Review of Creed II (2018) by Kyle M — 13 Jan 2019

The story of Rocky Balboa has faced two revivals, continuing on showing different stages of the duration and aftermath of his achieved American Dream, and the second revival shifted focus to the next generation that is the unexpected offspring of his late-friendly rival. The second chapter of Adonis Creed's story continues his mentor's story to the polishing end along the solid beginning that not only pushes his story in full gear; it also serves as a subtle reboot to the three "Rocky" sequel. "Creed II" tensely demonstrates that history does repeats itself, as well the familiar circumstances and haunting stake within with more impact and surprising insight in another story.

Adonis Creed continues his father's legacy with his own footing in the boxing ring, till he caught familiar attention from the blood that grimly took out his father decades ago. Vitor Drago, son of retired Russian boxer Ivan Drago, is out to restore the fiery honor of his father's abandoned name by taking out the shared generation of his opponent. Complications arises for Adonis when facing the question of what's worth fighting for from his mentor Rocky Balboa's haunting perspective and reluctant support, and finding out nothing's more important than family.

If you're watching "Creed II", then you probably witnessed the horrible turnout in "Rocky IV" that haunts this eighth installment with the more aware stakes being replayed and not forgotten out of tense worrisome. History tensely repeats itself with emotional grips - thanks to the effective cinematography emphasizing the impacts, and surprisingly hefty parallels between the two fighters, particularly the opposite Vitor in his down-to-street training and complexity in relationships and expectations towards acceptance. His sympathetically-directed story actually provoked resonance to the point of hoping for a positive resolution at his story's end while obviously rooting for Adonis's victorious safety. The very well-performed characterization overall is exceptional through individually thorough narratives in their expressed concerns and desires.

Speaking of repeated history, what makes this sequel slight lesser than its fresh predecessor's fresh beginning is the rehashed formula of the four "Rocky" sequels from family to training to support to the pivotal rematch. It's a Creed story that also paralleled with Balboa, but with different more emotional spins, with increased strength in the training montage and better focus - which the latter solidifies this a better-done sequel.

Thinking about how the climatic matches in the previous two installments resulted, "Creed II" is in place of the primary protagonist with the predecessor still undefeated champ. This particular sequel is still victorious as the best sequel out of the whole franchise next to "Rocky Balboa" with a solid structure of qualities being defined by the emotional strength being put into the rehashed punches. Like being embraced by the congratulating moment, it's a cheerful picture that pretty much finalized the story. (A-).