WHAT’S IT ABOUT
In 1985, Russian boxer Ivan Drago killed former U.S. champion Apollo Creed in a tragic match that stunned the world. Against the wishes of trainer Rocky Balboa, Apollo’s son Adonis Johnson accepts a challenge from Drago’s son — another dangerous fighter. Under guidance from Rocky, Adonis trains for the showdown of his life — a date with destiny that soon becomes his obsession. Now, Johnson and Balboa must confront their shared legacy as the past comes back to haunt each man.
MoviesInMo Review
This is not a Rocky movie although it has the same vibe. Creed II is an intense drama that relies heavily on emotion. Whatever the characters feel, you feel. You have the same conflicting emotions as Adonis Creed no matter if he wins or loses. The passion Rocky has for Adonis feels so authentic. You care about every decision, every conversation, and every conflict. The dramatic growth Adonis experiences is nothing short of heartfelt as we first notice his growth from the first film. This time around his maturity level seems somewhat unbalanced until you understand what he’s going through and his father’s death is a big part of it. As a fighter he’s solid, but this movie is about Creed dealing with his inner demons. Once that battle is brought to the forefront, it’s time to deal with the ring and ultimately Drago and his monstrous son. The fight scenes are intense but seem more so because we know why he’s fighting. We know what he has to lose and what the outcome will be regardless. This movie even makes you feel for Drago because of his loss to Rocky over 30 years earlier. In short, it doesn’t matter if you’ve never seen a Rocky movie, although, it does help with character recognition, Creed II stands proudly on its own.
OUR RATING – A KNOCKOUT 8
MEDIA
- Genre – Drama
- Street date
- Digital – February 12th, 2019
- DVD/Blu-Ray – March 5th, 2019
- Video – 1080p
- Screen size – 2:39.1
- Sound – English Dolby Atmos, English Dolby TrueHD 7.1, English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
- Subtitles – English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras
- The Rocky Legacy (HD, 15 min): Dolph Lundgren narrates this short piece on the entire franchise and its lasting impact with cast & crew interviews sharing various anecdotes from various productions, thoughts on plot themes and tons of BTS footage.
- Fathers & Sons (HD, 7 min): Cast & crew interviews talking about this sequel’s central theme and how it drives the motivation of characters.
- The Woman of Creed II (HD, 6 min): Stars Phylicia Rashad and Tessa Thompson share their thoughts on the role their characters play in the lives of the men in the story.
- Casting Viktor Drago (HD, 6 min): More interviews focused on actor Florian Munteanu and his character with a few words from the star himself about joining the cast.
- Deleted Scenes (HD, 10 min): Four extended and excised sequences.
- Rocky’s Eulogy for Spider Rico
- Max’s Cheesesteak Restaurant (Extended)
- Rocky Trains Kids
- Locker Room