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There are dozens of quotes about what expectations mean to people. They're the "root of all heartache", the reason for "disappointment", or the framework of "high achievement". Truth is that what we expect of something or someone can be both a comfort and a burden. We expect life to be good and full of opportunities; a certain work is framed in the expectations from whoever provides it or whatever preceded it; and sons and daughters are often measured against the expectations of who their parents were. Those are some of the things that hang over the latest entry in the Rocky/Creed franchise.
Creed II is both plagued and helped by expectations on all sides. From its inception to its story beats to the inner struggles of most of its characters. When Creed was conceived in 2015, expectations were a mixture of what new could this "universe" bring to the table with the tediousness of yet another entry in the Rocky Balboa catalog. Fortunately, director and co-writer Ryan Coogler and star Michael B. Jordan, along with Sylvester Stallone, they all managed to defy those expectations with a film that knew how to build on top of them, evolving the old characters while also giving us new ones with depth, wrapping everything in a way that felt genuine and fresh.
Creed II follows Adonis Johnson (Jordan) as his rise to success is challenged by Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), the son of none other than Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) who was responsible of his father's death 30+ years ago. Expectations rise cause he's the defending champion, everybody wants him to fight to "avenge" his father; everybody except Rocky and those close to him. So what to do when those expectations become a burden? when they make you afraid for not being able to fulfill them?
When I heard that Lundgren was set to reprise his role for this film, my expectations weren't that good. "Yeah, yeah, here they come trying to now stick any popular Rocky character into this franchise to try to make it appealing". But the truth is that, much like the previous film, the script by Stallone and Juel Taylor manages to find a great balance between the new and the old.
The most notable and surprising trait for me was the development of the character of Ivan Drago, a character that was pretty much an "object", a "force", or a "symbol" in Rocky IV. You see, expectations have also plagued Drago's life. Rebuked by the Russian government and abandoned by his wife after his defeat to Rocky, he is now burdened by what was expected of him then and what he expects to achieve now, through his son. There's a great deal of emotional weight put into this character and his relationship with his son, and those around him. This fight is something that he feels he needs as much as Adonis.
And speaking of expectations, if I were to mention a flaw to the film it would be that its narrative beats are, well, expected. There is little to no surprise to how things will unfold. When I saw that Adonis was about to fight Drago by the 40-minute mark, I could already trace where the story would go for the remaining hour. But despite those expectations about the bigger picture, the film still managed to surprise me with the more personal moments, the more nuanced conversations, and the little details. Those were the ones I wasn't expecting.
Grade:
CREED II
(2018, Caple Jr.)
A film that starts with the letters C or D • A sequel • A film with an African-American cast
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(2018, Caple Jr.)
A film that starts with the letters C or D • A sequel • A film with an African-American cast
"I was afraid of this... expectations. Being the champ. I was scared I couldn't do what he couldn't."
There are dozens of quotes about what expectations mean to people. They're the "root of all heartache", the reason for "disappointment", or the framework of "high achievement". Truth is that what we expect of something or someone can be both a comfort and a burden. We expect life to be good and full of opportunities; a certain work is framed in the expectations from whoever provides it or whatever preceded it; and sons and daughters are often measured against the expectations of who their parents were. Those are some of the things that hang over the latest entry in the Rocky/Creed franchise.
Creed II is both plagued and helped by expectations on all sides. From its inception to its story beats to the inner struggles of most of its characters. When Creed was conceived in 2015, expectations were a mixture of what new could this "universe" bring to the table with the tediousness of yet another entry in the Rocky Balboa catalog. Fortunately, director and co-writer Ryan Coogler and star Michael B. Jordan, along with Sylvester Stallone, they all managed to defy those expectations with a film that knew how to build on top of them, evolving the old characters while also giving us new ones with depth, wrapping everything in a way that felt genuine and fresh.
Creed II follows Adonis Johnson (Jordan) as his rise to success is challenged by Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), the son of none other than Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) who was responsible of his father's death 30+ years ago. Expectations rise cause he's the defending champion, everybody wants him to fight to "avenge" his father; everybody except Rocky and those close to him. So what to do when those expectations become a burden? when they make you afraid for not being able to fulfill them?
When I heard that Lundgren was set to reprise his role for this film, my expectations weren't that good. "Yeah, yeah, here they come trying to now stick any popular Rocky character into this franchise to try to make it appealing". But the truth is that, much like the previous film, the script by Stallone and Juel Taylor manages to find a great balance between the new and the old.
The most notable and surprising trait for me was the development of the character of Ivan Drago, a character that was pretty much an "object", a "force", or a "symbol" in Rocky IV. You see, expectations have also plagued Drago's life. Rebuked by the Russian government and abandoned by his wife after his defeat to Rocky, he is now burdened by what was expected of him then and what he expects to achieve now, through his son. There's a great deal of emotional weight put into this character and his relationship with his son, and those around him. This fight is something that he feels he needs as much as Adonis.
And speaking of expectations, if I were to mention a flaw to the film it would be that its narrative beats are, well, expected. There is little to no surprise to how things will unfold. When I saw that Adonis was about to fight Drago by the 40-minute mark, I could already trace where the story would go for the remaining hour. But despite those expectations about the bigger picture, the film still managed to surprise me with the more personal moments, the more nuanced conversations, and the little details. Those were the ones I wasn't expecting.
Grade: