Creed II (2018)

Director: Steven Caple Jr.
Starring: Michael B Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson

Synopsis:
Shortly after becoming the world heavyweight champion, Adonis Creed is challenged by the son of Ivan Drago, the man who killed his father.

Impressions:
For a spinoff series that has just established itself, it was a bit of a bold move to tie into what's largely seen as the goofiest of the Rocky sequels. However, this is a surprisingly grounded take given the source material. Adonis continues to be rather angry and immature, which can grate a bit, but he does grow after he gets taken down a peg. We get some nice character material with Ivan and Viktor. I was particularly impressed by Florian Munteanu as Viktor. I can remember the impression that was left on me from Rocky IV with the exhibition match how Ivan seemed like a caged animal being surrounded by all the glitz and excess. Well, Viktor has that wild animal vibe and a lot of the acting is done without any dialog. The action is hard-hitting and the training montages (particularly Adonis' training in the desert) are good stuff. I wouldn't say it's quite as strong as the first film, but it's still well worth seeing. Give it a watch.

Rating:
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