Is anything as ever good as the first time around? Well…yes, there are examples. Huckleberry Finn makes his debut in the The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, but pretty much everyone would agree that the later The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a better work. It’s very hip to say The Empire Strikes Back surpasses the original Star Wars, and I don’t think anyone would argue that Dr. No was the best Bond film. But for every Lord of the Rings that is far superior to The Hobbit, you have way more Ocean’s 12 or Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. So, it was with more than a little trepidation that I went to see Creed II this past week.
You had to understand, I absolutely LOVED the first Creed. In fact, if I might be so bold, I even rhapsodized about it in this very format. I thought it was the best movie of the year. Ryan Coogler’s direction simply blew me away: everything was understated. You weren’t beaten over the head with the Rocky mythology. There were little to no flashbacks and the focus was on the new characters: Donnie Johnson/Adonis Creed and Bianca. Sylvester Stallone, in an impressively low-key performance, was a supporting character. The story wasn’t about Rocky, but rather, the title character. And by being so straight forward, I thought Coogler pulled off a miracle: I was so completely sucked in, I believed I now lived in a world where Apollo Creed and Rocky Balboa were real people. It didn’t seem a Rocky film, it didn’t even seem a film at times….just a story about a challenged youth trying to make something of himself.
Now, obviously that’s a bar set mighty high and it was going to take a near-perfect effort to equal Creed. But I was still interested in seeing the continuing story of Donnie, Bianca and Rocky, so with nothing better to do on Thanksgiving morning, I gave it a shot.
I guess at this point, I should post this, in case you haven’t seen the film and are planning on doing so.
Let’s get this biggest question out of the way: is Creed II as good as the original? That answer is easy to come by: no. It’s definitely not. But please note, I wrote….err, typed that in lower case. It’s not an empathic “no” and it’s not really because Steven Caple Jr. is directing, instead of Ryan Coogler. Sure, there are some choices Caple made that differ from what Coogler may have done…and some of that may have been because Stallone wrote Creed II….but those are minor quibbles which I’ll explain as we go along. The biggest reason Creed II isn’t as good as the original is….because, well, it’s not the original. Part of what Creed so memorable is that it was an entirely new take on the Rocky saga. It was in the same universe but it was something different. Rocky himself is the only familiar character and he wasn’t the Rocky Balboa were remember. He wasn’t blustering, he wasn’t the champ, just an lonely old man running a restaurant and living in a townhouse that’s seen better days.
I compare to J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars trilogy (in progress), which gives us new characters, but keeps a foot (well. maybe a leg, all the way up to the hip) anchored in the original. There, Rey, Finn, Kylo Ren and the rest are constantly interacting with, or at least referencing, the Star Wars we all know. But with Creed, the Rocky of the ’70s and ’80s was only a passing reference. There was a freshness there. Just by being sequel, that freshness was bound to be gone. It doesn’t mean Creed II was going to be a bad film; it just didn’t have the impact of a brand new take on an established canon….and, very important to note, a brand new take where the creator of the original gave leeway for something different.
In my review of Creed, I speculated that Stallone had complete faith in Ryan Coogler to handle his characters. Stallone, as far as I know, was only an actor in the first film. In addition to directing, Coogler also co-wrote the screenplay. With Creed II, Stallone is credited as the writer. And before you wince, do remember he has often done that. Creed, in fact, was the first Rocky film to not be written by Stallone. And if the sequel is any indicator, it might be the last to bear that distinction. It does make you wonder, with Coogler not directing, did Stallone not have as much faith in Caple Jr.? Or perhaps Stallone just wanted to be more hands-on with his property. I have to imagine it’s difficult to let go of a franchise you alone created. To be honest, Stallone’s greater involvement in the sequel does not make Creed II a bad film…it just gives it a different feel than original.
And that feel is, Creed II is a Rocky film. That’s the number one difference in the two films. Creed may have involved Rocky Balboa and it may have had the story of a boxer coming from nowhere to take on a the heavyweight champion….but it didn’t feel like Rocky. That’s not the case with the sequel. Whereas Creed made only passing references to the originals, Creed II falls right under the shadow. I have only seen Creed once, when I saw it in the theatres, so my memory may not be perfect. But I seem to recall, the only time Carl Weathers (the actor who played the Apollo Creed) was actually seen in Creed was his picture during the Pardon the Interruption sequence. I remember Donnie watches some of his fights, but I seem to recall they are seen out of focus. Everyone else from the original films: Paulie, Mick, Adrian, Rocky’s children, are barely referenced, and never seen.
