I’m a fan of the “Rocky” movies.
The first time I saw a movie in the franchise was “Rocky III.” We went to see it at the Gemini 2 (our local dollar theater) for my friend Doug Stave’s birthday party back when I was in grade school.
The “Rocky” series has taken many forms over the years — from atmospheric underdog stories (“Rocky”) to full-blown propaganda films (“Rocky IV”) to exercises in sports nostalgia (“Rocky Balboa”).
Director Ryan Coogler’s “Creed” was a novel “reboot/refresh/sequel” when it was released in 2015. Not only was it a worthy entry in the series, it was one of the best dramatic films that year (in my humble opinion).
That film introduced fans to Adonis Creed — son of Rocky Balboa’s 1970s rival Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers).
Michael B. Jordan plays boxer Adonis Creed, and he does a really terrific job in the role.
He is back in “Creed II.” This time out, Adonis has the opportunity to avenge his father’s death when he fights Victor Drago (Florian Munteanu) — son of the man who killed his father, former Soviet boxer Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren).
You can see where things are headed as you watch “Creed II.” It is a tad bit formulaic in that regard, but this is a “Rocky” movie.
For the most part, the formula works.
Had this film been in the skilled hands of Ryan Coogler, I think some of the issues that bugged me about “Creed II” wouldn’t have been as apparent.
There are moments where the timing felt off, and other sequences that seemed to drag on a bit long.
The director is Steven Caple, Jr. — a relative newcomer who does a yeoman’s job with the film, but he is ultimately unable to infuse the subtlelty and nuance Coogler brought to the first “Creed.”
The screenplay is written by Sylvester Stallone. Stallone deserves credit for trying to bring more depth to the Ivan Drago character than we saw in “Rocky IV.”
As much as “Creed II” is a story about ghosts from Adonis Creed’s past, it is also a story about redemption for Ivan Drago and his son.
We saw a similar setup used in the wildly entertaining YouTube series “Cobra Kai” earlier in the year — which did something similar for “Karate Kid” villain Johnny Lawrence.
There are instances where the Drago family dynamic feels a bit forced and manipulative (despite decent performances by Lundgren and Munteanu).
Be that as it may, the filmmakers should be commended for trying to add some depth to the film’s antagonists (something often lacking in “Rocky” films).
Mentor/father figure Balboa tries to discourage Adonis from facing Viktor Drago in the ring.
In addition to the main storyline involving Adonis Creed’s boxing exploits, the film also focuses on Creed’s personal life. His hearing-impaired, musician girlfriend Bianca (Tessa Thompson) helps our protagonist stay grounded throughout, and there is some nice interplay between the two during the narrative.
I’ll be interested to see if we get anymore films in the “Creed” series. I certainly enjoy Michael B. Jordan at the heart of this reinvigorated franchise, and wouldn’t mind seeing more entries.
The question is whether there is much more to tell in the saga of Adonis Creed.
It could be interesting to see a new film that focuses on Rocky’s son Robert Balboa, Jr. (Milo Ventimiglia). Might be intriguing to see “Rocky Jr.” jump in the the ring (maybe after his father’s death) and be trained by Adonis Creed.
Whatever direction the franchise ultimately takes, I hope they keep coming up with fresh takes on the series, because both “Creed” films have been entertaining.
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