Creed II takes pieces of the previous Rocky stories and is able to completely transform them into a better, more emotional story that can easily resonate with audiences.

If I have one big complaint about this installment, it would be that the script steals almost every single story beat from Rocky IV. But, at the same time, that is one of the most interesting aspects. Rocky IV had so much potential to be an emotionally impactful movie but failed to capture that tone due to the 80s camp that was heavily featured. In Creed II, we get to see the fallout of the fight between Rocky and Drago. Where Rocky went on to be a national treasure in retirement, Drago met a worse fate in Russia. His wife left him, his country turned its back on him, and he and his son were completely alone. This isolation drives the two in order to regain the respect of their countrymen and is a very compelling motive. On the other hand, Adonis is attempting to gain redemption for the Creeds by beating the fighters that single handedly killed his father all those years ago. This story is able to evolve all of our main characters, with Donnie being able to accept his father's absence and become a father figure for his newly born daughter. Rocky learns to care for and communicate with others, resulting in him gaining a relationship with his son. And with the Drago’s realizing that they don’t need the acceptance of Russia to become successful in their own right. This story really worked for me and was exactly the type of film I wished Rocky IV would have been.

Our cast is once again superb; Michael B. Jordan’s chemistry with Stallone and Tessa Thompson is fantastic, and he is so great in this role. There is a scene with Rocky giving Adonis a very emotional speech about why he wants to fight, and it honestly rivals his speech in Rocky Balboa; it sent shivers down my spine. Our villains are spectacular. Dolph Lundgren is incredible and actually has a substantial role, with him being the hard-nosed jackass of a father to Viktor. His journey towards the end of the movie is very fulfilling. Florian Munteanu was a surprise and was really able to portray the complex emotions of his character. His subtle facial expressions during the final fight really showed that his heart was not fully in it, unlike his father.

The fight scenes are fantastic. There is a sudden brutality to them that really emphasizes the sheer size and power of Viktor Drago, creating a very intimidating feel to the matches. Even though the choreography and cinematography might not be as great as the original, it is still able to do an incredible job of staging and filming the fights.

Overall, this movie is genuinely excellent, and while it might not fully live up to the original, it is a worthy successor in almost every way.

Score: 88%
Verdict: Excellent