Creed II, however, has no such reservations in referencing the original canon. We don’t have flashbacks to the previous films, but that may be the only place where the line is drawn. Nowhere is this more apparent than in who the boxing opponent is this time around: Viktor Drago, son of the infamous Ivan Drago. You remember Ivan Drago, right? You know, the perfect, chiseled blonde-haired, steroid-enabled Soviet boxer who killed Apollo Creed in the ring, before losing to Rocky. As a dear friend of mine said satirically about Rocky IV, if you look closely, you just might find some political imagery. But you have to look closely, because it’s very subtle.
Hammer, sickle, and Drago (Rocky IV)
Now, I’m not going to lie. When I heard the son of Ivan Drago was going to be the villain, I groaned. After what was such a fresh start to the Rocky re-imagining, we were now going back into the realm of the known. This was now like J.J. Abrams, where we have a new version of Khan or a First Order that’s not the Empire….but sure looks like them! The idea of the son of Apollo Creed having to avenge his Father’s death agains the son of his killer? That sounds like an action film….but way too pedestrian for the promise that Creed had shown just a few years earlier.
But here’s one of the reasons Creed II, while not wholly original, is a very good film: the Dragos aren’t exactly villains. If you’ve seen Rocky IV, you recall how everyone in Drago’s corner turns against him as Rocky takes the upper hand. 30 years later, Creed II shows us that that was only the beginning of hardships for Ivan Drago. He’s trained his son, Viktor, but they fight far away from the bright lights. Rather than the state-of-the-art training facility Ivan trained in, Viktor runs in the Russian cold, while his father motivates him from behind the wheel of a well-worn truck. Both Dragos wear ordinary clothes, and at a formal dinner to honor the younger pugilist, Ivan’s suit looks shabby and ill-fitting. It’s clear life has been hard on Drago. What was once a chiseled example of perfect is now a face that has seen plenty of mileage.
The two Dragos
And this is why I have to say, just because Creed II is familiar doesn’t mean its bad. If Sylvester Stallone’s subtlety was the surprise performance of Creed, the sequel is Dolph Lundgren’s to steal the show. And just like it was with Stallone, so it is with Lundgren that subtlety that is the key to the performance. Though he definitely has more lines than he did in Rocky IV (not that that would take much!), much of Lundgren’s acting is with his face. And it is there that being wrinkled and worn down by life really sells the part. When Drago hints at how much he lost, we believe him. We see it in his dress, his face, his being. And here, Stallone and Caple are wise; they don’t give us a flashback of Drago’s life, post-Rocky IV. We don’t need to know all that happened to him. Just looking at him and his current circumstances, we can fill in the blanks. No, Lundgren doesn’t say too much….but everything we see of him makes us believes he’s lived these hardships. And that’s just like what Creed did so well; it convinced me what I was watching was real. The older Ivan Drago, thanks to Lundgren’s portrayal, is absolutely believable…..and sympathetic.
Drago of the Ivan variety uses his failings to motivate Viktor, and though Caple is much more tied into the canon than Coogler, we’re not beaten over the head with it. We have the two Dragos standing on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art (every Rocky fan knows the significance) and watching tourists take selfies with Rocky’s statue. But we aren’t given any cheesy lines. We don’t have Viktor using the locale to make a promise to avenge his father. When Rocky and Ivan meet in his restaurant, the latter observes that there’s no pictures on the wall from their climatic fight in Moscow. There are pictures of many of Rocky’s other fights, but none of Drago. Rocky doesn’t explain why that is. It’s as if another subtle reminder of how much Drago lost that night…he even lost being memorialized.
