More of an epilogue than a sequel, the fans had to have it!!

Rating: 9/10 (28 December 2006)

Sylvester Stallone took matters into his own hands to bring his magnificent character back to the big screen in 1979. Stallone not only penned the sequel as he did the original but he took over as director giving him the unique ability to control his characters the way he felt they should but the brilliance is that he didn't change them from their original style or character making it one of the most consistent sequels I have ever seen. Granted the characters have had some evolution since the original but it's gradual and real and the film still has that gritty, real, lovable quality of the original. It only just barely falls short of the magnificence of the original. One of the nice things is that we are given a far more in depth look into the life and personality of adversary Apollo Creed, but as far as the other characters they are really only added upon because they were so well cultivated in the original.
Once again Stallone picks up his unstoppable underdog Rocky Balboa and the love of his life Adrian. Stallone manages to recapture everything you loved about Rocky in the original. You do however start to see a little less of those little quirks that made Rocky so spectacular a character in the original and which eventually almost fade completely in the subsequent sequels. Nonetheless Stallone does a great job with the role again. Also returning is Talia Shire as the less shy and awkward Adrian whose romance with Rocky is at full swing including their engagement, wedding and pregnancy. Shire still is perfect as Adrian and is the perfect companion to Stallone's Rocky. As rough around the edges as he is, she suits him perfectly and their chemistry is unmistakable. Burt Young returns as pessimistic and chronically miserable Paulie. His role isn't quite as defined as it was in the first one but he still does a great job supporting everyone around him. Paulie is an unmistakable quality about the Rocky films, and Young IS Paulie. Burgess Meredith returns as tough as nails trainer Mickey, Rocky's mentor and father figure. Meredith adds such an incredible experience to the series and is the perfect mentor. In some ways he's so mean and gritty and yet he has this knowledge about him that Rocky respects in such a deep way. And finally someone who this sequel was very good to is Mr. Carl Weathers who plays Rocky's greatest challenger, the Champion Apollo Creed. Since their unstoppable battle the world now questions who truly won their match and Creed thirsts to prove his worthiness. We get a further look into Creed's home and his style and his training and the people around him including his family. Weathers is electric and loud spoken and flamboyant and is everything Creed was created to show but he has a determination going into this fight that makes him the perfect adversary to Rocky.
Rocky II quite simply adds everything to Rocky I that we might have wished to see after the closing credits. It's a sequel that had to be made and was made with great intelligence and clever writing and direction by Stallone giving us all our favorite characters again. Best of all it still managed to capture the heart of the original and perhaps even more so since the outcome of the fight is different. The climatic fight is still incredible despite being the same fight from the first one. Emotions run high as Rocky nearly loses the love of his life, brings his child into the world and triumphantly cries "Adrian, we did it," which once again brought tears to my eyes. You can't EVER watch Rocky I and stop there, even if you never see the others you must see Rocky II because it just might be one of the most necessary and well done sequels in film history. It is the reason sequels should exist. It only manages to lose a small bit of it's original charm and still be one of the true greats. 9/10