Creed II is the sequel to Creed and the eighth movie in the Rocky franchise. He has to face off against the son of Drago, the man who killed his father and has a grudge against the one man that beat him, Rocky. Why should he fight when he has so much to lose, including his life?
Disclaimer: I’ve only seen Rocky and Creed. I was alive during the Cold War and did not live under a rock so I know the basics about Drago. I am usually a completist, and the reason that I did not see Creed in theaters is because I didn’t know that Ryan Coogler directed it, and I thought that I would have to watch all the Rocky movies to get it. I really don’t want to run that marathon. So when I saw Creed with some friends, I was relieved that I basically knew enough and loved the movie.
Also even though I am a sports atheist, I suspect that I may have a soft spot for violent sports that strip away the veneer of having a random goal achieved in an arbitrary way. Boxing and mixed martial arts are pure sports directly applicable to life, and the winner is obvious because it is the guy who is left standing or at least looks slightly better than the other guy. It isn’t just brute force. There is strategy and understanding your opponent, but the objective is survival. As a verbal sparer, I can appreciate it in a way that I can’t enjoy other sports so I think that as a result, I may like boxing movies over other sport dramas.
I learn from my mistakes so I was eager to see Creed II in theaters before the end of its opening week even though I knew that Coogler was not directing this installment. I could have waited until it came out on DVD. I felt as if Adonis Creed was a supporting character in his own movie. Every character takes center stage, which is a nice change from the boxer’s girlfriend trope, but as much as I adore Tessa Thompson, I did not come here for her, and she felt like the first third of the movie. I actually used a huge turning point in their life as a bathroom break late in the movie.
Creed II told the story like a child, “This happened then that happened.” It felt like the worst parts of too fast in substituting rapid exciting events for character development and too slow because at two hours ten minutes, if you have to wait for ninety-six minutes before a character talks or longer before you can spot an easy camaraderie between our lead couple—no, not Creed and Bianca, Creed and Rocky—then something feels off. The one thing that I despised about Avengers: Age of Ultron is that in the first Avengers movie, we had to earn seeing the heroes team up, but then as viewers, we don’t get to enjoy them together before they break up at the beginning of the next group movie. I can’t root for any couple if their relationship is brand new, and they break up soon after I meet them. I know that I’m supposed to just believe that in between movies, a lot has happened to make them grow closer, but I can’t.
It was too melodramatic for my tastes. “Am I dangerous?” “You’re dangerous.” All while weeping and voices break. Did I sign up for Creed II or Lifetime for Men? I’m not faulting Sylvester Stallone and Ryan Coogler’s performances, but the material that they have to work with. The central question of the movie was why do these men choose to fight. Are you living your father’s life or your own? The Dragos aren’t only the more physically intimidating team, but they are more dramatically interesting than Rocky and Creed, especially if you keep the latter separated for the majority of the film. It takes too long to see their easy camaraderie and remember why we’re rooting for them other than the memories from the previous films. Creed’s story did not resonate for me for the majority of the film because he basically feels like an underdog instead of a winner, and the poor little rich boy act didn’t work for me this time around, especially when the real underdog is the guy with a rough day job. Also there was no suspense for me because the trailers gave away too much. When we finally got back to the bonhomie and training, I was finally invested in the movie, but that meant that I checked out for the majority of the film.
Also I was kind of annoyed that Creed still needed Rocky. Are you planning to quit when he dies? Rocky exists to narrate and coach your entire damn life (his food must suck because that restaurant is never full)? Let me get this straight. Creed’s innate gifts can’t help him win this fight. The coach at his dad’s gym can’t do it, but Rocky can. To be fair, Rocky is the only one that beat Drago, but in the first Creed movie, it made sense that no one really wanted to coach him to protect him, but when they give their all, they still need Rocky. During the second fight, even I thought, “Move your damn feet,” and I know nothing. Creed is supposed to be a professional. And don’t give me that, “He was emotional” crap. Then he should have tried to beat Viktor’s daddy’s ass more often.
Florian Munteanu, who plays Viktor Drago, can act. He is given very few lines, but he projects every emotion and his inner turmoil on his face. I kept waiting for a hint of what he would rather be doing instead of boxing. I know that I am about to utter an abomination to hard core Rocky lovers, but a more creative approach would have been to follow Drago’s son in a similar fashion to the initial Creed movie, but then have the second half of the movie focus on our hero. Dolph Lundgren did a great job too, especially in the denouement. So I know that everyone knows this except me, but when I initially saw the two of them together, I could see how they could be related, but thought, “His mom must have been big because he doesn’t get his size from his dad,” then cackled when we see who she is. Honest question: if they aren’t in the same weight category, and they can’t be, how are Creed and Drago fighting each other?
Creed II also had moments that just felt off for me. I know that tourists always run up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art to mimic the iconic scene in Rocky, but how would people in the movie know about that moment? Does he do it in EVERY sequel so once he becomes famous, everyone knows that he does it then it becomes a thing? When boxers walk to the ring, can anyone be their hype man so if theoretically your significant other was Beyonce, she could just suddenly start performing? It IS cool, but weird. I’m upset that they didn’t keep the Terminator side scroll. Also while you’re waiting for the fight to begin, don’t watch the news coverage. Everyone needs to turn off the broadcasts.
Immediately after the movie, I consulted with people that I know are Rocky franchise experts, and the general consensus was that I would have to watch all the films to truly appreciate Creed II. One person even offered her DVDs. I promised that once time permits, I would do that and give Creed II another chance. Apparently Creed II is a rewarding experience for those who are in for the long haul, but acolytes like me don’t get it. I owe money to everyone who contributed to Creed so I’m not mad, just disappointed.
Side note: I love the end cameo, especially since this franchise’s roots are deep in Pennsylvania and this actor’s latest popular show is set in Pennsylvania. Shout out to Russell Hornsby!