In another example of how Creed II taps into the Rocky canon more closely than it’s predecessor, we have a mid-movie appearance by Brigitte Nielsen. You may remember her as Drago’s wife and handler from Rocky IV. She also is back, and doesn’t really have much to do. That’s okay, though; just her appearance at a celebratory dinner for Viktor makes the point. We have heard Ivan motivate Viktor by reminding him of how much he lost, including his own Mother. Her appearance at the dinner completely unhinges Victor, who storms out. Ivan is also uncomfortable but demurring. What was once invincible 30 years ago is now humbled, fully aware, and seemingly accepting of his lowered stature. Drago, who told Rocky he would brake him, he himself seems broken. Viktor protests to Ivan that she’s just a woman, and not his mother. And is that point where Caple (and maybe it was also Stallone’s script; haven’t read it, so I can only speculate) improves, rather than re-makes Rocky IV. Viktor Drago may have be Donnie’s opponent, but he’s not a villain. It’s been a LONG time since I’ve seen Rocky IV, but I don’t recall ever feeling sorry for Ivan Drago. It was the Cold War, he was a Soviet. But in Creed II, you feel sorry for both Dragos. Ivan has clearly been forgotten in the passage of time, and Viktor’s fight is not Russian propaganda; it’s a quest to honor his family.
Brigitte Nielsen and Dolph Lundgren, as they appeared in Rocky IV
I’ve already warned you about spoilers, so at this point…it’s your own fault. Still with me? When Viktor seems a winner, Nielsen is at ringside. She’s now with someone who seems to be the head of Russian boxing, and really…I don’t know if they ever say her name at any point in the film. But even if you had never seen Rocky IV, you pick up that she’s Viktor’s mother. And since we know from Ivan that she deserted them, it comes as little surprise that she also leaves once Donnie gets the better of the match. I can’t remember if Vitkor (who is pretty dazed at this point) sees her walk out, but Ivan certainly does. If we the audience members weren’t sympathetic to the Dragos yet, this is the finishing punch. There’s Viktor getting pounded upon in the ring, barely able to stand up, and Ivan seeing history repeat itself, now upon his own son. Once again, they are deserted. The Russian crowd, that earlier was chanting the Drago name, has turned for Donnie. And in a pleasant twist (not completely unforeseen, but still effective), it is Ivan throwing in the towel for his son. You may recall, Donnie’s dad, the legendary Apollo Creed, forbid Rocky from throwing in the towel against Ivan Drago….and we know how that ended.
And if that’s not enough, we see the melee after the fight, as Donnie is celebrating, Ivan is consoling and embracing his furious son. Ivan has been there, he knows far too well how this ends. What was a taskmaster father earlier in the film, (seemingly) bent on revenge through his son, has become the only source of solace. Lundgren doesn’t say much….but everything about him is sincere. We see a father committed to protecting his son from the fate he had. Ivan knows what will come next and he’s doing whatever he can to assure Viktor won’t go through this alone. Caple (or Stallone) adds in a scene of the two Dragos training on a sunny morning somewhere in Russia. They’re not in the lap of luxury, it looks like they’re back to square one…..but they’re together. And in a subtle but effective touch, it doesn’t look forbiddenly cold as the Dragos run together. Rather, the weather looks….nice. The sun is out. Life may not be so bad for Viktor, as it was for Ivan. Ivan throwing in the towel for his son and being with him after the match ends…it’s one of the things that lifts Creed II above the level of “formulaic sequel.” The Dragos may be the antagonists…..but they’re not villains. In fact, there’s no reason to believe, as the movie unfolds that, they’re even bad people.
It’s interesting how Caple gives us a new twist on what we knew before. In that way, it’s J.J. Abrams-esque. Just like Rocky IV, we have a training montage, showing both Viktor and Donnie preparing for the big match. But whereas Rocky IV hued it in the politics of the time (Drago training in a clean gym, always shaded by the red of the flag, while Rocky worked out in Siberia), Creed II does not. Sure, Donnie and Rocky are working out in a desert outside Los Angeles, and the Dragos are in a large gym adorned with Russian emblems. But rather than this be used to pit scrappy American against state-endorsed Russians superman, Caple reworks the contrast. We don’t see Russian scientists working on Viktor. Whereas Ivan Drago used to be a product of the State, this time he and his son are outsiders. They’ve had to earn their way into the State’s gym. This scene came after the dinner I mentioned before. Knowing how much the Dragos have lost, you actually feel for them that they now get to train in Team Russia’s gym. You would never have felt that way during Rocky IV!
Caple made a great choice in keeping all political undertones out of Creed II. Donnie and Rocky are Americans, the Dragos Russians…but that’s it. No references to Vladimir Putin or election infiltration. The story is Donnie continuing to grow into his father’s legacy, while Viktor tries to redeem his father. Making the Dragos sympathetic is a major credit to Caple and Stallone, and credit has to go to Dolph Lundgren. Every crease on his face has a story to it, and the sympathy he later shows for Viktor is 100 % believable. It’s not a role that’s going to net Lundgren an Oscar….but it does need to be mentioned. He humanized a character that 30 years ago was anything but.
One of the biggest surprises of Creed was the performance of Phylicia Rashad as Mary Anne Creed, Apollo’s widow. To be honest, I don’t know if I had seen her in anything since The Cosby Show. After seeing her reprise the role in Creed II, I have to ask….why do we not see Phylicia Rashad more? Just as in the first film, she is memorable every time she appears on screen. There is a grace in her presence that completely fits the role. As Donnie embraces the mantle of being Apollo Creed’s son, his relationship with Mary Anne deepens. You may recall from the first film, Mary Anne is not Donnie’s mother. It’s revealed early on that Donnie is the son of a woman Apollo had an affair with. In Creed II, Mary Anne continues as a surrogate mother, and the dinner scene, where she deduces that Bianca is pregnant is really well done. Just like in the first film, it’s not a big role….but it’s memorable. Again, why do we not see Ms. Rashad more?!
There are two problems with Creed II that, while they don’t prevent this from being a fine, effective film, keep it from reaching the level of Creed. One is, again, its the close adherence to the Rocky canon. In a manner that is as much Rocky III as it is IV, Donnie is soundly defeated by Drago in the first match. Shades of Rocky and Clubber Lang there. But instead of losing the title, a la Rocky III, Drago was disqualified for punching after the bell. And so, once Donnie is healed, there’s the inevitable re-match. And, of course, in Moscow. It’s not carbon-copy, which is another reason Creed II is far superior than your average sequel. I’ve already talked about the very pleasant variation on the Drago characters. But whereas Creed felt fresh, this has that Abrams-esque feel of “It’s different but I still feel like I’ve seen it before.”
The other problem I have with Creed II, and this was also a problem with the original, is a tendency to put too many storylines into the film. The plot device of Rocky battling cancer entered late into the narrative in Creed, and though it didn’t derail that film, it did feel like it was a storyline that just didn’t need to be there. It worked; it ended up showing us how much Donnie really cared for Rocky. But, to me at least, it just felt a bit too much. Creed II has multiple moments like that. Donnie and Bianca having a daughter is a nice touch; since this is the second movie for these characters, it’s appropriate to see them move through different stages of life. The drama of that baby having a hearing impairment like her mother seemed unnecessary. I never felt like this really impacted the characters; it’s introduced, they’re devastated, and now it’s on to training for the Drago re-match. If that plot device is important enough to include, then it probably deserves to be dwelled on more.
Another plot element is the estrangement of Rocky and his son, Robert. We hear in Creed that Rocky doesn’t really keep in touch with him. It gives a touch of pathos to Rocky, and reinforces why he comes around to Donnie. He’s alone and Donnie gives him something new in his life. But since the movie is about Donnie and not Rocky, the family estrangement is never explored, That’s not the case in Creed II, We now see a Rocky that’s wrestling with making contact with his son, who can never bring himself to place the phone call. The film’s closing, where we see Donnie and Bianca bring their daughter to Apollo’s grave, and father and son Drago training together, also includes Rocky stopping at his son’s house and meeting his grandfather. I see what Caple want to do, and as I mentioned, it definitely humanizes the Dragos. But again…the film is called Creed II, it’s not Rocky VI. I preferred the approach Coogler took, where Rocky was a vital supporting character. He was essential to the film, but it wasn’t his film. It was Donnie’s. By giving more attention to Rocky’s estranged fatherhood, I felt the focus was now shared between him and Donnie. Again, the film isn’t called Rocky; it’s Creed. Now….how much of that was due to Sly Stallone writing this film, where he was only an actor in Creed….well, that’s for us to speculate.
