Creed II

Director: Steven Caple Jr.
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Dolph Lundgren, Florian "Big Nasty" Munteanu, Phylicia Rashad, Wood Harris, Andre Ward, Brigitte Nielsen, Milo Ventimiglia, Russell Hornsby
Running Time: 130 min.
Rating: PG-13

★★★ (out of ★★★★)
 
When Ryan Coogler's Creed was released in 2015, it was just the shot of adrenaline the ailing Rocky franchise needed, yielding results even better than anyone expected. Just the very idea to center the film around Apollo Creed's son and have him trained by his late father's friend and foe Rocky Balboa was inspired. Casting Michael B. Jordan as the lead opposite Sylvester Stallone was ingenious. It presented all these new, exciting possibilities, and more amazingly, followed through on them, erasing memories of the inferior sequels that brought shame and even occasional embarrassment to the series. More importantly, Creed didn't feel like a Rocky film, and yet in many ways when it mattered most, it did, reconnecting us to what we loved most about these movies and bringing a sense of renewed purpose to Stallone's role. His Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination, and the deflated looks of disappointment we saw in that room when he lost, stands as proof.

The justifiable acclaim only solidified the inevitability of sequels, and with that would always come the risk that the franchise could settle back into its predictable rhythm. So when Coogler bowed out of this to make a little movie with Jordan called Black Panther, it seemed our worst suspicions that the series would host a revolving door of directors lacking a distinct vision, were about to be confirmed. But with the foundation already laid, Steven Caple Jr.'s Creed II successfully picks up where we left off, and while it does follow a familar formula and lacks some of the previous film's freshness and energy, it's a worthy successor.

In again drawing heavily from the Rocky legacy (this time Rocky IV) to jumpstart a new story, it's at least one worth telling, featuring a villainous return fans of the franchise can legitimately claim they've waited decades for. Despite good reason for concern moving forward, this one works because the personal nature of the story and a continued emphasis on the relationship between the main characters that's been carried over from the first entry.

Three years after his loss to "Pretty" Ricky Conlan, Adonis Creed (Jordan) has amassed enough victories to earn a shot at the WBC World Heavyweight Championship, which he wins from Danny "Stuntman" Wheeler. On top of the boxing world and a major star, Adonis proposes to girlfriend Bianca Taylor (Tessa Thompson) who agrees to marry him while suggesting they move out to the West Coast  to start their new lives together. Hesitant to leave his hometown of Philadelphia, as well his trainer and mentor Rocky Balboa (Stallone), Adonis has a ferocious new challenger looking for a shot in Viktor Drago (Florian "Big Nasty" Munteanu).

Viktor's been trained and groomed from an early age as a fighting machine by his father, Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), who killed Adonis' dad, Apollo Creed, in the ring over thirty years earlier before being defeated by Rocky in Moscow. Disgraced by his home country in the years since that humiliating defeat, Ivan hopes that through Viktor he can earn some measure of redemption, and even possibly some respect from well-off ex-wife Ludmilla (Brigitte Nielsen). But Adonis' reasons for taking the fight is what worries Rocky, Bianca and his stepmother and Apollo's widow, Mary Anne (Phylicia Rashad). With the self-imposed pressure of  avenging his father's death, Adonis enters the ring with one thing in mind: revenge. And Viktor smells blood. 

It's probably not a good sign for the protagonist that the "big fight" around which the entire axis of this installment revolves occurs within the first 45 minutes of the picture. The build-up to it is quite impressive as the screenplay makes a legitimate case that Adonis could get killed in the ring just as his father did, only this time at the hands of the younger Drago. It also helps that there's an over thirty year backstory to draw from that comes from one of the more beloved entries in the series. If not neccessarily a great film, Rocky IV is nothing if not memorably entertaining due to the presence of a larger-than-life, almost cartoonish adversary in Ivan Drago, so it makes perfect sense to try to recapture that magic for the first Creed sequel.

As a character, Drago's son, like many of the opponents in adversaries in both franchises is kind of a wet blanket, but at least he's given a purpose through his father's quest for redemption. And similarly to how we were treated to a really compelling "where are they now?" in last year's Karate Kid sequel series, it's great to see Lundgren return to the role that made him. Playing Drago as a bitter, pitiable man living through his adult son, he's still somehow reeeling from the loss dealt to him by Rocky all these years later, and that feels just about right.  But as well developed as the villainous side of the equation is, the movie's bread is still buttered with the internal struggle of Adonis reconciling his father's death and finding out who he is the hard way.

It's not a spoiler to reveal his title defense against Viktor is a disaster that breaks him mentally and physically, challenging not only his will to continue boxing, but the important relationships in his life as well. While his bond with Bianca (Thompson, great again) faces some serious obstacles accompanied by euphoric highs, it's his friendship with Rocky that's most tested. He doesn't want his protege fighting this guy for glaringly obvious reasons, but an added element is that he doesn't believe Adonis' head is in the right place. It'll be up to both of them to get it there. Ironically enough, the movie soars highest when entering familar fomulaic territory, leaning into the franchise tenants of training montages and personal redemption. One advanatge the Creed films undoubtedly have over what came before it is the realism and authenticity of the boxing scenes, which are electrifyingly staged and suprisingly suspenseful, especially considering both fight outcomes in this aren't exactly in doubt.

Against all better judgment, we're hooked, mainly because the dynamic Michael B. Jordan has taken us on a journey with this character, infusing Adonis with a determination, anger and sensitivity that matches, if not surpasses, anything we've previously seen in the Rocky films. When his body and spirit are seemingly shattered, it's Stallone's character who continues to be properly positioned opposite him, playing on all the strengths he brought as a lead, but in a more appropriate supporting role that reminds us how formidable a presence he can be on screen. While not exactly surprises, brief but impactful appearances by Nielsen and Milo Ventimiglia as Rocky's estranged son Robert are seamlessly incorporated, the latter benefitting from being a bigger star now than when he appeared in the forgettable slog that was 2006's Rocky Balboa.

