Despite the title (which refers to the son of Apollo Creed), this film is just as much about Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) as it is about the ambitious young boxer. When he decides to follow in his famous father’s footsteps, he travels to Philadelphia to enlist the champ as his trainer. The plot follows a familiar structure: intimate personal moment, dramatic encounter, training montage, big fight…repeat. Fortunately, a massively muscled-up Michael B. Jordan brings a fierce energy and determination to his role. Surprisingly, the film’s most compelling performance (and the only humor) comes from Stallone. Director Ryan Coogler (“Fruitvale Station”) has kept the interactions involving and made the fights forceful (especially the one that never cuts or leaves the close proximity inside the ring). This is a pumped-up version of the original, slightly too long, but big on heartfelt passion and personal power.
(3.5 / 5)