Creed II

You have to give Sylvester Stallone credit--he has a gift for remixing the same movie over and over and again and making you actually care. Maybe it's because he focuses on the one thing that matters most in storytelling: compelling characters. And Creed II is full of them.

First, there's Adonis (Michael B. Jordan), the brooding, bratty, world champion with a chip on his shoulder. There's Rocky (Sylvester Stallone), the downtrodden wise sage who only recognizes his role in things when the chips are down. There's Bianca Taylor, a talented singer suffering from hearing loss and her love for a self-destructive boxer. There's Mary Anne Creed (Phylicia Rashad), the weary widow of Apollo Creed who is consistently forced to check her man-child son, and then there are the villains. Ivan and Victor Drago (Dolph Lundgren and Florian Munteanu), the Russian outcasts seeking redemption for the failures of Ivan Drago. Everyone has a purpose in this film, and everyone has a place in moving the narrative forward: avenging the actions of Rocky IV.

This is a straight-up reboot of a Cold War classic, complete with the final match taking place in Russia. You know what to expect. The challenge from Ivan's son is the kind of storybook rematch the sports world loves. You know Creed has to take the fight to prove himself. And you know at some point, Victor Drago will get the better of him, setting us up for a training montage that never seems to get old. You see, when Rocky IV was released, it wasn't just a boxing film, it was practically a propaganda film about the superiority of American values and ideals. In Creed II, it's not about the country--it's personal. It's about discovering what matters most to you in your career and your own life. And as cliched as that may all sound, it works amazingly well in this film, thanks in part to the strength of the movies character development, phenomenal actors who keep the theatrical bits grounded and brilliant fight choreography and cinematography to settle scores.

I'll be straight with you, we shouldn't like Adonis Creed, but we do. He's a temperamental grown man baby that even knocks himself in the movie for "acting like a b---h." We shouldn't care about Victor Drago--he's a carbon copy of his android like father Ivan and barely has enough dialogue earn a film credit. But we do because we know that his father is living through him. The once powerful Ivan is an outcast in his homeland, and Victor's mother walked out on both of them because she has no respect for losers, so they're surprisingly sympathetic characters in their quest to be menacing. And we shouldn't care about Rocky's meandering ruminations about putting family over boxing when at no point in his career, did he ever do the same. Yet somehow this movie manages to make you care because the film understands that it's real power are in those small reflective moments building up to the fight. Moments like Creed's return to the local cheesesteak house and being welcomed by the fans who urge him to take the battle against Drago. Moments like Bianca and Adonis laying on the floor together like they did in the first film pondering their relationship and what Adonis's decision means for them. It's moments like Rocky pondering the broken relationship he has with his own son and trying to figure out if he dares to make amends. This is the glue that holds these films together--putting family above career and ego. And when it finally comes time to fight, your emotions are so heavily invested in the outcome that you'll find yourself (as did my audience) verbally cheering on Adonis Creed.

And in the end, it's the smallest of gestures by Sylvester Stallone (which I won't spoil) that lets you know that Rocky Balboa has nothing left to give and it is now Adonis Creed's time to shine in whatever sequel they have planned for us. Creed II a great time at the movies, even if it's a predictable one.

Creed was a major surprise. Seriously. As much as I love the Rocky franchise, was there any reason to assume that what was essentially Rocky VII, just without a focus on the character we know and love, would be a success? Sure, it had an exciting young actor at the center and an up and coming filmmaker in Ryan Coogler at the helm. But still, how good could it be? Well, the answer was that it turned out to be an Oscar nominee, a Golden Globe winning film, and one of the year's best. Now, Creed II hits this week and, defying all odds, is nearly as good. This flick will also end up on a top ten list for me. It more than delivers, it flies high. What easily could have tarnished what's come before instead movingly builds on it. This is one of the ten best films of 2018, unlikely as that may seem.

