*Although far less rare than it used to be, it is still not a given that a sequel will be better than the original film that spawned it.
It is almost unheard of for the eighth entry in a franchise to feel fresh.
Amazingly, “Creed II” succeeds on both counts.
The follow-up to 2015’s “Creed”, which introduced audiences to Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed – the son of the “Rocky” franchise’s iconic Apollo Creed – hits a surprisingly high number of emotional notes.
The film follows a fight 33 years in the making, as Adonis meets a new adversary, Viktor Drago, son of Ivan Drago, the powerful athlete who killed Adonis’ father Apollo Creed in the ring.
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While it helps to have seen 1985’s “Rocky IV” to understand everything referenced in the film, it is not necessary. In fact, since that film basically became a superhero movie, you may be better off just paying attention to the references the more grounded “Creed II” makes.
As for the fights, they are riveting and they are brutal – and more realistically short than most films in this franchise. It acknowledges that fights in which boxers land as many haymakers as these guys do tend to end quickly, and with at least one of the fighters having parts of their body broken.
Jordan is a more believable boxer this time around and is able to convey the inner turmoil over avenging father and the physical punishment he receives in great measure. Toss in emotional scenes with Adonis’s love, Bianca Taylor; conflict with both Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) and his mom (Phylicia Rashad).
The film also gives us a surprisingly human Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), who was shamed and basically made an outcast after his loss to Rocky 33 years ago. As he relentlessly pushes his son (Florian Munteanu), one wonders if he truly loves him or if he is simply a means to an end.
Lundgren gives a pretty good performance, as does Munteau, who is driven by the need for acceptance from his father and rage-fueled in part by the desertion of his mother. Ludmila Drago (Brigitte Nielsen).
Another conflict in the film is how much Adonis does or does not need Rocky. This mirrors skirmishes between fans of the film. There are those who feel that Adonis doesn’t need Rocky and that in real life, Jordan no longer needs Stallone – that he has made the character his own.
Likewise, there are those who feel that without the ties to Rocky and Stallone – who wrote the “Creed II” script – that the magic would not be there. That “Creed II” would be just another boxing movie.
What becomes apparent is that Jordan and Stallone have terrific chemistry, the kind that is rare. In the end, onscreen and off, they need each other to achieve heights they wouldn’t be able to manage on their own.
This is an absolute crowd pleaser. One that packs a punch – and leaves you screaming for more.
Grade: A
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