A solid follow-up, wounded pride

Rating: 8/10 (16 March 2019)

If the first Rocky is about how the American dream is worth fighting for and there are reason to be optimistic, this film is about how wounded pride makes us do foolish things. The story manages to be at once familiar and conforming to the genre's tropes and subverting them a little bit. The commercial shooting sequence is fascinating in its irony and perceptive cynicism. Add in the gendered politics of Rocky being hurt that Adrian is working and like the first film this one grapples with Americana in an touching way.
Unfortunately, Stallone suffers as a director. Far too often he goes too far in the sentiment here. This film contains what has to be the worst of the various climbing the stairs sequences of the various films. The use of crowds is just awful. The big fight is more polished in this film but the resolution (i.e how the fight was won) is utterly silly. The first film resisted making the fantasy too fantastical but Stallone gives in here and the film suffers for it. I think the cinematography is far too polished as well. The sequel doesn't quite have the blue collar feel of the first film. It is a bit offputting.
This is a strong sequel to a truly a great film.