Spoiler-Free Thoughts:
Oh, by the way, it's Drago. Drago's back. "The Siberian Bull," Dolph Lundgren's villainous opponent from Rocky IV, has returned from the Motherland with a fighting son, Viktor (Florian Munteau), and they're both eqaully pissed off with Rocky & Creed. So we've got ourselves a pretty epic boxing drama.
But here's the thing: Creed II is so good that it actually made me retroactively appreciate Rocky IV in new ways.
And no, before you ask, I haven't seen Rocky V or Rocky Balboa. Although I've heard the latter is pretty solid.
And of course, there's Rocky. Is it any surprise that Stallone shows up to play again? Hell, he got a friggin' Oscar nomination for his work in Creed, and he brings that same subtle power to his role here. Ol' Sly clearly knows this character like the back of his hand, and it comes across in each minor facial expression.
Okay guys, I get it. His name is literally "Creed" and this is a movie about building your own legacy.
Whatever, though. It was a great moment, and the Rocky films have never been known for their subtlety. There are also some really great messages about fatherhood, as Creed becomes a father, the relationship between Ivan and Viktor is highlighted, and Rocky tries to reconcile with his grown son simultaneously.
That's all for my spoiler-free thoughts on Creed II, beware Drago's might after the break!
Spoiler Thoughts:
Furthermore, Creed II got me invested enough in the characters that I wasn't trying to predict everything that might happen next. Of course, you know Creed probably has to lose his first fight with Ivan Drago. There wouldn't be much of a story otherwise. And we expect that he'll probably succeed in defending his title during that incredible Moscow showdown. But the motivations & the heart behind the competitors is so strong that it distracts from the more predictable moments.
I'm realizing that I haven't talked much about the subplot between Creed & Bianca, between their engagement, pregnancy, and the eventual birth of their daughter (whose name I can't recall . . . just that there was a funny moment where Rocky suggested naming her Cate.) Not to say I didn't enjoy any of this, but look . . . I'm mostly here for the boxing stuff. It was a touching storyline, and it went miles to show how much pressure Adonis is really under, but this might be just the one area where my mind started to wonder, and I started to think, Hey, could Creed just go hit something, please? Thankfully, he did. He hit a heavy bag, in front of his infant daughter, in the middle of the night. Symbolism!
This ties in with how Creed II conveys its themes - for the most part, you aren't beaten over the head with any great thematic weight, but there are a few more overt moments. That "What's your name?" exchange is a prime example. Or when a commentator can be heard saying, "This is how Creed will cement his legacy!" But like I said, Rocky has never been known for its subtlety. Rocky is about using larger-than-life characters to make grown men feel the feels they're afraid to feel. And Creed II wholly succeeds at that.
That'll do it for my review of 2 Creed 2 Furious, stay posted for more film stuff soon!
Sources & Other Meaningless Things
Creed II Poster:
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Rocky/Adonis photo:
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Dragos photo:
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Ivan Drago photo: cdn3.movieweb.com/i/article/NWe3Ob1inJpl8FJXzkENWmAzfCj7T6/386:50/Creed-2-Ivan-Drago-
Returns-Dolph-Lundgren-Almost.jpg
Underwater training: d13ezvd6yrslxm.cloudfront.net/wp/wp-content/images/Creed-2-trailer-breakdown-700x300.jpg
Clubber Lang: 4.bp.blogspot.com/-w0pgh1Lxu2Q/VCorkfy-cWI/AAAAAAAA0Hw/P8AtBsTfmM4/s1600/rock9.jpg
Goodbye meme:
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