Repetitive, pointless and tedious

Rating: 5/10 (13 April 2020)

I'm not sure exactly what the point of this movie was. The storyline is very similar to the first film, the finale is just as ridiculous and we are again subjected to endless Balboa ramblings. It is also painfully slow and unnecessarily long.
The movie is beautifully produced and Bill Conti's soundtrack is excellent, arguably even better than the original. One thing you cannot deny about Rocky movies is that they all look and sound amazing.
The Balboa vs Creed rematch is much more exciting and comprehensive than the original bout and is very well directed. However, it is absolutely ludicrous that these men could take such a beating and come out of it alive.
This is also an extremely corny film. Mickey is almost a cartoon character at times and the workout montages are incredibly tacky, especially the scene where hordes of children chase Rocky down the street (and across a busy main road). Even in only it's second incarnation, the Rocky franchise is starting to become a parody of itself.
Talia Shire is excellent as Adrian and continues to be the highlight of these films. Carl Weathers also gives a strong performance, injecting some more authenticity and likeability into the Creed character.
Fans of the first movie will probably be very happy with this but personally I couldn't quite see the point of it.