A fantastic movie and my favourite of the series

Rating: 10/10 (3 November 2016)

The second film of the ROCKY franchise is a winner right along with its hero. While I enjoyed the first movie, I was constantly aware of its low budget roots, the rough-around-the-edges feel to it and the slightly overlong running time. All of those factors have been cleared up in this sequel, which offers a more satisfying, perfectly made viewing experience. There are no long-winded introductions to the characters here, instead we're thrown into the thick of the human drama and the film excels as a result. It follows roughly the same template as the first, with a down-on-his-luck Rocky struggling to make a success of his life before finally giving in and then training for the climatic boxing match.
Stallone directed this instalment and his skill behind the camera shows with lots of well-shot sequences. The training sequence of the first film was a classic moment but this one manages to top it with a real feel-good factor. Excellent theme music helps, along with the fact that Stallone had grown enormously as an actor by this stage and thus his Rocky is a much more human, likable creation. Kudos too to the supporting players, ALL of whom are warmer than we found previously; Apollo Creed is a very human opponent; Adrian is actually likable instead of cold, and Paulie is no longer an idiot. Plus we also get Burgess Meredith on top form, and he shares some fine scenes with Stallone in this one.
There are plenty of entertaining moments, not least Rocky's lengthy search for an honest profession. Of course, the boxing match at the climax is what it's all about, and it doesn't disappoint: it's longer, more sustained, better choreographed, and even more violent than the original's, as the camera never flinches away from the brutality of the sport. Sitting back when it was all over, I realised that there was nothing about this film I didn't like: I found it a fantastic film in every respect.