Steven Caple Jr. Filled Ryan Coogler's Shoes Superbly in 'Creed II'

Creed II is the sequel to Creed (obviously), and is set three years after it.  With Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) on his side as trainer, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has been on a winning streak since his loss in the first film.  His latest victory earns him the world heavyweight championship, but any celebration is cut short when he’s soon challenged by the formidable Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), son of Rocky’s former rival Ivan Drago (Dolph Lugren).  Many years ago, Apollo Creed, Adonis’ father, died in an exhibition match with the elder Drago (see Rocky IV), and this detail is not lost on everyone.  With raging bad blood at play, a vicious battle is inevitable.

For every fan who saw Creed, the perception of a logical sequel involved Ivan Drago in some form.  And thus, when the premise for Creed II was revealed, nobody was really surprised.  Nevertheless, all were excited for it, since it was definitely an intriguing story worth seeing.

Indeed, Creed II satisfies with its story in general.  It mostly follows the standard blueprint of a sports drama arc, so that means one will be able to predict what general direction the plot will take.  However, the execution is so tautly and expertly done that the outcome is still something thoroughly riveting and thoughtful.  Many story beats may be familiar, but there’s still legit emotional potency and depth to them.

Creed’s director Ryan Coogler didn’t return for this sequel (he probably bowed out to do Black Panther), but his replacement Steven Caple Jr. did a superb job filling his shoes.  The tone that Coogler established is well carried over into this film, and the direction is every bit as solid as what Coogler did with the first one.  In fact, this might be a case of recency bias, but it feels like Creed II is the better helmed film.

Now, the only thing that I found a bit silly is the fact that Apollo Creed is supposed to be a heavyweight.  It challenged my suspension of disbelief because Michael B. Jordan looks small for it.  The significant discrepancy in size between Apollo Creed and Viktor Drago is just so apparent that it’s ridiculous.  I doubt such fight would be legal in real life.

In the end, Creed II is a terrific sports drama film, and a worthwhile addition to the Rocky franchise.  It’s absolutely one of 2018’s best movies, and it’s quite possible that it would have made my top 20 – became an honorable mention, at least – if I got to see it last year.