Review: Creed II

"My son will break your boy," Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) vows to Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) in the thrilling, poignant, and thoroughly satisfying follow-up to the 2015 reboot, Creed, itself a surprisingly soulful work that brought new life to the Rocky franchise. Those words, of course, are an echo of the famous line Drago delivered 33 years ago in Rocky IV, which saw the death of Apollo Creed at the Russian's hand and Rocky travelling to Russia to avenge his friend and also to make a plea for world peace. Creed II mines that corny but highly effective entry to (re)create an ongoing theme in the series. As one character puts it, "It's one thing to be the number one contender, it's a whole other thing to be a champion."

Three years after going the distance but failing to win due to a split decision in the first film, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) is at the top of his game, finally winning the heavyweight championship with a knockout. Life couldn't be sweeter, especially after girlfriend Bianca (Tessa Thompson) accepts his very nervous proposal. Yet a threat looms in the horizon in the form of Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), the son of the man who killed his father all those years ago and who is now challenging him for the title. If Creed was about a son attempting to step out of his father's shadow, Creed II revolves around a man hoping to rewrite history even if it means losing everything in the process, including the bond Adonis has forged with the man he looks upon as a father figure.

Rocky is understandably against the match. Adonis has everything to lose, Viktor doesn't, he reasons, and a fighter with nothing to lose is dangerous. Adonis bristles, viewing his stance as a vote of no confidence in his ability to win and says he's taking the fight with or without Rocky and, when Rocky quietly replies that it will have to be without him, pours salt into an old wound, "At least you don't gotta worry about throwing in the towel this time," effectively blaming Rocky's decision not to throw in the towel to stop the fight between Drago and his father as the reason for his death.

Unfortunately for Adonis, history does repeat itself, though not as fatally. He suffers a savage beating in the ring, though Viktor is disqualified. With his body battered and ego bruised, Adonis must find a way to regain his physical and mental strength to take on Viktor once again or risk forfeiting his championship. That Rocky will be there by his side is given along with the fact that the film will follow the arc of every sports drama ever made. Yet this narrative predictability is no criticism of Creed II, which continues to find new ways to tell an old tale. Much like the early Rockys and its predecessor, Creed II is predominantly a character based and driven film, and every character is given depth.

Even the Dragos are no mere villains. When Rocky tells Drago their match was a million years ago, the Russian replies, "But yesterday for me." Lundgren, a great presence but not exactly the best of actors, convincingly conveys the bitterness that Drago has harboured all these years. For Rocky it may have been another match, but that match cost Drago his wife, his country and respect and Viktor carries the weight of his father's determination to get himself back in his country's good graces. Likewise, Russell Hornsby's Don King-like promoter is not drawn as a predatory opportunist - after all, the Rumble in the Jungle didn't just happen by itself, he reminds Adonis, someone had to will it into existence.

The lives of Adonis and Bianca are carefully and lovingly considered, and Phylicia Rashad as Adonis' mother is given several lovely scenes, which she carries off beautifully with the right mix of warmth and toughness. The fight scenes are brutal and dynamic and Steven Caple, Jr. does exceedingly well in taking over the directorial reins from his USC classmate, Ryan Coogler, who had scheduling conflicts due to Black Panther. Jordan and Stallone remain the heart and soul of the film. Without either of them, the film wouldn't be half as engrossing and irresistibly appealing and they make one wish for more entries in the franchise.

Creed II

Directed by: Steven Caple, Jr.

Written by: Juel Taylor, Sylvester Stallone

Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Dolph Lundgren, Florian Munteanu, Russell Hornsby, Wood Harris, Milo Ventimiglia, Robbie Johns, Brigitte Nielsen