Rocky II

Rocky II

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith

Directed by Sylvester Stallone

The Story:
After battling Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), the heavyweight champion of the world, in the ring, young underdog Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) was met with fame and fortune.  He engrosses himself in the luxuries, marries his love Adrian (Talia Shire), and buys them a new home and car.  He lives the high life as he comes across lucrative commercial deals and earned the adoration of the people of Philadelphia, while Apollo wallows in the fact that he didn't beat Rocky in typical fashion early on in the bout, as he receives letters from angry fans that say he threw the match.

Apollo goads Rocky for a rematch, but Rocky retires from boxing to focus on his new family and career - until the fame suddenly dies down and he finds himself without a job, with mounting bills to pay, and a baby on the way.  Not wanting to return to the ring, Rocky finds that he has no other option than to reunite with his old trainer Mickey (Burgess Meredith) and accept Apollo's challenge to one final fight - even though it could lead to total blindness in one eye, and to the disapproval of Adrian.

The Synopsis:
The original "Rocky" was undoubtedly one of the best sports films in history, and earned several Academy Awards including Best Picture, and made a household name out of then-unknown Sylvester Stallone.  Capitalizing on this newfound success, Stallone appeared in two other films - that both flopped miserably.  It looked like Stallone's career was over before it began, so he decided to return to the well that worked for him before, both writing and directing "Rocky II" which, in many ways, parallels not just the original film but Stallone's career itself.

Beginning at the end of the first, "Rocky II" focuses on Rocky's rise to instant superstardom, taking on the heavyweight champion of the world, and enduring fifteen rounds when even the most knowledgeable pundit felt he would've lost in the first round.  This angers Apollo Creed, who demands a rematch so he could beat Rocky properly, but Rocky decides to retire from fighting and focus on his newfound career and fame.  However, like all things, fame becomes fleeting, and he finds himself on the proverbial ropes as he struggles to pay the bills for his new home, his new wife, and his upcoming child.  Forced to return to the ring, Rocky at first is reluctant due to Adrian's opposition, but after receiving her blessing, focuses his entire energy on defeating Apollo properly, and re-earning the admiration and pride of his hometown and the world.

"Rocky II" differs from many sequels in that it doesn't truly feel like a sequel, but rather a continuation of the original film.  You could play both films together and no one would know where one ended and the other began, and managed to flow effortlessly.  This also means that several notes hit in the first film are repeated here, and in many respects it feels like you're watching the original - which is to this film's detriment, as nothing can compare to the original.

The same cast returns once again, and the chemistry between the actors is obvious.  Stallone and Talia Shire play a very convincing married couple, and both bring out the best in the other.  Burgess Meredith returns as Rocky's no-holds-barred trainer who's not afraid to insult his most famous trainee.  Burt Young plays Adrian's brother Paulie once again, but isn't given a whole lot of material this time around.  The opposite can be said of Carl Weathers, who plays Apollo Creed - in the original, he's not really mentioned nor seen much, but here he's given more to work with as a man struggling with his pride as he faces backlash over not technically knocking Rocky out in the ring, and demands a rematch.

The same music also makes an appearance, once again scored by the great Bill Conti.  The same songs echo through the speakers, including the famed theme song as Rocky once again prepares for the fight of his life.

Equally, several scenes seem reminiscent of the original, but here is also where the film differs greatly.  There's the same scenes of Rocky training (in the same grey sweatsuit) as he runs through the streets of Philadelphia ending at the famed Museum of Art, but this time around he's not running alone - he's followed by a gaggle of young kids who cheer him on, much like the shot in the arm Stallone probably wished he had during the hard times between the "Rocky" films.  Also notably different is the final fight between Balboa and Apollo, which went more in-depth and more in-your-face than the original, which made it more exciting.

Still, despite these small differences, you can't help but think you're re-watching the original - a big mistake when the original was such a beloved classic.  Thankfully the sequel doesn't tarnish the legacy, and actually does give Rocky a more well-rounded characterization, but it would've been nicer if the story had been completely new instead of feeling like a re-hashing of the original.

The Summary:
While it basically re-tells the original "Rocky" film, the sequel also manages to give new life to the classic boxer, showing that fame and fortune is fleeting, and finding that 

The Score: A