Creed II Is a Title Contender

Creed II (2018)

Creed II was a very good, if not great boxing movie, but it is clearly the little brother of the superior Creed. While Creed focused on characters and change, Creed II was much more formulaic. It followed a similar pattern to Rocky III with a dash of Rocky II, which isn’t really a bad thing. It even had a top-notch montage before the final fight with an excellent soundtrack backing it. What Creed II did improve upon is the theme of family and its true meaning. The movie is really an exploration of finding your true motivation and recognizing the people who are truly important. Creed II touched on how different cultures value different aspects of life and their subsequent similarities. Of every movie I have seen this year, only A Star is Born had better acting. Tessa Thompson and Michael B. Jordan are infinitely watchable and Stallone puts in a fantastic performance that will ultimately be snubbed during award season. I was most impressed with Florian Munteanu, who is the boxer and bodybuilder who played Viktor Drago. He barely had any lines, so most of his acting was facial expressions and he was fantastic. Without speaking, he conveyed pain, pride, love, and loss just as well as Jordan, who is, in my opinion, the best actor working right now. Unfortunately, I can’t disclose my biggest issue with the movie because it is a spoiler, but just know that it is not perfect. Overall, Creed II was a worthy addition to the Rocky lore, unlike Rocky V, and I give it 10 out of 12 rounds.