Creed II Review
Creed II, the eighth installment of the Rocky movie franchise, did not disappoint. Creed II is one of the select few sequels that are as good as, if not better than its predecessor.
Creed II is a movie that fans of the Rocky franchise highly appreciate, as it connects to and resembles a lot of the other Rocky films. The main aspect of this movie is its connection to the classic Rocky IV. The main fight of the film sees Adonis Creed, son of Apollo Creed, take on Viktor Drago, son of Ivan Drago. In Rocky IV, Apollo Creed died in the ring as a result of a fight with Ivan, preventing Adonis from ever meeting him. 33 years later, Adonis is fighting the son of the man who killed his father.
One of the best parts of the movie is the performance by Dolph Lundgren as Ivan Drago. He fantastically portrays a former boxer who has fallen from grace after being disowned by the Russian people following a loss to Rocky. It has affected his life so much that he now lives in Ukraine, where he trains his son.
Another standout part of this movie is the overall intensity of the emotions presented throughout, especially in the area of family. Adonis starting his new family with his girlfriend Bianca adds new important elements to his character, as he now has a lot more to lose as a fighter and as a person in general. Arguably the most emotional parts of the movie are between Rocky and his family, as it is very tough for him to talk about them without getting emotional. This is especially present when he is talks about his wife Adrian or how he has not seen or talked to his son Rocky Jr. in years.
The acting by everyone in this movie is fantastic, with Sylvester Stallone leading the way in his performance. Michael B. Jordan is great as Creed, as he plays the perfect son to Apollo. One of the most underrated performances is from Tessa Thompson as Bianca, as she is one of the strongest characters in the film, acting as Adonis’ main support system. Her character is very similar to that of Adrian in the early Rocky, as she is the love interest of the main character but also is very important to getting Adonis in the right mindset and always being there for him. Creed II undoubtedly one of the best Rocky movies, right up there with the best one in the originals.
Grade: A+
