Review of Creed II (2018) by Jakuub M — 22 Dec 2018

The first Creed was an outright knockout, rebooting a troubled franchise and introducing us to new characters, while redeeming lackluster sequels and having some of the best performances of that year. I am pleased to say that the follow up is of comparable quality. Creed II acts as both a sequel to the previous entry and develops Rocky IV a bit more with Ivan Drago's son challenging Adonis Creed to a match. The themes of sons redeeming their fathers, and revenge vs forgiveness loom large in this solidly directed sequel. Steven Caple Jr. rises to the challenge and while he does not have the finesse of Ryan Coogler, he more than holds his own. Creed II isn't as focused as its predecessor and certainly follows the rhythm of a Rocky sequel, but more ably than many of those.

Michael B. Jordan is a household name in 2018, and he infuses a lot of emotion and pain in this role, without resorting to angst. I'd argue that his Adonis Creed is his best character, and he fills the gloves well. I didn't care for Tessa Thompson last time around, but in this outing she becomes more than a love interest and is as vital to the picture's heart as the two main male leads. She has some of the best scenes in the film. Dolph Lundgren returns to his most iconic role and his interplay with his son (Florian Munteanu) also reveals a depth to his character that Rocky IV denied him. In fact, I absolutely love how this movie redeems what was a cheesy, propaganda-laden sequel into a traumatic moment in the lives of these characters. And of course, Sylvester Stallone knows how to pull on our heartstrings. His Obi-Wan Kenobi to Creed's Skywalker shtick still works, and you genuinely buy his worry about Adonis following his father's path to a bloody death in the ring, and why he feels complicit - even if we know that genre films such as this usually end well for the protagonist. Stallone has the right amount of humor and grace to work a role like this, and if this is indeed his last time out as the former Italian Stallion, it was a hell of a sendoff.

Overall, Creed II is a worthy sequel that almost captures the magic of the original. The fights are brutal, but they serve a purpose to the narrative. This is prime popcorn entertainment with a bit of craft and strong performances, the kind of picture that used to fill cinemas in previous decades. I look forward to more, even if history has taught me that more is a foolish thing to ask for.