2015 was a big year for franchise revivals. While everyone was anticipating the return of the Star Wars franchise with the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the Rocky saga was quietly being relaunched with the release of Creed, shifting the focus from Rocky Balboa to Apollo Creed’s son, Adonis.
As a huge fan of the Rocky series, I was intrigued by the shift in the franchise’s focus. While Apollo was and continues to be one of the most popular characters of the series, I never envisioned a film based on him and his family. Not only was I wrong to not think of the possibility but thanks to the brilliance of Ryan Coogler’s writing and directing, along with Michael B. Jordan’s portrayal of Adonis and Sylvester Stallone’s career-defining performance, Creed has not only stayed with me but has continued to climb the ranks on my list of best films of the 2010s.
Fast forward to 2018 and we now have the release of Creed II. This time around, I had lower expectations because sequels seldom rise the way originals do and Ryan Coogler wasn’t back as director. I have often have said that Creed’s success both critically and financially was aided by Coogler’s passion for the franchise. A passion you saw throughout the script and on the screen with his directing. Despite my hesitations, Steven Caple Jr. pays does an excellent job and pays homage to the franchise’s history with Creed II. Not only does it embody the heart of the series, but it also succeeds as one of the year’s most feel good and captivating films.
Creed II picks up three years after the events in Creed. We see that Adonis has made a name for himself in the boxing world with a string of victories and most importantly, his win over Danny “Stuntman” Wheeler to become the WBC World Heavyweight Champion. Ivan Drago, looking to cash in and regain his former glory after his murder of Apollo and a subsequent loss to Rocky in Rocky IV, sets up a match for his son, Viktor, to face off against Adonis.
Instead of going in the direction of the previous Rocky films, where the screen is filled with musical montages and little progression to the ongoing character arcs, Creed II continues to focus on its characters and the growth of Adonis both in and out of the ring. The film’s central theme of Adonis’s inner struggle with escaping his father’s shadow aids in Creed II not being a film that just lives in the shadow of the Rocky franchise but becomes its own separate entity all with Adonis Creed becoming his own man.
While Rocky IV is beloved by many, I’ve always felt that the love is based solely on nostalgia rather than the quality of the film. A film that is nothing more than an 80-minute musical montage and whose villain, Ivan Drago is nothing more than a 1980s cliché film villain who had little to no character development. The fact that Ivan and his son Viktor were set to be Creed II’s antagonists was my biggest question mark when I heard about the development of this sequel but became my biggest surprise. We are taken to Ukraine to see how Ivan and Viktor have been living outside of the ring. Ivan is a father looking for redemption for his past and Viktor is a son looking for his father’s acceptance and love. Dolph Lundgren and Florian Munteanu were tremendous in their roles and unlike in Rocky IV, this time around the audience is able to understand the method behind the madness for both father and son.
Michael B. Jordan continues to show why he is one of Hollywood’s finest young actors. Starting with Black Panther earlier this year, his portrayal of Adonis is the bookend to his fantastic performances in 2018. While his raw emotion as Adonis is breathtaking to watch, it’s his quieter struggles that haunt Adonis whenever he steps away from the spotlight that show the depth of his performance.
Tessa Thompson continues to shine in anything she does. This time around, she is given more to do as Bianca and deals with her own career struggles, impending acceptance of losing her hearing and becoming a mother.
Three years ago, Sylvester Stallone gave the best performance of his career in Creed. A performance that earned him a Golden Globe win and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. While he is not a focal point of the story in Creed II, Stallone continues to be a breath of fresh air onscreen with his latest career resurgence.
The fight sequences are not as impressive as Ryan Coogler’s impressive single-take fight in Creed. However, the three fights in the film still put you in the ring and are filled with many tension-filled moments that fans of the franchise crave every time these films are released.
Creed II could have been one of the most disappointing sequels of the year. Instead, the film is not only a worthy successor to Creed but has created a new star in director Steven Caple Jr. This is a must see film for any Rocky fan. Creed II is one of 2018’s best films.
