Isn’t it nice to have numbers back in film titles? Creed II. It just looks right. It’s a simple and effective system and served the Rocky franchise well for its first five movies. Michael B. Jordan returns as Adonis Creed, illegitimate son of the legendary Apollo, who entered the big league of boxing with the help of Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) during the events of previous film. Now he’s back trying to balance his life in a sequel to both Creed and Rocky IV which saw Russian boxer Ivan Drago kill Apollo during an exhibition match. Now Drago’s son is a fighter and wants to take on Adonis, but will history repeat itself?
Rocky IV was the most successful Rocky film financially but it was the furthest from the gritty roots of the original with excess, patriotism and bombast getting in the way of the story. But if Creed II uses that past to give depth to this film, much like Creed did, then we could be in for something pretty special.
Here’s the official synopsis from MGM:
Life has become a balancing act for Adonis Creed. Between personal obligations and training for his next big fight, he is up against the challenge of his life. Facing an opponent with ties to his family’s past only intensifies his impending battle in the ring. Rocky Balboa is there by his side through it all and, together, Rocky and Adonis will confront their shared legacy, question what’s worth fighting for, and discover that nothing’s more important than family. Creed II is about going back to basics to rediscover what made you a champion in the first place, and remembering that, no matter where you go, you can’t escape your history.
Sadly, Creed director Ryan Coogler hasn’t returned having been skyrocketed into the stratosphere with Black Panther, but Sylvester Stallone penned the script alongside Juel Taylor with Steven Caple Jr. (The Land) taking on directorial duties.
Tessa Thompson, Wood Harris, Russell Hornsby, Florian “Big Nasty” Munteanu, Andre Ward, Phylicia Rashad, and Dolph Lundgren also star.
Creed II arrives in theatres on 30 November 2018.
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