REVIEW: CREED II

4/5

Float Like A Rocky. Sting Like A Creed.

130 Mins. Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Wood Harris, Russell Hornsby, Florian Munteanu & Dolph Lundgren. Director: Steven Caple Jr.

Seconds out. "I'm gonna stop this thing" resigns a retired Rocky. "NO"! Creed desperately demands in reply. "I should have stopped this fight with your father. I'm stopping this one now". "Don't, okay?! Let me finish! I gotta prove it"! "Prove what"!? "That I ain't a mistake". And with that moment of realisation in the 40 years and tears of Sly stone Stallone's eyes, that lump in our collective throats turned to full blown, auditorium cries. If the trainer finger tapping the back of Don's head in unison with the doc covering his good pupil and asking how many fingers he's holding up in front of his onion like, closed up like stores on the 22nd of November eye hadn't already. Not to mention an inaudible screaming and hollering (but we can make out Adonis repeatedly saying, "let's go Rock! For you!"), middle of a smoke circle of rubber burning, dirt bike, shadowboxing training montage that in such emotionally charged moments like this made that movie a classic and could even inspire the biggest couch potato to look for their gym membership between the cushions like the remote. And then Stallone, firmly now in Michael B. Jordan's Adonis-in name and frame-corner gives us that Academy Award bid of an Oscar speech about never having the chance to thank his father Apollo, but how that doesn't compare to what Donny has done and how he's going to fight cancer if he fights too and knocks that son of a (excuse my language) b#### down (Rocky delivers it much better than me). To which the young pugilist, son of a legend, pulling no punches in hitting his own legacy, forget the sins of the father replies in retort, rhetoric kind. To which Stallone's Rock Balboa knows it to be true. Why?! Because "you're a Creed. And I love you kid". Sly adds so much emotional gravel with those last few words that it drives the iconic Rocky theme finally on PA full blast as Adonis Creed comes out swinging like Babe Ruth. And it's nothing but waterworks for not a dry eye in the house. Grown men acting "wanna fight" tough and all. Dates who may have never even seen a 'Rocky'. As more than an eternal flame burning, forty year plus torch was passed for the most iconic, sort of fictional (see Liev Schrieber's beautiful 'The Bleeder' and its perfect, meta Stallone impersonation with inspired, homaged respect) sportsman of all-time (sorry 'Air Bud'). This is the Creed generation now as he lost the battle, but won the war of the first film too like his powerhouse of a predecessor. That's what made that climb up those steps in Philly with the actual Rocky statue they fittingly use so much more poignant and jump for joy sweetly, but oh so now subtly powerful. And all these spine shivers, coming after a film as brutual and beautifully nuanced in its narrative in and out the ring as writing inspiration 'The Ringer's' Shea Serrano's signature piece on all of this. And the critical scene where a sledgehammer haymaker from Pretty Ricky Conlan in the middle of Everton football clubs Goodison Park puts Adonis on the canvas and what looks like a coma. As mother, lover and trainer and friend all scream at him to "GET UP", until he catches a heart paddles resuscitating breath and gets up like a man possessed and to Conlan's confused and respect earned disbelief after seeing visions of his heart, his soul, his corner...and his father.

Apollo Creed, a classic Carl Weathers character so charismatic he birthed his own franchise of son sorts. Rocky's rival turned friend and then trained (cue the slow-mo, short, shorts, beach run embrace...say what you will it's a nice moment) until the fateful fight. Where mother Russia (we can't say f#####) Dolph Lundgren's iconic villain Ivan Drago knocked him out dead in the ring. But this is more than the callous shrug, "if he dies, he dies". The son avenging the father is a heavyweight now and on his way to the belt he has an old score to settle before the bell, toe-to-toe, fist-to-fury. Drago has a son off the ropes too. And the man mountain-played with chiesel and gristle by ready to floor you Florian Munteanu-that makes Adonis' last big bully of an opponent look like Vin Diesel when he's pebble put up against The Rock actually looks like he could kill Creed too. Smell me? The s### as they say has just got real. Cooking up one hell for cliche to pay script that is a whole new Southpaw in a 'Bleed For This' bloated but bravado boxing genre. We used to say in the Stallone Vs Schwarzenegger debate, the Stallion wins handedly. As he knows how to write and work this stuff too. He's a master of his big bluster, action hero game. From the early 'Rambo' days with soul to the heart of his ageing, 'Expendable' franchise of old hands. We used to say sure he's no Shakespeare. But damn if this father and son, dramatic tragedy plot isn't something straight out of the 'bards playbook, punctuated perfectly with pumping iron power. I mean come on this is a family franchise of IV's (and we ain't talking about the ones in their arms) with names like Apollo and Adonis for crying out loud. And Michael B. Jordan really makes his name his own here like it's always been. It's not just his lights, camera, action perfect physique that is gruelling sculptured here, but his acting psychology too. After he and directing partner Ryan Coogler (missed here. Although Steven Caple Jr. is more than capable he's hallmark homages here, 'Creed' to 'Rocky'. And the as real as ESPN build-up and fight sequences) went from the inspired in the incendiary indie of the all too real, 'Fruitvale Station' to the mainstream, Don King box office budgets of the first 'Creed', the two marvels went on to change the superhero game to begin this year that Michael makes his with this bookend. 'Black Panther' was truly a revolution as the smartest scientist and superhero in the late, great Stan Lee's canon of characters didn't just give us the best superhero movie of the year and the best M.C.U. one not named 'Winter Soldier'. It also invented its own Academy category (you really think 'Infinity War' is going to win the Oscar? We snap fingers think not!). Jordan owning 'Black Panther' to his suit and throne as Killmonger also rewrote the rules of villainy too. Giving us the best Marvel bad guy since the one and only, God Loki. And the best superhero bad guy in all since Heath Ledger's Joker. Let alone the greatest one we actually sympathize with and more than root for, feel has a point. Sorry Thanos! Even more than you....wait! What are you doing with your fingers? How about Erik Killmonger's last words. That's as deep and as poetic as the comic-books of Marvel movies have got.  No wonder this grown man has the 'Bullitt' and 'Bond' like balls to follow legends like Steve McQueen and Pierce Brosnan in his own rebooted 'Thomas Crown Affair's heist flick. M.J. is a steal and legacy making his own 'I Am Legend' like Will Smith. And here he's more than a champ. He's a true fighter rope to belt. Whether the gloves are on or off. Evoking every emotion and hitting back with the weight of the world behind his heavy bag bodying punch. You really didn't think he had hands like that? We got to hand it to you. Butterfly to bee, B is the truth. Floating and stinging. We haven't seen a modern boxing film this good since the Fresh Prince's 'Ali'. And now like Tyson, Jordan is feeling himself, fooling around and thinking he can beat Roy Jones Jr. But dont think he's just chasing chickens. He has a coop. Shadowboxing underwater like the greatest this is your king now. A Hollywood heavyweight. Mama said knock you out.

