Creed 2 - Review

Release Date: November 21, 2018​​​​​​​

Not Quite a Knockout

​There are only a few movie franchises that people still care about from the 1970s. Tentpoles, like Star Wars, are going through a rough time and the Alien brand has all but killed itself. So how can a film series about boxing, one of the most hated topics by movie audiences, still be going strong? Creed not only revitalized interest in the genre but did so by paying respect to what came before while completely updating it. Instead of being stuck in the golden decades of the 70s and 80s, Creed shoved boxing in the 21st century. So, without writer-director Ryan Coogler, who moved on to make Black Panther, can Creed continue to be the boxing series that people go to see?

To get comparisons out of the way, Creed 2 is not as good as the first movie, though it tries really hard to be. It loses some authenticity in the depiction of its characters and how it presents itself. The foundation Creed set up still holds up though; the great casting does a lot to keep this newest installment afloat.

It seems that people who have seen the other Rocky movies had a less enjoyable time watching this one. They say it reuses plot points from the previous films with only minor changes. While these people still enjoyed the movie, they felt like this story was weighed down since it didn't reinvent old tropes. As someone who has not seen the other Rocky movies, this was not a problem for me. That doesn't mean the movie is devoid of problems, but the familiarity problem was nonexistent.

What did come off as problematic, was the story construction and camera placement. The story felt like an attempt to accurately represent these characters instead of being definitive. This probably has to do with Sylvester Stallone writing the screenplay since he did not for the first movie. It beats you over the head with dialogue that is repeated over and over again which just gets tiring. The camera placement was also pretty average compared to the first movie. It mostly just copies the first installment and doesn't do anything inspired.

But this movie isn't down for the count. People were clapping and laughing with this movie till the very end. It does take a while for the movie to find its groove, but when it does, it pulls you in. I have to praise the movie for being able to create moments of tension. The movie makes you invested in the main character's journey, even if you think you know how it ends. It doesn't always fire on all cylinders, but when it does, be prepared to be brought to the edge of your seat.

Creed 2 also has one of the best training montages I have ever seen. It might look like all the ones that came before, but it takes out all the campiness. In its place, stands very emotional, dramatic scenes of incredible strength. It communicates to the audience that this isn't a journey of growth but a fight for survival.

Creed 2 is definitely worth seeing in theaters. I hope you get to experience an atmosphere of people laughing and holding their breath as I did. I don't know if I want another movie, but if there were to be another installment, take Stallone off the writing team.

7.5/10
​No more sons fighting each other please