There’s a line in Ryan Coogler’s Creed, “It ain’t about how hard you can hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.”
Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) enjoyed a six-film series, but couldn’t become the gift that kept on giving. The franchise was ploughed with punches, but continued its crusade. Then came the spin-off and Coogler breathed new life into the series, adding racial subtext and emotional nuance to an otherwise threadbare concept.
Though Coogler only serves as executive producer to the film, another young African American Steven Caple Jr. takes the reins of the camera. Stallone now appears as Balboa for the eighth and final time in Creed II as he witnesses Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) become the boxing heavyweight champion of the world. Creed's victory is threatened when Rocky’s old rival, Russian Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), makes a comeback of sorts. Drago junior challenges Creed to a fight.
- Director: Steven Caple Jr.
- Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Dolph Lundgren, Florian Munteanu, Wood Harris, Phylicia Rashad
The sequel to Creed unravels like a Bollywood plot even though Caple Jr. would have us believe it’s Shakespearean, as one of the film’s character puts it. Creed’s fight with Drago junior transcends the defence of a championship title. Instead, it’s about a personal legacy, avenging a father he’s never known and proving his resilience to his family.
Balboa questions Creed time and time again, “What you fighting for?” This fight, though 30 years in the making — since Balboa fought Drago senior in Rocky IV after Creed’s father was beaten to death in the ring — doesn’t seem particularly novel.
Caple Jr. in a fresh but staid move decides to keep a chunk of the focus out of the ring. Creed and his partner and eventual wife, with progressive hearing loss, are having a baby. His camaraderie with Balboa continues to tickle, eliciting most of the laughs. And unlike Drago senior’s villainy in the original series, his son is painted as a pitiable character, a child raised in hatred with a cruel father. Caple Jr. inadvertently makes us desire a redemption arc for this character that’s eventually neglected.
When matters of the ring do come round, Caple Jr.’s skill flourishes. It’s evident in watching Viktor do unimaginable things with a rope and push-ups, or Creed running at full speed in the desert and being beaten with tires. That Rocky theme played at the right time just amplifies the adrenaline rush.
Creed II has its shortcomings and pales in comparison to its predecessor. It’s just like how the sequels to Rocky fared. But Caple Jr. crafts a second part that entertains more than it disappoints.