Creed II Review

Spanning 40-years the Rocky series is enduring, taking many knocks and blows but always finds a way to get back up again. The series has now had two comebacks and a sequel has been released to 2015’s Creed.

Three years after the events of Creed Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) finally becomes the heavyweight champion of the world. This victory leads to Adonis getting a direct challenge from Russian boxer Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu) and his father Ivan (Dolph Lundgren), the boxer who killed Apollo Creed 30 years earlier. Despite Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) advising against the fight Adonis accepts the challenge.

I have a soft spot for the Rocky franchise, from the grounded styling of the original film to the ridiculousness of Rocky IV. Creed was a great continuation to the Rocky series, homages the original films and still being able to stand on its own two feet. Creed II does the same.

Continuing from the events of Rocky IV was the most logical story for Creed II. It had the most personal impact for Adonis due to his father’s death and the Drago’s taunting the boxer into a fight. The creative team took story ideas from Rocky III and Rocky IV – Adonis becomes a world champion against an opponent many commentators think is past it and goaded into fighting a boxer he’s not ready to face. Like Rocky IV  there is a political dimension and just like his father Viktor Drago is a hard and cruel fighter.

Ryan Coolger, the writer/director has moved on to the Marvel Cinematic Universe so Steven Caple Jr. took over the directing duties and a new team of writers wrote the screenplay. Caple comes from a similar background to Coolger, both made a small drama film before taking on the Rocky series. Caple shows he has talent – he gave Creed II an indie sensibility, especially during the second act. Adonis has to battle depression and both he and his girlfriend, Bianca (Tessa Thompson) worry that their child might be deaf. Creed II doesn’t have an impressive boxing scene like the fight between Adonis creed and Leo “The Lion” Sporino but boxing is a naturally cinematic sport and the fights between Adonis and Viktor were absolutely brawls. And it wouldn’t be a Rocky film without a training montage and Creed II has two strong offerings. Munteanu looked like a beast.

Creed II has a theme about fatherhood, something that it punches you constantly with. Adonis and Viktor are both living in the shadows of their father’s legacies. Adonis sees it has his duty to get revenge for his father whilst Viktor is just a pawn for his father who wants to be honoured by the Russian state. Viktor and Ivan clash over this point because Ivan wants to get back with the woman who abandoned them and Ivan acts a lot John Kreese from The Karate Kid, telling his son to fight dirty. With a few rewrites Viktor could have worked as the central character, given the task to reclaim his father’s honour.

The fatherhood theme is also evident with Rocky. Rocky has a strained relationship with his son – he hasn’t talked to him for a long time and Rocky doesn’t have the courage to call Robert. It lingers over the man. Rocky is the closest man to a father that Adonis has – Adonis supported Rocky when he battled cancer and Adonis’ mother turns to Rocky for help. The spit between them mirrors what happened to Rocky and Mickey in Rocky III. They are characters that need each other.

I personally cannot see how the Creed spin-off series can continue but it would be a mistake to write-off Rocky and his friends. No-one would have thought Rocky Balboa would have been as good as it was and the first Creed was originally seen as a risk.

Creed II is a delight for fans of the Rocky series and boxing fans. It works as popcorn entertainment and a serious drama, making it one of the better films in the franchise.