Satisfactory sequel

Rating: Null/10 (16 May 2001)

"Rocky" was a huge hit in 1976, winning Oscars for Direction, Editing and Picture and it launched Sylvester Stallone into stardom (he wrote and starred in the modern fable). Post-Rocky he made two solid but unsuccessful films, "F.I.S.T" (1977) and "Paradise Alley" (1978). Seemingly down on his luck (again), Stallone returned to the formula that made his name in the first place. Donning three hats (actor, scriptwriter and director), Stallone embarked on a sequel to "Rocky". The result is a predictable, occasionally slow, but strong ending film. "Rocky II" lacks the charm of the original, but still pulls on the heart strings as the audience roots for the perpetual underdog in Rocky Balboa.
The film begins with the rousing fanfare that featured at the start of the original. In fact many features from the original exist in this sequel, making it somewhat too familiar territory. Anyhow, we see how Rocky takes the champ, Apollo Creed (ex-Oakland Raider NFL player Carl Weathers) the whole 15 rounds after the champ claimed he would finish Balboa in less than four rounds. In the final round, Rocky beats Creed up against the ropes and the champ is saved by the final bell.
Rocky and Creed go to hospital wherein the champ wants a rematch with Balboa. Balboa declines. The film gets bogged down in a distinct lack of action for its next third. Rocky has to learn to cope with his short-lived stardom. He spends most of his prize money and when he decides to retire, he finds 'regular' work hard to come by due to his lack of schooling and qualifications. With Creed talking up a rematch and playing down the fact that Balboa nearly beat him in their last fight, Rocky and his trainer Mickey (Burgess Meredith) agree to fight Creed again. Rocky does this against the wishes of Adrian. He trains poorly (we are never told why) and Mickey casts him out of his training facility. Just as this happens, complications arise in Adrian's pregnancy and she falls into a coma.
After waking up from her coma, she suddenly changes her mind (was she thinking about it in her coma?!) and wants Rocky to beat Creed. With a new child in his arms and the permission of his wife to fight the world champ AGAIN, Rocky is inspired and sets off on his training run. A pumping 1970s orchestral soundtrack follows Rocky's old-fashioned training methods (smashing iron in a scrapyard etc) before cutting to another soundtracked scene where Rocky runs through Philadelphia with what seems to be the youth population of the city behind him. To the theme of "Gonna Fly Now" Rocky reprises his run from the first film, where he sprints up the steps of Philadelphia Museum. Only this time with a lot of kids following him.
The fight itself is the real highlight of the movie. Far longer than the short, edited match from the original there is some extremely over the top yet well choreographed fight scenes.
Stallone followed this up with the bigger budgeted yet weaker scripted "Rocky III" in 1982. While "Rocky II" is slow and less heartwarming than the original, it still delivers in parts. Stallone's direction is good, his acting passable, but the script could have been more original and a lot tighter.