My Review on Creed II (2018) starring Michael B Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad and Wood Har

I want to start my review off by saying, congratulations to director Steven Caple Jr., "The Land" (2016) for giving us an excellent sequel to Ryan Coogler's "Creed" (2015). It is always refreshing when a great director can pass the baton to another great director and things flow smoothly; with that in mind, "Creed II" (2018) starring Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad and Wood Harris was simply excellent.

This has been a big year for Michael B. Jordan with the explosive success of Ryan Coogler's "Black Panther" (2018). I would say that it is quite an accomplishment to wrap the year up with this very entertaining and thoughtful sequel. This success is well deserved for Jordan as he brings his "A" game in every scene of this film. The performance here is stellar and heartfelt. Jordan manages to give us a range of emotions like fear, loneliness, confusion, loss and a sense of never knowing who his father was outside of what Rocky shares with him.

Michael B. Jordan, Wood Harris. "Creed II" (2018)

"Creed II" (2018) picks up almost seamlessly where part 1 left off. Adonis Johnson (Jordan) is the light Heavyweight champion of the world. He and Bianca are in a serious relationship, ready to go to the next level and all seems well...until the son of the man who killed his father challenges him to a bout; this is an offer he simply cannot refuse. Pride and a strong need to prove himself are what drive the continuation of Adonis' story.

The strongest theme that has always been present in every Rocky film is the story of the human heart and the will to overcome seemingly impossible odds. Caple Jr. and Jordan capture this quite well as Adonis struggles with his father's death while trying to determine what he wants for his own legacy. Bianca (Thompson) and Mary Anne Creed (Phylicia Rashad) are great supporting roles, helping Johnson stay grounded while allowing him to make his own career decisions.

There are great fight sequences in the ring that are significant illustrations of heart and commitment to oneself and their craft. Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu) is quite a massive and formidable foe. He represents life's obstacles for Johnson. At the same time Drago has much to live up to himself as his father Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) constantly turns up the pressure and rigorous training while living vicariously through his sons fame.

This is a must see for the holiday season! Tell a neighbor, tell a friend Creed II is a film that will engage you until the end. "Creed II" (2018) packs a powerful punch!

AV3 out...