Past its prime...

Rating: 5/10 (3 July 2019)

CREED II is yet another instalment in the spin-off franchise from the ROCKY series, with Sylvester Stallone playing his old role for supposedly the last time. The first CREED was okay as a spin-off, but this one stretches things too far despite having a decent premise. As a guy who loves ROCKY IV I was delighted to see Dolph Lundgren return to the franchise, this time as a proper actor rather than a mere musclehead. Sadly, the film is boringly shot and only comes alive in the on-fire boxing sequences, which are few and far between. All of the introspection and character building between the youthful characters is rather dull and tired, not to mention a retread of what's been done before in the ROCKY saga. Let's hope CREED II is the last outing for this former champion.