Run up those stairs and feel the power to fight back

Rating: 7/10 (30 November 2018)

Why do people behave like they're at their own house when they're at the cinema? I don't get it... And I'm already getting sidetracked. But yeah, people chattering for the majority of the movie and even laughing during pivotal drama scenes. Didn't feel like some guys were seeing the same film. A Spanish family were sitting on the row behind me and one of them was translating all the dialogue to Spanish! I mean, I'm glad you're such big fans of "Rocky", but don't go to the cinema if you're gonna have to talk over the whole thing. I'm hearing the dialogue double tracked (since I understand Spanish I couldn't help but to hear most sentences twice). Stuff like that got on my nerves, especially when you've had a long day. You wanna wind down and get some quality movie inspiration at the one place where people should be respectful to the viewing experience. I can forgive reactions such as "Oh, look it's Dolph! He's Swedish", "Apollo was killed in Part IV" or "What happened to Brigitte Nielsen?" etc, etc. It was honestly a distracting theatre visit. Had to get the rant out of the way, sorry.
I enjoyed the movie though. It's formulaic, yet it hits the targets. If you wanna predict the storyline then chances are you likely won't be wrong. Although there are enough layers to the characters which makes the drama worthwhile. We're on the eight film now and you know the legacy of Rocky and Creed so well at this point that I don't mind having a slower moving middle portion in the film. I wasn't as invested as I would have liked, but I was never bored by it. It's a competent drama film. What brings it down is that notion of the familiar turning points. That makes it though for this sequel to stand out more. I'm glad Drago was brought back and not made into a typical villain. That's one of it's greatest strengths, having opponents that you actually can feel a little bad for. Adonis Creed's struggle with his family life and fame at the boxing was the usual. But the actors handle the material so well that it elevates. The ending does hit a home-run and it's sends a powerful tingling down your spine. Now that's the inspirational journey I was looking for. It hit me at the end, so at least it concludes on a high emotional note. Remember, it's also the history of this series that makes the finale as strong as it is. You feel like you've run up to the last step in front of Philly's museum of art. And that's when the humanity comes back to you. You're alive and ready to fight for what you care for.