Better late than never…that is the theme of Creed 2, a movie that presents itself as a sports film but is really a drama about manhood and more specifically…fatherhood. This was a present surprise in the Rocky franchise, one that we will remember forever.
The Good
Too much to count…let’s start with the epitome of a sequel. This movie was exactly what a sequel is supposed to be…different but the same. Let me repeat that, different but the same. From the first punch to the last knockout this movie was a reflection of Rocky 4 but it was not a copy cat of the movie, it was different. The relationship between Rocky and Drago, the relationship between Adonis and Rocky, the relationship between Drago and Viktor, the relationship between Bianco and Donnie are all put together to tell a story…that is beyond sports. This is why this movie is great. It does not focus on punching and knockouts it examines the human condition. Why do men hide from emotional pain? Why do women hide their children from pain? Why is our society accustomed to rewarding winners but ignores those at the bottom? Why are geopolitics still the driving force for sales in sports? Why? And this movie does not answer these questions….it places them in front of you (us) the viewers. It examines manhood and questions it without being disrespectful and that is something this society misses, a respectful look at masculinity. The most interesting parts of this movie are about Rocky and his relationships. The most exciting parts of this this movie are Donnie’s fights and his relationship with his baby mother. All of these themes coalesce to make a fantastic flick.
The Bad
Some scenes and characters of this film felt forced, for example…Luminda Drago played by Bridgette Neilsen felt forced and unnecessary. She was not a major feature in Rocky 4 and did not change or alter the overall plot of the film. Russell Hornsby as the “Don King” figure of the film also felt forced because he had 0 effect on the plot during the 2nd and 3rd act. At times (during the start of the film) this felt like a pure copy cat of the classic Rocky 4 but it shifted in the 2nd and 3rd act to focus on a new story and that is where it shines. Viktor Drago also felt wasted in this film especially in the first act…why not explore his relationship with Ivan Drago? Around the end, it felt forced and unnecessary to the overall character arc of a supporting act.
The Finale Take
Just go watch this movie, what are y’all waiting for?
4.8/5
The Bytown Blog 