Straightforward Rocky IV sequel

Rating: 7/10 (12 January 2019)

I didn't enjoy the first Creed as much as any of "Rocky" movies but still it was very heart-warming to see some of the actors from previous installments return to their past characters. I hate to say it but the nostalgia was the only thing keeping me interested throughout the movie: return of Ivan Drago, this time with his son trying to take away Balboa and Creed's fame, was a great move but it didn't bring anything new to the sequel; in fact, if it wasn't named Creed II it could have easily been Rocky VII because it felt too much like the fourth part all the way - the same plotlines, the same character development, even the same locations and movie structure in general. The dialogues are also trying way too hard to be meaningful but in reality are plain dull and pseudophilosophical because we've already had the same problems and the same dilemmas in Rocky IV. And in the end we're left with a couple of well-choreographed fight scenes (as usual) and tons of nostalgia: especially when seeing the characters of Brigitte Nielsen and Milo Ventimiglia, sadly only in cameos. The most touching moment for me was Dragos' send-off, the only characters who really had some growth in development. In short, Creed II works perfectly if you haven't seen Rocky IV; it adds nothing new to the franchise but makes it a very pleasant watch nonetheless.