Sporting sequel Creed 2 starring Michael B Jordan has received its first batch of reviews.
The Black Panther actor returns as pugilist Adonis Johnson to compete in a generational rivalry against Russian boxer Viktor Drago. But with anticipation sky-high following the first movie's success, does the sequel pack a punch?
Here's what the critics are saying:
"Ryan Coogler's stylish, intense 2015 original worked so well because it told us an old story in a new way, always knowing when to go a little over the top (remember when Adonis boxes a projection of his father?) and when to underplay things. That understanding is where Creed II director Steven Caple Jr.'s seeming attempt to recreate the same tone misses the mark so glaringly.
"Creed II tries so hard to live up to its predecessor that it doesn't end up having much of its own identity. Had Caple abstained from the Rocky formula a little more and made this movie his own, we could have had a much more interesting story, instead of a rehash of a film that already skewed close to the 1976 classic."
"Nowhere near as good as the first film – way too much fan service, and an often painfully unsubtle script. And yet, the performances sell it. Jordan, [Sylvester] Stallone and [Tessa] Thompson are all electric. And you just can't beat the power of the Rocky fanfare kicking-in mid-fight."
"While it's not quite the showstopper that its predecessor was, Creed II is still another knockout piece of entertainment. There's a keen awareness of what made Creed work so well without it feeling like a lethargic rehash.
"Given the never-ending production line of lazy inferior sequels, it's such a joy to encounter one that feels necessary. Elevated by a central trio of winning performances and a director who provides equal weight to drama in and out of the ring, Creed II deserves to be cheered."
"Taken on its own terms, the movie is a rousing and effective sequel, with a couple of surprise punches and, mostly, a lot of smooth feints and jabs you've seen before. But if you compare it to, say, the second and third Rocky sequels, with its larger-than-life villains (Clubber Lang, Ivan Drago), what's noticeable about Creed II is that it never quite comes up with a new character or situation that attains an iconic status all its own."
So, although leading man Jordan is keen to produce more sequels, could these mixed reactions get in the way of his plans?
Creed 2 will be released in cinemas on November 21, 2018 in the US and November 30 in the UK.
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