And in this corner, the Southside Slugger makes a comeback!

Rating: 8/10 (11 November 2007)

The original "Rocky" was anyone's game, a tie that's had this moviegoer stumped since the beginning.
Fortunately, images of Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) emerging triumphantly from his corner while viciously pummeling his opponents brings to mind visions of "Rocky II," the first above-mediocre film in the most famous sports series of all time.
The entire film is, in some ways, a re-staging of the original, but this time it's a rematch between Apollo Creed and Balboa. Stallone, I'll say, is a much more capable director than John G. Avildsen, and paces the movie with more than just filler in between the very well-done fight scenes.
"Rocky II" may be somewhat overly emotional at times, but nobody ever said a movie has to be perfect in order to be worth loving.
And it's better to love this than the original.