Rocky II (1979)
Directed by Sylvester Stallone
After Rocky goes the distance with champ Apollo Creed, both try to put the fight behind them and move on. Rocky settles down with Adrian but can't put his life together outside the ring, while Creed seeks a rematch to restore his reputation. Soon enough, the "Master of Disaster" and the "Italian Stallion" are set on a collision course for a climactic battle that is brutal and unforgettable.
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What critics compared Rocky II to
Seriously, the film feels like a marathon consisting of watching Rocky (1976) three times in a row and then finishing with the final twenty minutes of Rocky II (1979) as Godzilla is beat down and labeled a loser again and again before finally deciding enough is enough.
But, as a Rocky movie, it does manage two important things: It hits on the inspirational spirit the movies strive for and sometimes achieve ( Rocky, Rocky Balboa , sometimes Rocky II ), but often failed to ( Rocky III, IV , and V ), and it introduces a new character who stands on his own as someone worth paying attention to and investing in (unlike Tommy in V ).
Apollo (Carl Weathers) had made the unlikely transition from unbeatable foe (“Rocky”) to beatable foe (“Rocky II”) to training montage buddy (“Rocky III”), rendering his demise both unexpected and traumatizing, putting not just Apollo’s legacy on Rocky Balboa’s back, but America’s!
At the time of Rocky II (79) I had a dream: I wished that Sylvester Stallone had made Apollo I instead.
Alas, since it was such a huge critical and box office success, it spawned a plethora of sequels -- "Rocky II" (1979), "Rocky III" (1982), "Rocky IV" (1985), "Rocky V" (1990) and "Rocky Balboa" (2006) -- that, natch, couldn't live up to their predecessor.
In press materials, Coogler explains that he was an athlete and his dad used to make him watch " Rocky II " on VHS before a big game.