The movie is a sequel to Creed, continuing the Rocky series by focusing on the late Apollo Creed's son Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan). First the number one contender for the heavyweight championship of the world, Adonis soon becomes champ. It's a wonderful night for him, his girlfriend Bianca (Tessa Thompson), and his trainer, former champ Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), A challenge unlike any other is coming though, in Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), the imposing son of former Balboa/Creed rival Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren). Everyone knows that Ivan killed Apollo in the ring, so Adonis feels like he has no choice but to fight him. Rocky warns him of the danger, but it's no use. Thus begins a true Rocky sequel, just told with all of the additional emotion that Creed brought to bear. Steven Caple Jr. directs a script that Stallone co-wrote with Juel Taylor (Cheo Hodari Coker and Sascha Penn also worked on drafts at one point), while supporting players include Wood Harris, Russell Hornsby, Phylicia Rashad, Andre Ward, and more. Ludwig Göransson composed the score, while cinematography is by Kramer Morgenthau.

I'm not kidding. Creed II is phenomenal. Joke that it's Rocky VIII if you must, but there's way more to it than that. The emotional stakes that both Adonis and Rocky face, not to mention both Drago men, are effective and impactful. That's a true testament to Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone for sure, though also for returning player Dolph Lundgren, plus Florian Munteanu. Tessa Thompson again is fantastic, while Phylicia Rashad lends some gravitas in her few scenes. Again though, this is about Jordan, and whether he's with Stallone or Thompson, he has electric chemistry with both. The fight scenes don't have the style that the aforementioned Ryan Coogler brought last time, but they're still among the franchise's best. Very little here will surprise you, but damn if it isn't incredibly moving to watch. Don't expect Creed II to contend for Academy Award love like Creed did, but I will say that Jordan and Stallone are just as good this time out (the same goes for Thompson as well). The former is even more front and center, while the latter truly becomes a supporting character, though one with literally decades of history that both the actor and the audience is pulling from. This is an example of how amazing studio films can be when they actually care. This may have been made in part because of money, but the powers that be also made sure that everyone involved was invested. The end result is a brilliantly entertaining movie with tons of heart.

Fans of this franchise are in for a real treat, as Creed II hits all the notes you want from both a Creed sequel as well as a new Rocky installment. It's hard to imagine anyone who's a fan not falling in love with this one too. You'll literally stand up and cheer. The confidence with which the filmmakers and stars work within the expected realm of the series is really something to behold. The way this is going, I'd watch Jordan and Stallone make another half dozen of these. Together, they've truly given you reason to care about this franchise. Once you see it, you'll understand why...

Creed II delivers the punch but doesn't quite land the knockout. While the familiar formula still works as inspiring as ever, it is mainly good ol' Rock that steals the protagonist's spotlight. Without Sly's solid rock performance this movie would have been just another fight movie. And although the Creed saga reaches new hights in storytelling, we must admit that Adonis just isn't as charismatic as Rocky or as his dad, Apollo. This time he can't even step out of his opponent's shadow, who has a far more compelling story to tell than the one Adonis brings. So, this might not be the fight of the century but there is certainly some rumbling in the jungle. Hopefully we haven't seen the last of Rocky Balboa, cause he still knows how to bring magic to the big screen.

This movie is not as good as the first Creed. It felt like a remake of Rocky 3 and was just too formulaic. However what made the movie for me was the final scenes where my appreciation of the movie changed by simply seeing the final round from the perspective of the Dragos and the aftermath of the fight with the Drago's.

Adonis is done for, his story arc is ove and I don't want there to be more for him. He is happy and complete. Rocky's story is now done too. But Ivan and Viktor Drago were the only interesting people in this movie. And I simply want to see what happens to them both now after this ending.

I want to see them pick up the pieces and be successful. They've earned it after the ending which was unheard of in a movie of this type.

Please Sly and Dolph make it happen.

The uber villain from the Rocky franchises returns. Whoever watched the original Rocky movies will not forget Ivan Drago - also known as Dolph Lundgren in real life with an amazing performance that is literally as 1 dimensional as possible and still or rather because of that is in one of the best Rocky movies made. So it makes sense for him to return here and to reprise his iconic role, training his son to take on Creed.

Dumbing down again (evil as evil can be), he brings gravitas to the movie. Which does not quite reach the heights of the first Creed, but still is quite enjoyable. Especially with all the history contained in the movie. This should be a worthy closure to the Rocky saga - but you never know, do you?