More about the characters than trading punches; and kudos to Lundgren

Rating: 8/10 (26 November 2018)

When reviewing Creed II, you can't help comparing it to its predecessor. My immediate impression was, there seemed to be a lot less ring time, and perhaps less action, in Creed II. At least this is how it felt. But I believe this was effective in making this film different, as it focuses more on the character's personal journeys and not as much on an over-the-top climactic fight (though you can still feel the punches in the film's fight sequences).
Other reviewers have discussed the relationship between Adonis and Bianca. But what is also worth noting is the performance of Dolph Lundgren as Ivan Drago, and the relationship with his son. Not that there are any long soliloquies from Ivan. This is intentional, as it was in Rocky IV. During the release of that movie, Lundgren appeared as a guest on The Tonight Show, where the host (I believe it was Johnny) commented how Lundgren had so few speaking parts. To this, Lundgren responded that, because he spoke little, what he did say carried a lot more weight (or words to that effect). In Creed II, Lundgren is able to convey a great deal about Drago's emotional pain with a relatively small speaking part (much of it in Russian). He manages to add some depth to the character that was perhaps wanting in Rocky IV. It's interesting how his pain plays out in his relationship with Viktor, and the final glimpse of them together at the end of the film is satisfying, and perhaps even redemptive.
Maybe Dolph should do a Drago sequel. :-)