Making his feature directorial debut, Steven Caple Jr. deserves credit for not only avoiding to screw up a good thing, but doing right by these characters and the series, which now seems poised for yet another outing. But any Creed sequel, while completely expected, was still far from a guarantee to work. While no real risks are taken and Caple plays it as safe as possible within the confines of a very predictable formula, that was undeniably the right route to take here. If we get another film that shakes out identically to these first two, then we can start talking about the possibility of audiences tiring of it and re-experiencing the fatigue associated with the Rocky series. Until then it's best to enjoy the ride since Creed II has very little worth complaining about, delivering more than enough to please both casual and diehard fans alike.       

The Expendables

Director: Sylvester Stallone
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, Terry Crews, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, Eric Roberts, Charisma Carpenter, David Zayas
Running Time: 103 min.
Rating: R

★★ (out of ★★★★) 

The Expendables offers up the opportunity to see a dream team of action stars on acting auto-pilot shoot people in a film destined to head straight the discount DVD bin. Sly Stallone wrote, directed, produced and stars, continuing the 80's action nostalgia comeback he recently mounted with Rocky Balboa and Rambo and I was really taken aback by just how lackluster it is since the idea of teaming these guys up had some potential. Everything that could possibly go wrong nearly does as the film plays just as if he gathered his pals and over a few beers decided to shoot an action movie for kicks. But it's biggest crime is that it isn't even any fun, which should be the absolute minimum expected from something like this. Stallone grunts his way through one of his least engaging lead performances without much support from the rest of the cast. The Disposables may have been a better title as only two actors emerge from it relatively unscathed, and that's only because they're given so little to do. Everyone else looks foolish for having even appeared in it, forcing me to actually applaud Van Dam and Segal for having the foresight to sit this one out.

The Expendables of the title are a group of six mercenaries consisting of Stallone's veiny, tattooed leader Barney Ross, bad-ass Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), height challenged martial arts expert Ying Yang (Jet Li), cauliflower eared Toll Road (Randy Couture), angry, unintelligible giant Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren) and the intimidating Hale Cesar (Terry Crews), who doesn't speak softly and carries a big gun.  They're hired for a dangerous assignment by the mysterious Mr. Church (Bruce Willis, in a church) to assassinate Central American dictator, General Garza (David Zayas), who's been running drugs with rogue CIA agent James Munroe (Eric Roberts). Initially given the offer because they're "expendable," Ross makes it personal when he kind of develops a thing for the dictator's daughter, Sandra (Giselle Itie), who loyally puts her country and its people ahead of her own well being. Mercifully for us, the script doesn't explore that potential relationship at all, as if there would be time anyway in the midst of all the gunfire. Despite vague attempts by the script to assign its members' clever nicknames, backstories and characteristics, for honesty's sake they could have easily just been called Stallone, Statham, Li, Crews, Couture and Lundgren and no one would have noticed. And I haven't even gotten to Austin and Rourke. It's obvious the big draw here is seeing all these top action stars on screen together at once for the first time and Stallone is so in love with the idea (in all fairness a pretty good one) that he decides to just rest on that, denying us a plot we can rally behind.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's much buzzed about cameo is indicative of the many missed opportunities to  give this all-star lineup interesting characters to play. His brief early scene with Stallone and Willis is pointless, existing only as an attention-grabbing distraction and a chance for a few old buddies to have a laugh while winking at the camera. Worse still, "The Governator" isn't even given any good lines before disappearing at the blink of an eye. No "I'll be back" or anything. There was a point where I actually thought the three would turn to the camera and start talking about how cool it is they're all onscreen together and how lucky we are to witness it, which could have been true had the scene meant anything. Mickey Rourke continues blazing his bizarre post-Oscar career trail with a turn as philosophical ex-team member, Tool, who's pretty much the Mr. Miyagi of tattoo artists. Rourke is Rourke, which is always good for some fun even in small doses. It's too bad Eric Roberts is still Eric Roberts and has long past the point where he's become a complete parody of himself. He's at his cheesy, scenery chewing worst here and it's a shame he felt the need to follow up a somewhat respectable turn in The Dark Knight with this. Despite being one of the weak links in that film, at least Nolan reined him in, but if he wants to be taken seriously as an actor again it would help to stop taking joke parts like this. As his right-hand man, Paine, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin is required mostly to stand there and look intimidating, which he does well, but knowing the life span of henchmen in action movies, don't expect to see him in the sequel. The female "love interest" is as bland as they come and the casting of Dexter's David Zayas as an evil dictator is laughably off the mark. Of the actual Expendables, only Statham entertains (particularly when disposing of some guys during a scene on a basketball court) but that's not surprising given that he can play the tough guy role in his sleep. Stallone instead literally plays it in his sleep, reminding us how bad he can be when saddled with a script (in this case his own) that doesn't given him anything to do but mumble and growl.

While the entire plot of The Expendables is half-heartedly conceived, the routine action scenes at least look believable, lacking obvious CGI. I was never bored and Stallone (still a competent action director despite this misfire) keeps everything moving at a good clip. If he didn't, a movie that's merely lazy and uninspired could have easily turned unbearable. What started as a promising idea on paper plays onscreen as a "Planet Hollywood" reunion when so much more could have been done and all the tools were there to do it. Stallone's already rounding up the cast for The Expendables II, so here's hoping he eventually follows through with his original plan of paying tribute to high octane 80's blockbusters rather than honoring late 90's direct-to-DVD action movies starring Eric Roberts.