Creed II

Creed II takes its time rolling the emotional punches into your gut, then knocks you to the floor before the bell. It may not be as masterful as its predecessor in terms of energy and music, but the development of each character - and what is at stake - reaches a new peak. The narrative not only brings Adonis Creed back into the ring, it furthers his story with surprising realism.

Ryan Coogler gave his sequel to another hungry director, Steven Caple Jr., instead of Sylvester Stallone, and he proves himself with the detail and heart that flows through this film’s veins. Steven Caple Jr. and the cinematographer, Kramer Morgenthau, must be named, noted, and followed, because they gave this film their all. Every second is rich in emotion and color, beautifully shot with sharp imagery and thematic framing. Los Angeles’ sun-shining streets jar against the rusting Philadelphia Railways and frozen Ukranian factories. The passage of time is never directly stated, nor ignored; the change of the apartment room, the unkempt growth of Donny’s beard in rehab, or the change in Bianca’s pregnancy reveal it visually. Then, the film cuts to Viktor’s development, and the lack of any change alludes to Drago’s waiting for Donny like a scarred, vengeful bear pacing just outside of safety.

Every character in this film is a broken human soul fighting through their bodies to prove themselves. The world constantly surrounds them, directly forcing their weaknesses into the spotlight to drag them down. The visuals are crowded with sweat, blood, and pulsing muscles, but what powers its narrative are the souls inside these bodies. Because of this, the middle portion of the film puts the Boxing fights aside, physically rebuilding what was shattered in front of the audience’s eyes in the first act. Instead of loud, heart-pumping music and bruising fist fights, there is a melancholic reality of life throwing its own punches. Donny’s life is changing right in front of him, but his struggle is pulling him into the past and preventing him from seeing his family grow up. Sylvester Stallone gives his character, Rocky, another performance of a lifetime. His persistence to break Donny’s cold exterior shows how much care Stallone puts into his scripts, and his performance glows through the even the simplest scenes of anecdotes and quirks. Rocky Balboa had his own arc outside of Donny’s fight, and it was a heartwarming reflection of the main character’s family struggles.

What makes this film truly special in the Rocky series is its humanization of the Drago family. In a narrative so expanding and complex, it saves time to focus on a conflict so simple and archetypal, it shines through all the noise. Their hunger to return home, to be loved and accepted, even though the world has moved on from their state of hatred, is constantly forced into their faces outside the ring; the only time they can prove themselves is when their fists are in the gloves, pounding their anger into whomever is stuck inside the ropes with them. The power, the rage, and the harsh Russian language all builds up to this hard exterior that longs for the one thing that is pushed away by their brutality. Ivan Drago’s unrelenting coaching of his son Viktor pushes his son to the breaking point, but because of this, they fail to gain what they thought they needed.

This film is quieter than Creed, and the montage is brief, but it sacrifices the hallmarks of a Rocky film in order to give a compelling development in the story. The camera work and sound design is a gateway for the eyes to get lost in the emotion, and in the end, the final fight still gets you dodging the punches with pure adrenaline.

Story Rating: 8/10

Character Rating: 10/10