it works if you ignore its blatant flaws

Rating: Null/10 (14 March 2002)

Entertaining—if shamelessly contrived—sequel has Rocky coming out of retirement to do battle with Ivan Drago, a devastating and frighteningly powerful Soviet boxer who's groomed as the future after literally killing his last opponent. Although the odds are once again against him, and he's traveling to fight before a very hostile Soviet crowd, Balboa decides that a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. The formula is wearing thin, to say the least, but the training sequences are so adrenaline-pumping, the ring bouts so engaging, and the soundtrack so motivating that actor/writer/director Stallone gets away with murder as he presents a far-fetched, stereotypical script that's anything but credible. Don't think about it too much and you'll probably love it. **½