Creed II

“Between personal obligations and training for his next big fight, Adonis Creed, son of deceased world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, has boxing in his blood but is up against the biggest challenge of his life. Facing an opponent with ties to his family’s past only intensifies his impending battle in the ring. Adonis and Rocky Balboa, his father’s rival-turned-friend, need to confront their shared legacy, question what’s worth fighting for and discover that nothing’s more important than family.”

When the original Creed was released, I remember thinking how perfect the direction of the story was. Although Rocky Balboa was Sylvester Stallone’s last official Rocky film, audiences were fortunate enough to follow him to another chapter of his life, coming full circle in becoming the trainer of Apollo Creed’s son Adonis (Michael B. Jordan), who followed his father’s footsteps. The potential for conflict and a compelling story was endless considering Rocky’s involvement in Apollo’s death, facing blame from many for not throwing in the towel and stopping the fight against Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren). While Rocky IV isn’t exactly the best of the series cinematically, for pure entertainment value and true inspiration it ranks up there as many people’s favorite. It seems only natural that eventually we would explore more of Adonis’ past and what more perfect way to do it than to face down the man who killed his father?

Creed II explores many themes throughout the film, but reuniting Rocky and Drago and pitting Adonis against Drago’s son Viktor (Florian Munteanu) presents a major opportunity to explore one of the darker moments in the Rocky franchise, and does a fantastic job in doing so. Of course, we see the animosity from Rocky and Adonis toward Drago, but we’re also shown what happens to Drago after losing against Rocky in his home country. Abandoned by both his wife and country, Drago focuses both his and his son’s anger toward that failure, dedicated to reclaiming their glory, while Viktor’s anguish from the abandonment by his mother creates a severe sense of conflict within him. The theme of family is most prevalent in the film obviously, with Adonis having to make some of the same hard choices his father and Rocky made, risking everything as his family sits helplessly watching. This theme applies to basically every character in the film: Rocky and his relationship with his son, Adonis wanting to protect his father’s memory with a new born baby in the picture, and Drago with his son. It’s a beautiful and emotional film, much different than Rocky IV. There’s no clear ‘bad guy’, and although you root against Viktor, seeing the torment he’s endured in his life offers a sense of sympathy toward the character.

Michael B. Jordan is absolutely perfect for this role. His dedication to the acting as well as the physical demands of the character are clear. He gives a great range in his performance which can be very emotional at times. His chemistry with Tessa Thompson is clear on screen, herself giving a great performance, especially in dealing with her hearing problems and the good possibility she’s passed it along to her newborn daughter. Stallone finds his stride as the new Mick, giving his sage advice to Adonis in all aspects of his life, not just boxing. Rocky gives some of the best speeches of the film, and given his character’s heartfelt sincerity and innocence, he’s a pillar of inspiration to Adonis and the audience as well. One of the things I enjoyed the most about the film was the opportunity Dolph Lundgren was given to explore Ivan Drago, much more so than in the original. Instead of simply a Russian test subject, we get to see some emotion from Drago and more of his history. If I could have asked for anything more from this film it would have been more Ivan Drago. Florian Munteanu is definitely in peak condition, giving a phenomenal physical performance in the ring. We don’t get to hear a lot of dialogue from him, but his expressions, especially when seeing his mother, is all we need to feel what he does. Also, how cool is it that they got Brigitte Nielsen back, as well as Milo Ventimiglia?

Creed II has a lot of parallels to Rocky IV, but the focus of family is what sets Creed II apart. While I think the story of one man versus an entire county is more compelling and definitely more inspirational, as Rocky won over the Russian audience in the course of twelve rounds, Creed II doesn’t need to focus on that to tell a good story. Family, accepting the past and forgiveness are what’s important here. With Sylvester Stallone announcing this will be his last portrayal of Rocky Balboa, the series seems to be left in good hands.

Video

Creed II is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 2.4:1. The film looks great on this transfer, with vibrant colors and a clear and detailed picture. There are some vastly different locations throughout the film where the vibrant colors are displayed: the dreariness of the city, bright and blinding colors of the desert, and cool, lush greenery of some of the outdoor scenes.

Audio

The audio is presented in Dolby Atmos and is truly one of the exceptional things about this disc. The sound is so powerful, especially when it comes to the fights in the ring where you’ll experience every punch, every hit, like you were right in the middle of it all. Also impressive is the score. While I don’t care much for rap, there is an interesting mix, especially during the training montage, where they combine the style from the old Rocky films with this new style. Of course you’ll also hear the Rocky Fanfare that will always be a staple of these films.

Special Features

There are some great extras on this disc, well worth the look for fans. I would’ve enjoyed a commentary by Stallone on the disc, being a writer on the film and this being his last go-around as Rocky, I’m sure he would have had some interesting things to say. Here’s what you’re going to see:

• Deleted Scenes
• Fathers & Sons – Explore how Apollo Creed and Ivan Drago’s legacy and rivalry take a toll on their sons.
• Casting Viktor Drago – Go behind the scenes at the casting of Florian Munteanu as Adonis’ greatest challenger.
• The Women of Creed II – Learn how Tessa Thompson and Phylicia Rashad brought heart and soul to the film.
• The Rocky Legacy – Experience the enduring impact of the world of Rocky through the years.

As a huge Rocky fan, I couldn’t have asked for a better follow-up to Creed. Creed II does feel more like a Rocky film at times, given Rocky’s increased involvement and the history from the fourth film, and that’s totally okay with me. With Stallone saying goodbye to the character, I look forward to seeing the direction Michael B. Jordan takes the series in and especially if he can hold the same weight on his shoulders that Stallone did.