David Pierdomenico
Over the last 42 years, the Rocky franchise has been something of a roller coaster in terms of quality. It had its ups and downs, its cheesy moments, as well as its generation defining scenes and quotes. 2006’s Rocky Balboa certainly made up for the incredibly underwhelming ending that was Rocky V. But then Ryan Coogler swooped in and gave us all Creed, something we didn’t even know we wanted. It was a fresh take on the series with a new protagonist, but still had Rocky in a supporting role and remained very respectful to the previous films. So naturally Creed II was their next move. And in a move that no one saw coming, it wound being the second best film in the entire franchise (behind the original Rocky)!
How it Avoids Being Campy
When it was first announced that this sequel would deal with Adonis going up against Ivan Drago’s son, some fans were excited, and some were understandably not. After all Rocky IV was when the series dove head first into cheesy 80’s territory. And there was some apprehension that the same camp would be brought back, especially following a film so revered and critically acclaimed as the first Creed. Fortunately this is all avoided, as this film follows the tone of the previous one and focuses much more on tension and character arcs than cheesy gimmicks.
It opens with Adonis going up against the Heavyweight Champion of the World, the very same title that both Apollo and Rocky once held. At this point, he’s already a worldwide sensation, and this attracts the attention of Ivan Drago, and his son Viktor, who have been living in obscurity in Ukraine. They come to Philadelphia and in a very dramatic and public fashion challenge Adonis. We even see Rocky come face to face with Ivan for the first time since their fight 33 years ago when he shows up unannounced at Adrian’s Restaurant, and it’s a legitimately tense scene.
Creed’s Finest Hour
The first film was very much about Adonis proving himself and that he was worthy of the name “Creed”. But here he faces a much more daunting challenge. It’s clear that he has some form of anxiety, as evidenced by him always getting nervous and needing to use the bathroom before a fight. But in this film, Adonis is hurt physically, emotionally, and mentally, all at a time when he’s becoming a father.
Facing off with Viktor Drago brings up all the pain and loss he feels for the father that he never met. And in turn this brings out all of his inner demons. He must strip everything away and come back from rock bottom, thus discovering who he is as a man, a spouse, a father, and a boxer. Once again, Michael B. Jordan does a brilliant job of portraying this struggle. In a not so coincidental way, this film mirrors Rocky II as it deals with our hero’s journey to find the strength within himself to rise to the occasion, both in and out of the boxing ring.
Making Drago Relatable
Perhaps the most welcome surprise in Creed II is the fact that Ivan and Viktor Drago are actually pretty compelling characters themselves. Ivan wasn’t exactly a complex character back in Rocky IV. He had very few lines (the most famous of which being, “If he dies, he dies”). He was incredibly cartoonish, but that’s all that was expected of a Soviet villain from the 1980’s. In this film we see that after losing to Rocky and being disgraced in front of his country, the last 33 years have not been kind to him.
His wife left him, his nation forgot him, and he’s spent the years training his son in a brutally strict fashion to be the best boxer in the world. Viktor feels his own pain from missing his mother, as well as not exactly wanting to be pushed as hard as his father wants. For him, winning the championship will have made it all worth it and give him some form of validation for all the pain and struggles he’s faced during his life. In a very well written move, we have a villain that wants the same goal as the hero, and who seems to have just as much motivation and drive for it.
The Future of the Franchise
Honestly, the best thing for the franchise to do would be to end right now. But does anyone realistically think that will happen? Not if it performs well at the box office, which given its quality, it deserves to. The film sees both Adonis and Rocky overcome their demons and come out on the other side stronger and more enlightened. If we never see or hear from these characters again, this is a good place to leave them.
However, if the studio decides to go on with another, hopefully it doesn’t go down the same rabbit hole that the Rocky series did. After all it was Rocky III that started the decline and Rocky V that descended to the bottom of the barrel. So hopefully history doesn’t repeat itself. In the meantime however, go out and see Creed II and enjoy for all the brilliance that it showcases. There are few films as motivating to the spirit as this one!
