| 12.01.2018 – There are sports films that are built upon the underlying drama that defined its identity, which has become an iconic franchise like Rocky and its continuing saga where the fictional athlete evolved throughout the years. Of course, Rocky Balboa steps back and becomes the mentor of the former Apollo Creed’s son.
Adonis Creed is going to have new challenges and Rocky will be with him all the way. They will face insurmountable odds that tie to their legacy and it is an interesting narrative that makes you appreciate the little things about this sequel to Creed even if you’re not a fan of the previous films. |
With so much going on to Adonis life it’s a tough balancing act written by Juel Taylor and Sylvester Stallone, from a story by Sascha Penn and Cheo Hodari Coker. There’s a lot of going on in this sequel to the original 2015 film. There’s the importance of family, the redemption of a former fighter and his son, and the courage to reconnect with a family member from far away.
The scope of the story is not as big as you’d expect but it takes the punch to the chest. Adonis Creed’s journey in the first film has just begun, and it's round two for him to step it up not only in the ring. But the fight biggest fight of his life is dealing with his past and his legacy as the son of Apollo Creed.
More Human than Machine
Newcomer Florian Munteanu portraying Viktor Drago is a man mountain that Adonis Creed has to face. The son of the former prizefighter from Russia doesn’t make mince with words but his size and physical prowess make him more like a killing machine. But underneath that huge persona is not what you expect and Munteanu brings his performance a challenging as you’d expect to see him as Viktor.
There are legacies and failed dreams that Ivan Drago has lost, which is far from the cartoon character that Dolph Lundgren has portrayed in Rocky IV. There are no good and bad, but intersecting lives of these characters. It's emotionally heart wrenching if you look at it the way Lundgren’s performance has cemented him as one of the great actors out there. You’ll probably show pity on Drago for being a broken man that was abandoned by his country failing to beat Rocky Balboa.
Past and Present Collide
In all the themes that you see in this film what makes things connect together is family. It's not just Adonis’ story of wanting to take his revenge to the person who killed his father, but also dealing with the challenges of becoming a parent at the same time Rocky trying to find the courage to reconnect with his own son.
You’ll see both sides of the picture how things unravel with each character’s personal lives. Sly Stallone should have won Best Supporting Actor in the first film as he continues to make headlines with the unforgettable performance. It is definitely a fight 33 years in the making as former foes face again and their legacies again entwined what would be an interesting perspective that makes this franchise live up to the hype that the Creed franchise has evolved as its own film.
Arguably has surprises and interesting character evolution that has grounded some of those personalities that used to be animated. It never loses focus on what makes some of the characters human that you’ll feel sympathetic on some of them. Its one of the best sports films that stand on its own despite being a spinoff from the Rocky film franchise.
“Creed II” serves up some serious punch up to the chest that makes you appreciate of the best scenes and the familiar characters that deserve a third film.
It’s now playing in cinemas globally as it was showing in the Philippines since November 28, while being shown in Australia since November 29, where you can also find other dates in your country HERE. It’s distributed in the Philippines by Warner Bros Pictures and Village Road Show in Australia.
RATED: A+
NOTE: This film was screened publicly at Glorietta 4 Cinema in the City of Makati, Metro Manila. This is reviewed with a personal opinion without spoilers not for you to agree or disagree about the views written by the author but to gain insight on his perspective about the film.
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