Creed II: Sylvester Stallone’s Latest Rocky Sequel

The structure of a boxing picture is as predictable as the seasons: Our hero loses something (a bout, a loved one, his confidence), gets a pep talk and a montage of unorthodox training, then regains his mojo and steps back into the ring as redemption awaits. Million Dollar Baby, one of the few boxing movies to break out of the box, is not coincidentally among the greatest movies this century.

Creed II sticks to the formula like dogma and doesn’t even seem all that interested in the details of how to win (or train for) a fight. There’s nothing like the tactical surprise of a southpaw fighting right-handed here, nor any workout scenes as exhilarating as the many great ones in the earlier movies. Nevertheless, a surprise-free movie can be a satisfying one, if the grace notes are played with care. They are in Creed II.

About the Author

Kyle Smith

Kyle Smith is the film critic for the Wall Street Journal.

The structure of a boxing picture is as predictable as the seasons: Our hero loses something (a bout, a loved one, his confidence), gets a pep talk and a montage of unorthodox training, then regains his mojo and steps back into the ring as redemption awaits. Million Dollar Baby, one of the few boxing movies to break out of the box, is not coincidentally among the greatest movies this century.

Creed II sticks to the formula like dogma and doesn’t even seem all that interested in the details of how to win (or train for) a fight. There’s nothing like the tactical surprise of a southpaw fighting right-handed here, nor any workout scenes as exhilarating as the many great ones in the earlier movies. Nevertheless, a surprise-free movie can be a satisfying one, if the grace notes are played with care. They are in Creed II.