by Nick Hernandez

Creed II is a boxing masterpiece, released on November 21st of this year, the film received major support from fans and critics alike. Their immediate responses gravitated towards overall astonishment and gratitude for the truly breathtaking performances by the actors on screen.

When reviewing the critique given by Rotten Tomatoes – an accredited website that certifies movies based on their appeal to both experienced critics and the average moviegoer – it’s obvious that the film did very well, receiving an 85 percent rating overall and a Certified Fresh rating.

Creed II begins by introducing its antagonist Viktor Drago, and the harsh life that he and his father live in Russia. Together, the two train for Viktor’s first fight, where that night he destroys his opponent within the first 2 rounds.

The film then jumps to fight-night where Creed is preparing for a bout of his own. In turn, he wins and receives the title of Heavyweight Champion.

From this point on, the world’s of the two fighters draw closer together until they finally meet for the first time in the ring. Drago challenges Creed, but when he considers the offer, those closest to Adonis begin to doubt him and his abilities, ultimately discouraging him from accepting the fight.

It’s with this self-conflict that Creed goes into the fight and loses, badly, resulting in the destruction of Creed’s body and spirit. This is partly because of unpreparedness, but also relies on the fact that his trainer, Rocky, was not in his corner to support him.

Creed thereafter is stuck recovering from the physical trauma of the fight, but more importantly working to fix his relationship with Rocky.

The intensity picks up again when Rocky and Creed train for the rematch against Drago. Adonis pushes his body to the limit, working to overcome all obstacles and toughen himself in every way possible.

Finally, on the night of the boxing match, Creed struggles to stand up for himself in the early rounds but proves his worth throughout the fight. In the 12th round, Drago is knocked down and after a barrage of blows from Creed, Drago’s father forfeits the fight and Creed maintains his title as champion, showing the world that he’s got what it takes.

The film ends with Drago Senior consoling his son after their loss and showing the pair back in Russia training together.

As a whole, Creed II was an astounding film, filled with action and emotions that made the viewer feel and live through the experiences seen within the movie. Together, screenwriters Sylvester Stallone and Cheo Hodari Coker created a screenplay that emphasized the importance of relationships. Without them, you will not perform to the best of your ability.

While there are more moments in feature that reveal a greater sympathetic and emotional appeal, such as the scene with Creed’s fiancé and daughter, the film does a good job of applying what is experienced in this instance throughout the picture in its entirety.

Creed II in it’s current state is perfect and in no need of a third movie to the add to the series.

Actors Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson and those supporting have built upon a franchise that was already successful and created a story that adds to that fame, ultimately proving that ‘Creed’ is flawless and in need of no change (add-ons).