Creed II more or less picks up pretty close to where we left off (well, by 6 titles defenses), but it's close enough. The BIG draw for this movie is the fact that Adonis is taking on Viktor Drago, which of course means the return of Ivan Drago, last seen in Rocky IV. Now my big concern going into this was that this would be a carbon copy of that movie and for the most part, it is. There are a bunch of call backs happening throughout the movie that it's unmistakable how much alike they are. Where Creed II excels at are the smaller, quieter moments which center around family and to be honest, I never really knew what this movie was going to be on its own, even with the obvious sign post in my face. Simply put, this is a bout Fathers and Sons (and Daughters). The sins of the father being passed down to their child and how a lifetime is affected by it. You have Adonis coming to terms with his own Father Apollo, Viktor and his Father Ivan and Rocky and his own Son.

Yes, this is still a boxing movie and it delivers in a big way in that regard. The choreography is damn impressive and the Big Fight at the end was thrilling to watch. As I said, a lot of call backs to Rocky IV, and that means that the fight happens back in Russia which puts Adonis more at a disadvantage, which makes his comeback all the more rewarding. But it's how the fight ends that truly took me by surprise...even with all the evidence laid before me. I still didn't see it coming. The relationship between Viktor and Ivan was fascinating to watch. Ivan is consumed with restoring his name and glory to the point of not really seeing his own Son other than just a "means to an end". But it's at the end that he finally realizes what he has become and what he has done to his Son. Ivan does the one thing that even Rocky couldn't do: Throw in the towel....to save the one that he loves. I thought it was a brilliant move story-wise because this is the thing that has haunted Rocky for years since the events of Rocky IV.

I absolutely recommend Creed II. This is definitely another movie for me to add to my DVD Collection. If that isn't enough, there are a couple of cameos that deliver for me as well. I truly was stunned to see Brigitte Nielsen return as Ludmilla Drago. Early in the movie when Ivan is telling Rocky his story about how their fight cost him everything: His name, respect...and his Wife, the line comes off more like a throwaway line to explain why she isn't in the movie. And then.....BAM! There she is. She doesn't have more than a few words of dialogue, but she owns the couple of scenes she is in because her character is exactly the same all these years later. The other cameo that I was hopeful in seeing play out given how Rocky is trying to reconcile with his own Son Robert. I honestly wasn't expecting to see Milo Ventimiglia return since he didn't appear in Creed I. So, yeah, definitely check out this movie. Worth it.

Side note, my Grandpa's favorite film in the Rocky series was Rocky IV. I just wished he could have seen this one. He would have loved it for sure. While watching Creed II, I could hear him in my head cheering along and getting into this one.