The storyline that was definitely undeveloped was that of the promoter, played by Russell Hornsby. We saw him stalking around Kiev, he’s well aware of who Viktor Drago is, and he’s determined to bring the Creed/Drago match into being. He’s then on TV, issuing a challenged to Donnie. He approaches Donnie from behind, when he’s watching Bianca’s concert. The promoter here is a “snake in the grass,” whispering sweet nothings to get Donnie to agree to the match. Cut to the first fight, and now he’s wincing as Viktor pounds upon Donnie. It seems he has regrets over setting this fight up, when it’s an obvious mis-match. He sends a get well card to Donnie. But after that….we really don’t get more about him. I kept thinking there was going to be a scene, when Donnie is on the mend, where the promoter is there to apologize and do what he can to make amends. Perhaps he decides to join Team Creed. But that never happened. Perhaps, like the real life Al Haymon, this promoter stays behind the scenes. Or maybe there was such a scene and it just didn’t make the final cut. It does seem odd, as early on, you’re led to believe this promoter is the driving force behind putting together Creed/Drago….and then his character never really moves on beyond that.
But just as I have said the things I don’t think work well in Creed II, I can double that amount with things that work just fine…and maybe even excel. One of the things that makes Creed II a successful sequel is that it continues the emotional growth of characters we’ve grown to care about. I realize I’ve talked a lot about Dolph Lundgren and haven’t even mentioned Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson. In the first film, Donnie is a young man full of anger. I don’t recall if it’s stated how much time has elapsed since the end of Creed and the events of the sequel. What is clear is how much Donnie has matured. He’s ready to commit to Bianca for a lifetime together. We see them move to Los Angeles, for a multitude of reasons: so she can focus on her music career, Donnie can train at the gym his Father did, and they can be close to Mary Anne. And just as I complained that the Rocky and his son storyline detracted from a film about Donnie Johnson, moving out from Philadelphia to LA has the opposite effect. Philadelphia is Rocky’s sacred ground. But Los Angeles…that belonged to Creed. Just the difference in geography gives Creed II some needed breathing space, to be its own film.
I don’t know how much acting (outside of boxing) Jordan had to dig deep for in Creed II. I was very impressed by his portrayal of Killmonger in The Black Panther. In that film, he made you understand an antagonist’s motivation, and maybe even think he was right. Creed II didn’t seem to press his acting chops, but I will say this: his portrayal of Donnie makes you care about the character. He’s simply likable. You want to be in his corner (boxing metaphor most definitely intended). Tessa Thompson’s character of Bianca didn’t have as much to do in Creed II. Her music career is taking off, she’s a mother, but, particularly when Donnie starts training, her role is diminished. But just as she did in the first film, Tessa Thompson is extremely likable. I think that’s why the chemistry of Thompson and Jordan works: they’re characters you just plain like and want to see do well. It’s easy to get behind them. Both Jordan and Thompson seem comfortable in the roles, and I think that’s part of why we like them so much. They don’t seem to be so much acting, as they are living in the roles. Believability = likability, I suppose.
But first and foremost, Creed II, like its predecessor, and like all Rocky movies for that matter, is a boxing film. And it is in the trappings of the sport that it works best. The script is familiar, and also predictable. Donnie wins the title. He is the challenged by Drago, who is so much bigger than him. Rocky won’t be in his corner this time around, and Drago nearly kills him. Long recovery, a rematch is set, and we have the training montage. Rocky decides to train Donnie and he does it in the desert. Re-match in Russia and Donnie is able to take enough punches to stay in the fight. Like I said, we’ve seen this. But what makes it work are the touches I’ve already mentioned…the sheer likability of Donnie and Bianca, and the sympathetic turn given to the Dragos. And then there’s the boxing.
Caple picked up where Coogler left off in being a master of filming a fight. In fact, I might daresay, the second Drago/Creed bout is better than Creed/Conlon from the first film. I found myself on the edge of my seat throughout. I winced with every devastating blow Drago landed, and I found myself cheering with every jab Donnie got in. And just like Coogler, Caple knew to wait till just the perfect moment to drop Gonna Fly Now into the soundtrack. Maybe I’m a sucker. I’ll freely admit that while Bill Conti will never surpass, say, John Williams, Miklos Rozsa, Bernard Herrmann or any of the other Hollywood movie composer greats, is there a better theme in all of cinematic history than Gonna Fly Now? No, it’s not regal, it’s not awe-inspiring….but has any other theme just made you get out of your chair and run….say, up the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum?
