Creed II – Another Knock-Out Win for the “Rocky” Franchise!

If you are a fan of the "Rocky" franchise (as am I), this film is a "Must-See!'  It has great fight scenes, and the characters and their relationships are well-developed and emotionally-compelling.  It follows the traditional "Rocky" formula (which still works well), and it holds its own with the other "Rocky" films. As you may recall in "Rocky IV," the Russian power-puncher Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) killed Apollo Creed in the ring.  Rocky then avenged the death of his dear friend by knocking out the seemingly-invincible Drago.  We now learn at the start of this film that Drago's defeat ruined his life.  He was humiliated by the loss and became a pariah in Russia.  His wife abandoned him and his son, Victor (Florian Munteanu). Adonis Creed, Apollo's son (played by Michael B. Jordan), is being trained and mentored by Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) and soon becomes the Heavyweight Champion.  Adonis has a strong relationship with his girlfriend, Bianca (Tessa Thompson), and his life couldn't be better.  Back in Russia, however, Ivan has trained Victor – who is now easily knocking out all of his Russian opponents.  If anything, Victor seems to have even more punching power than Ivan did!  Ivan thinks Victor is now able to knock out Adonis, so Ivan and Victor come the the U.S. and challenge Adonis to a fight for the title.  The sons of two champions fighting for the title – it has great fan appeal!  Ivan is hoping that, after Victor knocks out Adonis, he will be redeemed and return to the former glory he once had. I can't say more about the plot without spoiling it, but what elevates this movie beyond the boxing aspect of it is the excellent character development and interesting relationships between the leads.  Rocky's and Adonis' relationship, Adonis' and Bianca's relationship, and Ivan's and Victor's relationship are all complex and emotionally-intense.  The movie sucks you in, so the fight scenes really "pack a wallop."  I almost cried, and some of my friends who saw it actually did! Bottom line, "Creed II" deserves a "Creed III!"