【1988 Archives】

In some ways988 Archives Creed IIfeels like a regression from its predecessor, a step back into the shadows of the Rocky franchise.

Where 2015's Creedused that legacy to forge something new, Creed IIleans hard on Rocky nostalgia, rehashing Rocky IV's Creed vs. Drago fight through their sons.

SEE ALSO: Creed the band reviews 'Creed' the movie

It's a premise that smells more of a studio conference room than of the characters' blood, sweat, and tears, and the beats feel so familiar that a sports commentator actually says, "Rocky knows better than anyone how this same story plays out."

And yet, when Creed IIis in the thick of it, it mostly works. It's not quite as smart as Creed, or quite as beautiful, and it doesn't have as much depth or nuance or texture. But it's got enough to deliver something satisfying and sweet. Provided, anyway, that you're already invested in this story from the first Creedand the other Rocky movies.

Returning stars Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, and, of course, Sylvester Stallone inhabit these characters like they've never stopped living them, so it doesn't take much for them to win back the affections they earned in the last film. That comes in very handy when the script compels them toward confounding decisions.

Mashable Top Stories Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news. Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

The script (by Stallone and Juel Taylor) retains some of the first film's knack for finding personality in the everyday, like Rocky's frustration over a broken street lamp. An early declaration of love, from Adonis to Bianca, might be one of the most romantic movie moments of the year, precisely because it feels so low-key and lived-in—not like a Hollywood romance, even though that's exactly what it is.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Into this comfortable world come the Dragos, father Ivan (Dolph Lundgren) and son Viktor (Florian Muntenau), who've apparently been waiting decades for a do-over of the battle that left Apollo Creed dead in the ring. That they're cartoonishly determined villains comes as no surprise, considering Ivan's characterization in that movie and Creed II's overall lack of subtlety.

What's unexpected is the odd sympathy the film engenders for them, particularly Viktor. It's made clear from the opening scene that his life has been completely defined by his father's loss that day, to an even greater extent than Adonis' has been. His emotional arc throughout Creed IImakes for a bittersweet complement to Adonis' own ambivalence about their shared history.

Like its hero, Creed II's strength is its heart.

Plus, Viktor's emotional journey has the benefit of making sense, unlike his so much of rival's. Creed II's most exasperating failing is its inability to justify whyAdonis is so easily baited into a fight that everyone warns him is a bad idea, on behalf of a father he barely knew, against a total stranger who himself had nothing to do with that deadly match.

But it doesn't wind up mattering as much as it probably should. When Adonis takes a punch, Jordan's acting, Steven Caple Jr.'s direction, and Ludwig Göransson's score converge to put us in that moment. When Bianca watches, terrified, from the crowd, we're right beside her, clutching our chests with worry. When Rocky trains Adonis for the next battle, his cheers are our cheers.

By the time Creed IIenters its climax, we're all in, even if we're still not entirely sure how we got here. Like its hero, this film's true strength lies in its heart—it has so much of it, it extends sympathy even to its villains.

But Creed IIcould stand to learn another lesson from Adonis, as well: It really and truly is time for this franchise to move beyond its legacy, and start making a name of its own.

---

Featured Video For You

---

Celebrities you never knew were roommates

---

• Social Good
• Digital Culture
• Shopping
• Deals
• Tech
• Science
• Games
• Entertainment

• NYT Connections Sports Edition hints and answers for April 26: Tips to solve Connections #215
• Death, Disembodied
• Gatsbys of Our Time
• Giving Back to Themselves
• The Sound and the “Furious”
• The Waiting Game
• Assimilationists of a Feather
• Alternate Histories
• Mary Shows Up
• Louis, Louis

• This man is apparently the world's most convincing Van Gogh lookalike
• Nicole Kidman and Robin Wright pose in candid photos
• You can now get glove skins in 'Counter
• Taco Bell's Cheetos
• Play the new 'Overwatch' map Oasis right now
• 'Girl on the Train' author Paula Hawkins announces next book
• This is what it looks like when LGBTQ teens tell their own stories
• 10 quick 'Final Fantasy XV' tips that make the game easier
• NASA's asteroid sample reveals key chemistry that could lead to life
• Canadian police officers want to prevent drunk driving with Nickelback

• Then and Now: Almost 10 Years of Intel CPUs Compared
• Mine over Matter
• Scold Habits Die Hard
• Robert the Late Modernist
• 5 Affordable Last
• Burned in Paris
• History Unheeded
• Radeon VII & GeForce RTX 2080 using Ryzen 7 2700X & Core i7
• You won't see Elon Musk smoking weed in public again, NASA admin says
• No Safe Haven

• Apple is actively looking at AI search for Safari
• No Sleep till Auschwitz
• The Autopsy Lessons
• Tested: Ryzen Mobile Gets Better Drivers, Finally
• The 10 Most Anticipated PC Games of 2016
• What happens when the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica, the so
• Burned in Paris
• The Un-Election Year
• Best roborock deal: Save $400 on Q5 Pro+ Robot Vacuum and Mop
• Alternate Histories