Skip to main content

New Release Birb: Creed II

Creed II
Starring Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson
Directed by Steven Caple, Jr. 
US Release Date: 21 November 2018
My First Viewing: 20 November 2018

 A film that should be retitled Rocky IV: Thirty Years Later. 

 Rocky Balboa and Adonis Creed are back in Creed II, but now with a new director and screenwriter. We follow Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) as he makes the jump to Heavyweight and is on the comeback trail after his split decision loss at the end of Creed. Now the Heavyweight Champion of the World, he has a new challenger in the form of Viktor Drago, son of Ivan Drago, who killed Adonis' father Apollo in Rocky IV. Throw in some friction between Adonis and Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) and a new baby with his now wife Bianca (Tess Thompson), you have all the makings of and adequate yet bland sequel. 

 What Works
Chemistry 101: One of the (many) great things in the first Creed was the chemistry between Tessa Thompson and Michael B. Jordan. This continues in Creed II, with Thompson having a bigger role in the film. She is now the 21st Century Adrian, and that's not a bad thing. Jordan is again great given the story and screenplay, and between this and Black Panther earlier this year, he is having a great 2018. These two are the focal point of the film, and for good reason.  
Doing it for Mother Russia: With very few words in the entire film, Viktor Drago (played by German-Romanian boxer Florian Munteanu) is menacing and assertive. Dolph Lundgren returning as Ivan Drago was good with what he had, and the motivations of the Drago's were clear throughout. The end was never in doubt, but these two made for interesting antagonists. 

What Doesn't Work
Pacing: The runtimes for both Creed films are similar, but II lacked the energy of the original, making for an experience that felt way longer than its already overstuffed 130 minutes. There is a lot you could have taken out of this film in terms of unnecessary story arcs and montages that could have made this a more streamlined movie. By not having Ryan Coogler at the helm writing the screenplay and as the director, the flow of the film just wasn't the same. 
No Surprises: Creed II is ultimately a by-the-numbers follow-up that does nothing surprising. Going back to what made the first film so great was not knowing where it was going. By the time the first act of the film is over, you can guess what all the story beats are going to be, if not sooner. It was safe to the point of boring at times, and buy the time the big fight came at the end, there is no real investment to be had. 

 My Grade: C-. Seek it out if you are at all interested in seeing it.  I am sure that you may have a differing opinion. If you're there for the boxing and to see Sly on the big screen again as Rocky, and don't really care about the lack of story or character development, then you might enjoy it. For me, this was safe and sadly disappointing.  

 Creed II is rated PG-13 for action violence and language. Are you excited to see this over the Thanksgiving weekend? Give me a follow on facebook or instagram and let me know what you think, and as always, please be civil. 

 -birb

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Release Birb- A Fantastic Woman

A Fantastic Woman (Una Mujer Fantástica) Starring: Daniela Vega and Francisco Reyes Directed By Sebastián Lelio US Release Date: November 17, 2017 My First Viewing: March 2, 2018 A nominee for Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards, A Fantastic Woman stars Daniela Vega as Marina, a woman who is dealing with grief and the prejudice of those around her life after the death of her older partner.  This is a beautiful movie that is carried by Vega. She makes this movie so profoundly powerful that you feel with her through her journey, even if this is not something a lot of people can directly relate to. Marina has a difficult enough time in her life dealing with the death of her partner Orlando (Francisco Reyes), but with this being a relationship with a much older man and a trans woman, there are added layers. Between the police, doctors, and Orlando's family, Marina has a lot to deal with, but she is strong and isn't afraid to fight for what she believes ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Best Picture Birb- Get Out

Get Out Starring: Daniel Kaluuya and Allison Williams Written and Directed by Jordan Peele US Release Date: February 24, 2017 Most Recent Viewing: March 3, 2018 Image Credit: movieposter.com Nominated for four Academy Awards (including Best Actor and Best Picture), Get Out is the directorial debut of Key & Peele star Jordan Peele, who also produced and wrote the screenplay.  Part horror-thriller, part social commentary on race in our society, Get Out  tells the story of the relationship between Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) and Rose (Allison Williams), and their dynamic when Rose brings Chris to meet her family for the first time. Bradley Whitford, Catherine Keener, and Caleb Landry Jones play Rose's parents and siblings.  This is so much more than your standard horror fare, and I am so happy that the Academy honored this film with as many nominations as it did. Blumhouse Productions, who have their hands in many of the big horror franchises on the last decade p...
Post a Comment
Read more

New Release Birb: First Reformed

First Reformed Starring: Ethan Hawke and Amanda Seyfried Written and Directed by Paul Schrader US Release Date: May 18th, 2018 My First Viewing: May 30th, 2018 A former military officer turned Reverend deals with the struggles of guilt and despair in his own life as well as the world around us in First Reformed, starring Ethan Hawke and Amanda Seyfried.  Hawke plays Reverend Toller, who at the beginning of the film starts a one-year journal exercise to write his thoughts in the truest way possible, by putting pen to paper. In his small congregation (which is run by a superchurch run by Cedric "The Entertainer" Kyles) is Mary (Seyfried) and her husband Michael (Philip Ettinger). Mary wants to set Michael up with Reverend Toller because he is depressed about global warming and he wants her to get rid of their unborn child because he doesn't want to bring another life into this world.  This is a very deliberately paced film, but it keeps you invested. Hawke's...
Post a Comment
Read more