Rocky IV.II

Of all the ‘Rocky’ movies, ‘Rocky IV’ has always been my favorite.  This 1985 third sequel directed by Stallone himself pitted the perennial underdog Rocky Balboa against a hulking Russian übermensch played by Swedish action-star Dolph Lundgren.  With a still raging Cold War as backdrop, ‘Rocky IV’ oozes symbolism with its depiction of the scrappy and resilient "Human Punching Bag" (aka Rocky) against Ivan Drago, the statue-esque specimen of Soviet monolithic perfection. Rambo versus Red Scorpion, what more can we ask for?

 

33 years after Drago fatally knocked out the father-he-never-knew, Rocky's erstwhile enemy-turned-friend Apollo Creed, in the ring as much due to the hubris of the latter as the prowess of the former, Adonis Creed gets a shot at payback against Drago’s own offspring Viktor.  Actually, he couldn’t care less about revenge.  Robbed of the glory he so rightly deserved that fateful day so long ago on his own home-field no less, the disgraced Ivan (Lundgren) has been biding his time, patiently awaiting the day when he can regain the lost glory so unfairly taken away from him through his son Viktor.  Hence we have Rocky IV, Part 2 in this sequel to ‘Creed,’ the successful 2015 spin-off of the popular ‘Rocky’ franchise starring Michael B. Jordan.

 

‘Creed II’ follows the tried-and-true formula of the Rocky films more than its predecessor.  It’s ‘Rocky IV’ by way of ‘Rocky III.’  Like his father Apollo in ‘Rocky IV,’ Adonis was cocky and “underestimated” his challenger, Viktor Drago, who rampaged through the mean underground boxing rings of Ukraine (his dad was exiled to Ukraine for his shame after his loss in 1985), and lost the fight as a result.  And like Rocky in ‘Rocky III’ after being humbled by Mr. T’s Clubber Lang, Adonis sobered up and got down to business for a rematch in classic underdog style.  What did I mean by “underdog style”?  Just as Rocky prepared for his rematch in ‘Rocky IV’ on the frozen tundra of Russia, Adonis forged his mind, body and spirit in the unforgiving crucible of the desert while Viktor enjoyed the luxury of training in a modern gym, because only by depriving himself of all creature comforts can Adonis truly focus and realize his full potential.

Grade: B+