Creed II review

CREED II:

FORMULAIC? YES, BUT STILL PACKS A PUNCH!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

MGM AND WARNER BROS. PICTURES

Michael B. Jordan is back in the ring in Creed II

            Michael B. Jordan (Chronicle, Fruitvale Station, Black Panther) returns to the boxing ring as Adonis Creed in Creed II, the sequel to the critically acclaimed 2015 hit, Creed and spin-off of the long-running Rocky franchise. I remembered having low expectations when I first saw the trailer for Creed because while Rocky Balboa was a solid conclusion to Rocky’s legacy, the series went on from Academy Award winning gold to flat out ridiculous satire of itself.

            My expectations were put to rest as I watched the first movie, not only was it a good spin-off and continuation of the Rocky franchise, but also on par with the Oscar winning, Rocky and Rocky II. The film was a powerhouse of punches and emotion with well-developed characters portrayed phenomenally by its leads, an effective plot where Rocky trains the son of deceased friend and former opponent, Apollo Creed for an unforgettable boxing match, and even earned Stallone an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

            Now, the Creed saga continues in this highly-anticipated follow-up with Jordan and Sylvester Stallone (Rambo franchise, Cliffhanger, The Expendables trilogy) reprising their roles as Adonis Creed and Rocky Balboa, and Steven Caple Jr. (The Land) replacing Ryan Coogler as director. How does Creed II hold up compared to its acclaimed predecessor? Well, it’s no Rocky II but it’s a solid second round for Creed with just as much heart and drama as the first film.

            Following his unexpected win of the World Heavyweight Championship, Adonis Creed (Jordan) is now a worldwide star and has even proposed to his girlfriend, Bianca Porter (Tessa Thompson-Westworld, Thor: Ragnarok, MIB). But an old enemy from the past returns in the form of Viktor Drago (Newcomer, Florian Munteanu), the son of the man who killed his father in the ring, Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren-Masters of the Universe, The Punisher (1989), Universal Soldier) who challenges Adonis in a match to regain their family’s glory.

            Adonis takes the challenge in hopes to avenge his father’s legacy, but his coach and former boxing champion, Rocky Balboa (Stallone) warns him about the Drago family and that he doesn’t want to relive that tragic moment when Apollo was killed by Ivan thirty years ago. With the rage of his father’s death flowing through him, Adonis trains with Rocky long and hard for the big fight to hopefully take Drago down.

            The film also stars Wood Harris (The Wire, Remember the Titans, The Breaks) as Tony “Little Duke” Evers, Russell Hornsby (Lincoln Heights, Grimm, Fences) as Buddy Marcelle, professional boxer, Andre Ward as Danny “Stuntman” Wheeler, Phylicia Rashad (Just Wright, Frankie and Alice, For Colored Girls) as Mary Anne Creed, and Brigette Nielsen (Red Sonja, Beverly Hills Cop II, Mercenaries) as Ludmila Drago.

            Overall, Creed II is a formulaic yet exciting throwback to when Rocky took Ivan down back in Rocky IV and a solid continuation of the Creed legacy. If you’ve ever seen a Rocky movie before then you know what you’re getting into and while there’s not much new done with the formula, the charm of its characters shines through.

            Michael B. Jordan is giving it his all, and you understand why Adonis would want to step into the ring to fight Drago, despite how powerful they are, and root for him all the way through. His character is going through a lot in this movie, boxing, his relationship with his girlfriend, his relationships with his family and Rocky, and becoming a father, you can tell a lot of stress and frustration is going on and you want to see him get through it. Even if you’re not a boxer, these are all relatable things and Jordan sells every moment.

            Stallone is great again as Rocky Balboa, he continues to be the coach and wise mentor for Adonis Creed in a similar way as Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid or Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars. If the Rocky franchise has to continue, I’m glad they took this direction with the Creed movies because Stallone’s pretty old and I doubt he can throw the same punches that he could back in 1976 today.

            What really shocked me was how defined Ivan and Viktor Drago are in this movie, especially after all the goofiness of Rocky IV (Yes, that’s the one with the robot). Even though they act more like comic book villains rather than boxing opponents, they want to challenge Creed and Balboa in a final match to regain their glory and win for their country.

            The final match is exhilarating, despite knowing exactly how it’s going to end, it keeps you invested, gasping, and cheering all the way through. In a good final battle, the hero must take a few blows before finishing up the enemy, if Adonis straight up whaled on Viktor without taking any hits, it’d be a weak climax.

            If you’re a fan of the Rocky franchise and enjoyed the first Creed movie, then Creed II is right up your alley. Sure, it’s much of the same but with a movie like this, it doesn’t matter, grab your boxing gloves, step into the ring, and get ready for the big fight.