Despite claiming there would be no rematch at the end of the original, Rocky (1976) was a critical and commercial success and so three years later the sequel followed.
This is an effective continuation of Balboa's story, which is once again written and directed by Sylvester Stallone.
Apollo Creed (a brilliant Carl Weathers) thinks that Rocky (a captivating Stallone) going the distance was a fluke, which is logical because he took The Italian Stallion too lightly (and barely trained.) After he challenges Rocky to a rematch he will work blood, sweat and tears to assure that it doesn't happen again. However, Rocky doesn't want to fight any more as he has a detached retina and wants to retire.
Once again, Stallone injects the screenplay with lots of heart, see: Adrian's one word response to Rocky in the hospital that will give you goosebumps! The scenes with Adrian (a terrific Talia Shire) and Rocky enjoying their new found fame and wealth are great fun, as are the various endorsement deals that (educationally challenged) Rocky undertakes. The training sequences have improved and the end fight has better choreography. Despite this Part II isn't quite as good as the original, but it's still an excellent movie.
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OTHER CAST: Burt Young, Burgess Meredith. RUNNING TIME: 120 minutes. CERTIFICATE: PG. USA.
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