Legends live forever. But you need more in your corner than a name. You need heart too kid. And Apollo's rock, the Adrian to his Rocky is Bianca. And the terrific Tessa Thompson's career has followed the same matrimony trajectory like Mike's. She precursed her silver screen career with small screen work on 'Veronica Mars' to Jordan's 'Wire' (speaking of which his co-star and mentor from 'The Wire' Wood Harris is back with more than a ringside seat as he's fought his way to the ropes). She's and indie darling with her 'Sorry To Bother You' to Mike's 'Fruitvale'. And like the Marvel game changer 'Black Panther', she played the first bisexual Marvel movie hero in Valkyrie in 'Thor-Ragnarok'. Reunions are on the cards and black suits with Chris Hemsworth for 'Men In Black'. Her own future reboot series like 'Thomas Crown'. But here is where this woman's worth is on full display in working towards a complex and conflicted character who never wavers in how straight-forward she is for her heart and who it beats for. As she'll beat anything that tries to stop that. Like the losing of her hearing and the impossible to ignore implications of all that. But oh how she sings in the face of everything like an icon who refuses to let the spotlight burn out. If you were a Spotify search fan of how Thompson stole the stage and show with her intro song on 'Creed' than you'll be pleased to know you ain't heard nothing yet. The amazing 'Annihilation' actress is far from done too. This is only just the beautiful beginning like her on screen relationship and partnership with Jordan we "goals" revered the moment Mike helped her with her braids. There's so much here in this family story. From the moving mothering of 'Cosby Show' family favourite Phylicia Rashad with an edge like her 'Empire' character...but thankfully not that sharp. Even 'The Hate U Give' and fine 'Fences' actor Russell Hornsby is here greasing the wheels of his burgeoning highlight career like his character does his Don King wannabe one. But it's the return of another 90's action hero great, Dolph Lundgren and iconic character that's the real big draw. As the 'Universal Soldier' has turned private and is running a boot-camp for the army artillery of his sons left and right weapons. The Swedish actor about to go fish with the new 'Aquaman' plays a worn and weary weathered, fallen champ perfectly. But it's plain to see in those eyes there's still a fight in him, even if he's willing to let someone else do that kind of talking for him (heavy is the head for his young son who would be king). His first raw decades in the making reunion with Rocky at Adrian's is as influential as the pictures on the wall first meeting between Rocky and Creed from the first 'Creed' movie. Just in very, VERY different ways. Yet the reunion between Stallone and Lundgren as actors is nothing but smiles, legend and love. And then of course there's Rocky himself. The one and only Stallone, who may take a stool backseat step back here, but is still an influential as the DNA of the original series that still run through the veins of the young fighter. His pre-fight speeches still so motivational. His graveyard counsels forever moving. And he even combed his hair for this one. And in this one you can see why he classically cameoed for 'This Is Us' too as himself. Hearing him Marlon mumble over American muscle as he drives Donny to a training montage, 'Mad Max' session in the sand of Mexico is as vintage and classic as the car itself. We just hope he'll be bouncing that ball and wearing that fedora like the icon this legend is and will always be forever. Let's hope this franchise reboot 'Creed' series sequel of the 'Rocky' legacy makes it to the later rounds of classic Roman numerals. Like the billboard posters across from the Mecca of the "World's Most Famous Arena", Madison Square Garden, scaling the "King Kong ain't got s### on me" Empire State Building in New York City say in Macy Day parade unity this Thanksgiving (Happy Holidays to you and yours), 'Family. Legacy...Destiny'. And it all starts with this K.O. Because afterall, if he wins...he WINS! TIM DAVID HARVEY.

Further Filming: 'Rocky IV', 'Southpaw', 'Bleed For This'.