I'd like to let the record show at this time that ROCKY IV is my least favorite ROCKY picture.
Calm down. Shhh. It's OK. It's OK. I never said I didn't like it. I mean, I love to drink beer and watch Stallone stroll through the 90 minute montage as much as the next person, OK? But ROCKY IV is Stallone at his most vain and over the top (LOL), and what's worse, ROCKY IV feels like the cliff notes version of a ROCKY movie. Apollo Creed's death simply doesn't hit in the same way Mickey's death does in ROCKY III, which is kind of crazy when that event is what truly drove Apollo and Rocky to finally become best friends as opposed to just respected peers. The film drowns in 80's excess, showing off household robots and diving headfirst into Rocky ending the cold war. Full stop, ROCKY IV is fucking ridiculous. ROCKY V has probably aged the worst, but I respect it's efforts in trying to get back to the roots of the characters and remember that they are the reason we love these movies so much, and not just watching them train in montages.
However, a funny thing happened. CREED gave ROCKY IV meaning. I go into more detail here, but let's face it, if you've watched CREED then you know what I mean. All of a sudden it felt like the movie had a righteous place in the ROCKY franchise.
And then CREED II just goes ahead and makes ROCKY IV a better movie.
The film opens with Adonis, again played by an electrifying Michael B. Jordan, becoming World Champion, just like his father and Rocky before him. He's about to propose to Bianca, who might I add is expecting their first baby. All is well. Until it isn't, of course.
Honestly, the actual plot of CREED II is fairly obvious and not in the least bit surprising. How can it be, 8 films in? CREED found a way to make the franchise feel fresh and revitalized again, but CREED II never quite matches that energy and leans just a little too far into the formula to become another classic like the first and seventh entries.
BUT.
And there is a but.
But, as I mentioned before, the formula still works. And it works really well.
Dolph Lundgren is of course back as Ivan Drago. Lundgren has never been the greatest actor, and to be fair, he never really tried to be. But he does have a certain look about him. He stands out, to say the least, and age has served him well it seems, as Ivan in CREED II looks as if life has chewed him up and spit him out. Lundgren has pain and regret all over his face throughout the entire film. In fact, the movie does a great job of getting you to understand the damage that Rocky inflicted in their last fight, and how that has pushed the man towards revenge, even at the expense of his relationship with his own son.
Speaking of the Drago boy, Florian Munteanu plays Creed's opponent, and he proves to be the most intimidating villain the franchise has had since at least Clubber Lang in ROCKY III. Not only does he have the look of a dude who could beat all life out of me, but the weight of thirty years of training and hatred towards the Creeds and Balboas hangs over his head and gives a clear and concise motivation for the character.
Stallone once again brings tears to my eyes almost every damn minute he's on screen, which actually isn't as much as you'd think, but still, it's clear he has deep love and understanding of Rocky, even as he continues to fight the battles life throws at him, like the diminishing relationship with his son. I really don't know what else to say about Rocky other than he's my favorite film character of all time and as long as Stallone is willing to play him I'll keep watching.
Michael B. Jordan, though. God damn. The dude is ferocious here, giving everything as if everything is on the line. And of course, for Adonis, everything is. Not just his legacy, but his family. He risks everything by accepting this fight knowing that he could die just like his father, and Jordan shows every ounce of fear, anger and determination with perfection.
Like any good ROCKY picture, we see the hero fall. And it hurts. It hurts because we care about them. It hurts because we want them to better themselves, to overcome the toughest obstacle. To win.
And like any good ROCKY picture, it feels oh so good when that iconic theme comes on at the most crucial moment during the fight, the moment where it all counts. I'll never get tired of that feeling.
CREED II isn't a masterpiece like CREED. CREED II relies on nostalgia for it's success whereas CREED seemingly created nostalgia and formed its own legacy. But that's not a diss. CREED II makes ROCKY IV matter, it gives ROCKY IV weight and meaning 30 years after the fact by examining the toll a legacy can take.
CREED II fucking rules.
