three characters, they provide a strong emotional roller coaster of ups and downs.
Going with the amount of time with the Dragos, Dolph Lundgren is portrayed as more than just a puppet and an emotionless person with Ivan. He wants the good life and it will have to take blood, sweat, and tears for his son to bring them back to glory. Viktor is similar to what his father was in Rocky IV, minus the steroids. That being said, he does have some things to say and he takes a lot of abuse verbally in order to stay strong.
The boxing is about as brutal as you can get without becoming an R rated film. It comes off very real and not over the top compared to a few of the Rocky sequels. As I said about the first Creed, I wouldn't be surprised if these guys took actual damage from some of those punches. Some very strong choreography helps quite a bit, and the training is not overly ridiculous.
Clocking in at just under two hours, Creed II has its own identity while still being a sequel to the Rocky franchise. It stands out a lot more and continues to have a solid foundation for its characters and create some strong drama and sports action. Also quite a few surprises, too. This is a must watch. Head to your theater and see it. You won't be disappointed.
Score: 8.5 out of 10
Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone are still great and provide a nice chemistry as fighter and trainer. They feed off each other with phenomenal performances that feels very real as Adonis and Rocky. Tessa Thompson is excellent and I like that Bianca is given a lot of development. There is more to her compared to Adrian. A lot more, and she is a complete character. Between the three characters, they provide a strong emotional roller coaster of ups and downs.
Going with the amount of time with the Dragos, Dolph Lundgren is portrayed as more than just a puppet and an emotionless person with Ivan. He wants the good life and it will have to take blood, sweat, and tears for his son to bring them back to glory. Viktor is similar to what his father was in Rocky IV, minus the steroids. That being said, he does have some things to say and he takes a lot of abuse verbally in order to stay strong.
The boxing is about as brutal as you can get without becoming an R rated film. It comes off very real and not over the top compared to a few of the Rocky sequels. As I said about the first Creed, I wouldn't be surprised if these guys took actual damage from some of those punches. Some very strong choreography helps quite a bit, and the training is not overly ridiculous.
Clocking in at just under two hours, Creed II has its own identity while still being a sequel to the Rocky franchise. It stands out a lot more and continues to have a solid foundation for its characters and create some strong drama and sports action. Also quite a few surprises, too. This is a must watch. Head to your theater and see it. You won't be disappointed.
Score: 8.5 out of 10
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