1979 | Dir. Sylvester Stallone | 119 Minutes
"This guy don't just wanna win, you know, he wants to bury ya, he wants to humiliate ya, he wants to prove to the whole world that you was nothin’ but some kind of a freak the first time out."
Immediately following his loss against Apollo Creed, Rocky retires from boxing and marries Adrian but struggles to find legitimate employment. Meanwhile, with his pride hurting from public scrutiny stemming from Rocky's near-victory, Apollo challenges Rocky to a rematch. Rocky once again trains with Mickey to reenter the ring and prove himself.
As Rocky is challenged to prove that his going the distance with Apollo Creed wasn't a fluke, Sylvester Stallone is pressured to produce a sequel on par with the original modern classic. Though Rocky II is a decent sequel, it doesn't shine as bright as its predecessor. Rocky's true-to-life internal conflict isn't nearly as convincing this time around as his reentering the ring to face Apollo again is a foregone conclusion in order to advance the plot. Highlights of the film include a humorous training sequence in which Mickey makes Rocky chase a live chicken and Rocky's thrilling rematch against Apollo that has Rocky employing a new strategy due to an injury sustained during their previous match.
Charming and inspirational as ever, Sylvester Stallone returns to his signature role with unsurprising ease. While Adrian is developed into a stronger, more outspoken character, Talia Shire is allowed more opportunities to demonstrate her talent despite her limited screen time. Once again, Burgess Meredith continues to be a scene-stealer as Mickey, Burt Young's Paulie is as surly as ever - bordering on despicable considering his character’s treatment of Adrian, and Carl Weathers brings a surprisingly element of pathos to the role of the prideful Apollo Creed.
The picture is a natural and entertaining continuation of Rocky Balboa's story, mostly consistent in quality to the first Rocky film. However, written and produced as a straight-forward sequel with no real surprises, Rocky II inevitably lacks to originality of the original film, retreading too much of the same ground.
MCU CONNECTIONS
- Sylvester Stallone (Stakar in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)