But it’s more than just the blows and the music. Caple, like Coogler, “gets” what boxing is. I’ve always maintained one of the reasons Tin Cup should be considered one of the finest sports films ever made, is that the climatic U.S. Open feels “right.” No…not the repeated attempts over the water, but, rather, the lay-out of the day. Jim Nantz and Ken Venturi, the TV producers in the truck, the gallery, the outfits, etc. You watch Major League or The Natural and they’re great….but you never feel like it’s real. Tin Cup absolutely nails what a Major feels like. And that’s what both Creed films have done. From Max Kellerman and Jim Lampley at ring side to Michael Buffer doing the announcing, to the pugilistic technique. It’s not just landing punches and defending. There’s the hugging that you see so much in heavy-weight fights. The camera work was really well done, to the point that an audience member could feel it. And when the movie followed the familiar Rocky pattern of taking pounding after pounding, but being able to keep going, I was caught up in it. I’m very lucky not many people were in the theatre that early Thanksgiving afternoon. That way, no one could object to me on my feet, cheering as Donnie turned the tides.
And again, that’s where Creed II avoided the obvious. We don’t get Viktor Drago getting floored onto the canvas with one final devastating blow from Donnie. There’s no finishing punch. We see him getting pulverized. Kellerman and Lampley remind us that Viktor’s well-ahead in scoring…if only he can make it to the end of the round. We’re told this is hard to watch….and it is. Wait….aren’t the Dragos supposed to be the bad guys? Why am I not celebrating Donnie’s impending victory. Again….this is why I believe Dolph Lundgren steals the entire film. His son is getting beaten to a pulp, he’s seen his ex-wife (and his son’s mother), desert them again, everything is falling apart. But for this viewer, any excitement at Donnie’s impending victory was now tempered by pity for the Dragos. It was feel-good to see Donnie win, and I was elated as anyone. But I don’t recall ever feeling sorry for Apollo Creed, Clubber Lang or Ivan Drago. The playbook is there: Donnie will endure the punishment, and the longer the fight goes, the better his chances. But it’s not in the Rocky playbook to feel sympathy for the other guy, when the inevitable swing of momentum comes around. And to be honest….that was a welcome touch. Why would you feel sorry for Drago in Rocky IV, with its blatant political message? Drago= Soviet=Bad. Rocky=US=Good. In Creed II, Cold War politics are replaced by the father/son relationship between Rocky and Donnie, and the two Dragos. Lundgren doesn’t say much….but his whole mannerisms during the sequence of defeat makes the film. I daresay, it’s part of what makes Creed II so much better than just a sequel/remake. The Rocky playbook is followed…..but it’s a much better update to find sympathy for the antagonists. Ivan Drago in Rocky IV: cold, unfeeling machine. Ivan Drago in Creed II: father determined to lose the fight, if it means saving his son. That’s a twist for the better.
And so it continues…the odds are against a sequel besting the original. That stays true for Creed II. And I still can’t decide if it’s better to call Creed II a sequel….or a remake of Rocky IV? Because really…if we decide it’s the latter, then it’s an improvement. Creed II is an infinitely better film than Rocky IV….I might go so far as to call it the third best film in the Rocky Universe: The original, Creed and now Creed II. That’s some illustrious company. And I get where someone can argue Creed is actually a better film than Rocky. I get that. But there’s something to be said for being the first.
There ended up being six films with the name Rocky. I don’t know if there will be just as many Creed films. Creed was so perfect, I was really hoping it would be a “one shot;” there just wasn’t going to be any way for it to be topped. But that’s not the way the Hollywood business works, not when there’s money to be made. But again, that’s where we have to give Creed II it’s due. I understand the need for sequels; it is a business, isn’t it? But Creed II exceeds the trappings of both sequel and re-make, it’s able to stand on it’s own feet. Is it Creed? No. Is it Rocky IV? No. But it’s its own film and it triumphs in it’s own right. I’m sure there will be more Creed films and I really hope the Dragos don’t continue. For me, their story arc has been completed by seeing the care of Ivan for his son, and of them still together in the end. Let that be the last we see of them; unlike in the ’80s, this time they’re not alone.
But for Donnie/Adonis Creed, Bianca, and of course, Rocky Balboa, I’m sure there’s still fights to be had. And if Caple, Coogler or even Stallone can keep finding new twists and variations on the canon, I’ll keep buying tickets. Creed II: familiar, but still fresh enough to be a winner.
guyinaboater 