Creed II (2018) Review

-Break him.
-Ivan Drago



Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), now the World Champion of boxing, is challenged by Viktor Drago (Florian "Big Nasty" Munteanu), the son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), who killed Adonis' father back in Rocky IV.  With Creed's life moving forward, he has to decide how to handle Drago's challenge.


What Works:

Michael B. Jordan is pretty incredible in the role.  He gets to showcase a wider range of emotions this time around.  We get to see his anguish, fear, and joy.  It's a powerful performance, with his two best moments being when he screams out while underwater and when he realizes his daughter may be deaf.  It's heartbreaking stuff.

Sylvester Stallone is fantastic as ever as Rocky Balboa.  He doesn't have as much to do this time around, but he has to face his regrets (like the rest of the characters) and his past.  It's a good story for him and a great performance.

The Drago's are incredible and the best villains of the franchise.  Viktor may be the most physically intimidating fighter in the series and it's great to see Lundgren back as Ivan.  He gets a fantastic character arc this time around and the moment where he throws in the towel to stop the fight is my favorite part of the movie.

The direction is fantastic.  Steven Caple Jr. makes this movie feel different from the rest and makes his own thing.  The film feels very fluid, especially in the boxing sequences.  It's impressive work.

The story also gives us a few surprising moments.  As I mentioned above, I wasn't expecting the final match to end with Drago throwing in the towel.  That's different from anything else we've seen in this series and I love it.  I also wasn't expecting a match between Creed and Viktor so early in the film.  It really caught me off guard and made me wonder how the second half of the film was going to go.

Finally, the final boxing match may be my favorite in the series.  There's so much history and emotion involved.  It's brutal, intense, and exciting.  Plus I love how the arena looks.  It's very dynamic and left an impression.


What Sucks:

I do think the subplot about Adonis' daughter could have been trimmed down a little.  It felt like a little much and wasn't as interesting as the rest of the film.  A scene or two less here and there would have been great.


Verdict:

Creed II surpasses its predecessor and is the second best film in the franchise.  The acting is incredible, we get the best villains of the series, excellent direction, and an amazing finale.  One subplot could have been a little shorter, but, without a doubt, this movie has got it going on.

 9/10: Great 


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