Editor's note: On Thursday evening, director Steven Caple Jr. held a Cleveland premiere for his upcoming film, "Creed II." WKYC was on-hand for the special screening and an ensuing Q&A session with Caple, a native of Cleveland.
What follows is a review of "Creed II," which may include some spoilers for the film. "Creed II" hits theaters nationwide on Nov. 21.
VALLEY VIEW, Ohio -- There's a subtle moment in the first few minutes of "Creed II" that spells out the film's ensuing plot in layman's terms.
"It's one thing to be the No. 1 contender," HBO Sports boxing commentator Max Kellerman says following Adonis Creed's (Michael B. Jordan's) first on-screen fight. "It's a whole other to be the world champion."
After the original documented Adonis' rise from anonymity to burgeoning boxing star, its sequel delves into the difficulties that often accompany reaching the mountaintop -- doing so while intertwining the nostalgia that helped revive the "Rocky" franchise when "Creed" hit theaters three years ago.
But while "Creed II" may rely even more heavily on characters and storylines that originated in the 1980s than its predecessor, it does so with an ethos modern enough that it firmly establishes itself as a sequel to the original "Creed" as opposed to just the latest "Rocky" installment.
That's not to say Sylvester Stallone takes a backseat as the iconic Rocky Balboa. In fact, he arguably receives more character development in "II" despite receiving -- what at least felt like -- less screen time than he did in the original.
Stallone's role, however, is very much a supporting one, as is the one occupied by Dolph Lundgren, who returns to play Russian boxing legend Ivan Drago -- the man who killed Creed's father in the ring in "Rocky IV."
At this point, I should probably just address the elephant in the room: Yes, the specifics of the plot are a bit Shakespearean -- so much so that a broadcaster refers to it as such during the buildup to a fight. Without giving away too much, after Creed reaches the height of the boxing world, he is challenged by Drago's son, Viktor Drago, a brute force trained by his father, who is not only looking to re-solidify his status in his home country, but extract revenge on the man who cost him it -- Creed's trainer, Balboa.
Based on that plot alone, the film could have easily become a bit -- if not outright -- cartoonish, but avoids as much via the character development of not only Creed and Balboa, but the Drago's as well. Before we ever even see the "Creed II" title on the screen, we're introduced to Viktor, who without speaking a word manages to elicit empathy, despite a body build that looks more like a professional wrestler's than heavyweight boxer's.
Tessa Thompson of "Westworld" fame is back to reprise her role as Creed's girlfriend, Bianca and in doing so turns in arguably the best performance of the film. Although her screen time is limited compared to her male counterparts, she makes every second count, whether he's accentuating Creed's in-ring agony or bringing comedic levity to a scene.
"Creed II" also benefits from the universe it exists in having already been established. Whereas its predecessor could feel jumpy at times as it introduced new names and faces, the sequel seems to be structured much more soundly, which helps make suspending disbelief for the serendipitous plot an easier task.
All of the hallmarks of the "Rocky" franchise are there -- the training montages, the heartbreak and yes, at one point, even the theme song. But director Steven Caple Jr.'s Cleveland-inspired tone and another killer soundtrack give the film the same modern credentials that made the original "Creed" so popular.
Perhaps more than anything, it's the actual fight scenes that separate "Creed II" from not only its the other "Rocky" films, but most boxing movies. From the subliminal message in each entrance, to the point-of-view punches to even a couple surprise finishes, "Creed II" delivers inside the ring with just as much force as the gritty world it's constructed outside of it.
Final rating: 4*/5*
Runtime: 129 minutes
