Rocky II (1979)

There's one thing I want you to do for me. After pushing champ Apollo Creed all the way in their title fight, Rocky Balboa retires from the ring and basks in gallant loser glory. However, he soon finds he is down on his luck and accepts a challenge to a rematch with the ever irate Apollo Creed, something that is much to the chagrin of Adrian. Judging by the rating and some of the comments on the net, it would seem that I like this sequel more than most, but I honestly feel this is a worthy sequel to the first (and rightly much beloved) film. It still has credibility at its heart (something that would vanish as each further cash in sequel was trundled out), and crucially, it still has enough rags to riches nuance to keep the audience in its palm. For sure it's guilty of over sentiment at times, Adrian is now the ever loving wife, here pregnant and an authoritative voice in Rocky's life. Yet this continues the emotional heartbeat from the first film, there is, when all is said and done, a quite beautiful romance at the core of the early Rocky movies. Rocky 2 extends that and utilises it to its benefit. When Adrian, after rousing from a coma, tells the big Italian tank to go win, it's akin to some President or Prime Minister declaring "we shall not be defeated", it's inspiring stuff, and of course it sets the wheels in motion for ultimate training and the mother of all punch ups with Apollo Creed. And of course Stallone, again writing and directing, gets to deliver the alternate ending from the first film. Fanciful and safe it be, but Stallone closed down the 70s with a biff bang ball of strained sinews and heroic testosterone. This is unadulterated entertainment to enjoy with a good pint of blood and a roast ox burning on the spit. 8/10

I haven't seen Creed yet, either of them, and that has me concerned mainly because I hadn't even heard of them until after they were released. So I can't weigh in on all the Rocky movies just yet... ... But Rocky II is what I consider to be the last real Rocky movie. That doesn't mean I don't like the others, but it means that there was a dynamic shift for the series after II. I and II were heavy on the characters and relationships in the universe (although Creed was under-developed in I). In Rocky II they make up for that and you get to know Creed as someone who is a pompous and arrogant poser on the surface and a much deeper and respectable character underneath. And that other side to him comes out in the final bout. He's deeper than just flash, and Action Jackson did a stellar job at portraying that in a way that was essentially nonverbal at the end. It's actually a very enjoyable performance It's also a performance that rounds his character off to the point where you can believe he did what he did in Rocky III. It adds nicely to Adrian (who after II became a regrettable side character), Paulie, and Mickey. In the end what you have is the last great Rocky character film before the franchise drifts away to highlight boxing, only to come back to it's roots in Balboa.

Rocky II is an incredibly worthy sequel to the 1976 hit. The story picks up immediately after the conclusion of the first fight and follows Rocky as he tries to cope with his new-found fame and return to normalcy. I found this aspect to be incredibly impactful. He has very little to offer the white-collar world, forcing him to return to a life of menial labor with only one true dream: to fight again. The true conflict of the film is between the internal desire to fight and provide versus the external pressures to retire. It is in this fight that we dive deeper into the psyche of Rocky. He is a broken and unconfident man, wanting to be more and do more. But the only talent he has is fighting. The journey to this realization may be slow at times, but the payoff is totally worth it. Once the fight is set and Rocky is committed, the movie takes off and never lands. The final fight sequence was intense and invigorating—one of the best sports cinema experiences I have ever had. The acting is much better in this film, which is bolstered by an improved script. Sylvester Stallone is excellent here, and his chemistry with Talia Shire is superb. The two really come into their own with these characters and step out as the true leads to the franchise. Even though the script is better with more digestible dialogue, the overall screenplay is slightly weaker. The story of the first film is perfect and nearly impossible to replicate. Overall, this movie is excellent. It does everything a sequel needs to do and nearly surpasses its predecessor. Score: 87% | Verdict: Excellent

Undaunted by his defeat, the eponymous Italian Stallion and his stalwart trainer "Mickey" (Burgess Meredith) return for a rematch against the cock-sure champ "Apollo Creed" (Carl Weathers) in this superior sequel that manages, successfully, to build upon the original film and to develop some interesting, quirky, characters whilst again epitomising just how boxing was the route out of poverty for so many urban kids even as late as the 1970s. Written and directed by Stallone, he captures well the aspirational characteristics of this generation; the determination to succeed - and of his personal decency and devotion to his gal "Adrian" (Talia Shire). Is he actually acting, or just being himself? Well I am not sure that really matters. This is a film about integrity and ambition and though there are a few rather simplistic plot holes, they seem only to further authenticate the film warts and all. It all comes down to the long Bill Conti-themed run as he garners fans old and new on his run through the city before a much longer and intensely photographed denouement at the end that showcases just how visceral boxing can be. Maybe not for everyone, it does glorify something that it is impolitically correct to do 40 years on, but this is a good film that cuts through well, even now.