Creed II Brought Back the Eye of the Tiger

Photo of Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan as Rocky Balboa and Adonis Creed, respectively.
Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn Mayer Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures

"Creed II" brings back familiar elements from the previous "Rocky" films. While it is more predictable than original, it allowed the main character, Adonis Creed, to mature and bring back the eye of the tiger that hasn't been seen in a long time. With a surprising story and the right cast to tell it, "Creed II" went the distance of entertainment and succeeded.

After battling and earning the respect of "Pretty" Ricky Conlan, Adonis Creed (played by Michael B. Jordan) has risen to the world heavyweight championship. But it's time for him to preserve his title, in and out of the ring, against Viktor Drago (played by Florian Munteanu), son of Ivan Drago (played by Dolph Lungdren), the man who beat his father to death in 1985. Through his trainer, Rocky Balboa (played by Sylvester Stallone), secondary trainer, Tony "Little Duke" Evers (played by Wood Harris), and his girlfriend Bianca Taylor (played by Tessa Thompson), Adonis will overcome the conflict with the Dragos and rewrite the history upon his family name.

Photo of Viktor Drago (played by Florian Munteanu) and Ivan Drago (played by Dolph Lungdren). Photo Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures

One of the things I liked watching were the discussions about family. Adonis realizes that he must win to bring honor upon his late father and to show his newborn daughter something to be proud of. Rocky is there to remind his pupil not to let negative media attention provoke him to use the Creed name in vain against Viktor. It was very moving to see Bianca go through her hearing disorder to keep her relationship with Adonis, her daughter, and her career afloat.

Photo of Tessa Thompson as Bianca and Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed. Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Warner Bros, Pictures.

Those two moments were great to watch because I like seeing someone willing to do anything to keep a family falling from grace to grass. And though it angers me how he showed no remorse against Apollo or Rocky, I'm a little saddened that Ivan shows more hunger for vengeance than affection towards his son. I'm glad that he knew when to throw in the towel and make amends. In both negative and positive ways, "Creed II" shows that nothing is stronger than the bond of a family.
Though he never knew his father, Adonis shared many of his old tendencies. Just as Apollo brought back Rocky in the third film, Adonis went through an extreme training regimen to get more heart than rage against Viktor. His running behind a car in the hot, dry desert and hitting the ground with a sledgehammer prepared him for more pain tolerance, and I loved it. And the way he entered Russia with "Midnight", sung by Thompson's character, showed his ostentatious side, same as Apollo had during his first and last fight.
Russell Hornsby's character of Buddy Marcell carries a Don King personality, as he's eager for a sensational fight between Creed and Drago, and he will goad them to battle to the death, if necessary.
And aside from helping Apollo, Rocky still has his own familial issues to reconcile, more specifically with his son, Robert.
All in all, it was a blast to see Adonis Creed come back with the eye of the tiger. Now that he has restored greatness to his name, I do not know what's left for him to battle. The same goes for Rocky Balboa. The different questions and sequences of fighting and stories about family legacy served the film will. If you wish to see how Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone combat their own demons again, feel free to watch "Creed II" at your local movie theater.

"Bohemian Rhapsody": Confusing and Entertaining

Twentieth Century Fox’s Bohemian Rhapsody was both entertaining and confusing at the same time. It was entertaining when displaying the chemistry of the members of Queen and their smash hits, but confusing over what the main story was about.  All hail the talented Rami Malek for his performance as lead vocalist Freddie Mercury. What director Bryan Singer could have done better was give equal focus on the rest of the band, talk more about Mercury’s drug abuse, and, though I have no idea what it could be, a different title of the biography. However, the performances of the cast, costumes, and music made Bohemian Rhapsody sensational.

Bohemian Rhapsody chronicles Queen’s beginnings as Mercury (played by Malek) meets guitarist Brian May (played by Gwilym Lee), drummer Roger Taylor (played by Ben Hardy), and bass guitarist John Deacon (played by Joseph Mazzello). Mercury defies distrustful businessmen and personal life struggles to lead this band to rock stardom in England and the rest of the globe from the 1970s to the mid-1980s.

    Malek, Lee, Hardy, and Mazzello delivered their utmost when singing, sharing a laugh, and highlighting the drama that comes with rock band success. Costume designer Julian Day attempted and succeeded his hardest at keeping the group glamorous for audiences. And it was thrilling to hear so many of Queen’s classics for the duration of the film. I’m not just talking about the ones I know like “We Are The Champions” or “We Will Rock You”. I mean “Somebody to Love” or “Don’t Stop Me Know”.

Now, here’s where the film had its share of downsides. First off, it appeared to me that no matter how hard the rest of the cast worked, it was all about Malek’s role as Mercury. Malek’s movement across the stage, wayward showmanship, elegant dressing habits, and different vocal ranges made him look as flamboyant as the real-life legend himself. Either Singer should have made the film about Mercury without the band, or he should have given as much spotlight to the lives of May, Taylor, and Deacon.

Next, it didn’t seem important enough for discussions about Mercury’s diagnosis with HIV/AIDS until the climax. As much as it pushed him to work with the band for an unforgettable concert at the Live Aid benefit, this disease has such a negative impact that Singer should have talked more about how it took its toll on Mercury, and what audiences should do to stay protected.

Finally, while it may come from one of their most popular songs, the title seems inconsistent with the whole story. Bohemian Rhapsody covers more of the band’s history and conflicts than it does with the song from “A Night at the Opera” (1975). But when I think about it, Malek’s performance as Mercury showed that he lived a bohemian lifestyle with his wild ferocious antics in and out of the show business.

Overall, Bohemian Rhapsody is confusing and entertaining at the same time. While it needs a better direction towards all members of Queen, more attention on the impact of HIV/AIDS in the past and present, and a different title, the cast, costumes, and music were the most notable. The film also talks about living up to dreams and building non-biological family. For those who are lifelong fans or want to know about how one of the world's greatest rock bands were conceived, watch Fox’s Bohemian Rhapsody.