'Creed II' A Review

Creed II is a sports drama, a sequel to 2015's Creed, a continuation of the Rocky franchise. The film opens on a dingy apartment in the Ukraine. Ivan Drago(Dolph Lundgren) the Russian boxer who killed Apollo Creed in Rocky IV and was eventually defeated by Rocky has been ostracized by his homeland and has raised his son Viktor(Florian Munteanu) in exile hoping to one day retain his former boxing and social glory through his son. Adonis Creed(Michael B. Jordan) gets his title shot and wins but find the mantle of the champ uncomfortable. His relationship with Bianca(Tessa Thompson) grows as they make a life together. When Viktor surfaces in the US and challenges Adonis to a title bout his ambition, home life, and relationship with mentor and trainer Rocky(Sylvester Stallone) is put to the test.

Jordan gives a layered vulnerable performance, continuing to give Adonis emotional complexity belied by the typically straightforward genre. He balances that perfectly with his undeniably impressive physical look and performance. It's a delicate balance, one Stallone himself was only able to strike periodically, that of imposing and capable physical presence as well as accessible and varied feeling. His relationship with Thompson's character is more at the forefront in this installment and the two take full advantage of their excellent chemistry, Thompson continues to portray Bianca as a strong and caring partner who has her own ambitions and passions further complicating their dynamic which in turn makes it even more engaging. Stallone has played Rocky so often it is like a second skin, it is so natural and so familiar it cannot help but be a success. Rocky is a friend, father figure, and mentor for multiple generations. A true American hero who has ascended from fiction to myth. He isn't given as much to do as in the proceeding film but he is a comforting and inspiring presence as always. The big surprise is Lundgren and to a lesser extent Munteanu as the Drago father and son. A significant amount of time is given to their story and as such Ivan is no where near the paper-thin villain he once was. Lundgren gives all the hard edges we are use to but also surprising depth- failure, ambition, a twisted paternal pride. Their story runs in odd parallel to Adonis's own allowing the story to transcend boxing telling an almost operatic tale of fathers and sons.

There are some striking shots and sequences, the training montages especially, the boxing matches are engaging but the visual flair and innovation Coogler brought is somewhat lacking under the helm of director Stephen Caple Jr. which isn't necessary a bad thing. Caple's focus is much more on the familial aspect and tendrils of the Creed story. A breathtaking one take boxing match is lacking but what replaces it is an emotional roller coaster of love, legacy, discord, and ambition.

See It.