No one could blame director Steven Caple Jr. for any hesitance he may have had at the opportunity to helm “Creed II.”
After all, where else could the series, an off-shoot of the “Rocky” franchise featuring the story of Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), the son Rocky Balboa nemesis-turned-best-friend Apollo Creed, go?
Ryan Coogler successfully, to the surprise of many, resurrected the series and brought a fresh take on it in the initial installment in 2015, after all. Greeting this successor with a healthy dose of skepticism would be normal.
However, that suspicion is misplaced as Caple, directing from a script by Sylvester Stallone and Juel Taylor, takes what is familiar and adds something new, taking the franchise in an unexpected direction.
No, there’s nothing surprising or new about Adonis Creed wanting to exact revenge for the death of his father, whose metaphorical ghost looms even as his offspring captures the heavyweight crown in “Creed II.”
Courtesy of a manipulative boxing promoter, Buddy Marcelle (Russell Hornsby), Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), son of Balboa adversary Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), the man who killed the elder Creed in the ring some three-plus decades before, comes to the forefront of the international boxing game.
Father and son — mainly dear ol’ dad — issue a challenge to Adonis to meet in the ring. Full of bluster, testosterone and confusion, Adonis thinks it’s his duty to avenge his father’s death.
In that regard, “Creed II” presents all the familiar “Rocky” boxing tropes and clichés with enough for two films. Had that been what the film was all about, it would have hampered this confident effort from Caple. Instead, he and the script provide some genuinely new aspects to the stories of all of the characters in this franchise. That in itself is no easy task.
What surprises, however, is that Caple mines each of these characters for what can only be deemed honest reactions to given situations. Those emotions never come off as disingenuous, whiny or just plain ridiculous. In the process he creates a ghostly aura that surrounds the film.
Each character has to exorcise their respective ghost. Therein lies the strength of “Creed II.” Sure, the boxing serves as a launching point and Caple does an admirable job assembling several different fight scenes, but they serve the broader plot, never consuming it.
Of course, it helps when a director has an actor such as Jordan with whom to work. His performance is natural, subtle yet packed with emotion.
Stallone returns to mentor the young Creed. The one facet of his two most recent portrayals of Rocky is the restraint and subtlety involved. By the time of “Rocky IV,” the film that serves as source material for this one, the character had evolved into more caricature. That’s no longer the case as he provides a nuanced portrayal with its share of heart touching moments.
“Creed II” should be appreciated and seen for that reason. Caple gives us well drawn characters we’re invested in all while dealing with the cliché boxing tropes with restraint and maintaining the gritty tone Coogler established in the original.
MOVIE REVIEW
“Creed II”
Grade: B
Starring Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson and Sylvester Stallone. Directed by Steven Caple Jr.
Rated PG-13 for sports action violence, language and a scene of sensuality. Check listings for theaters. 2 hours, 10 minutes.
Bottom line: There are familiar cliches, but new aspects to characters' stories
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