Rocky II has to be one of the more underrated sequels to any movie franchise in the history of cinema. The film's writer/director/actor, Sylvester Stallone, managed to take a character that went through an incredible character arc of the first film and classic, Rocky, and give the character new life. Definitely not an easy thing to do from a writers standpoint. So how did he (Stallone) accomplish this? He wrote a tale about life after a taste of the spotlight.
Yes, Rocky II picks right up where its predecessor left off, and you see a badly bruised and injured Rocky Balboa in the hospital recovering from going the distance with his nemesis Apollo Creed. There's a scene early on in particular that really gave this movie a sense of humility early on. Rocky wakes up in the middle of the night and walks over to Apollo's hospital room. He quietly asks Apollo if he did indeed give him his "best". Apollo (played so well by Carl Weathers) responds by saying he did, and in a tone of voice that exudes mental and physical exhaustion. This wasn't the norm for Apollo's character, who usually is as bombastic sounding as real life boxer Muhammad Ali. Not only did this scene add a true sense of complexity to Apollo's character, it also reminded the audience of just how important the final fight was in the first film.
From there, you get to see Rocky try and find a real job, and life after boxing. He's been told he should never fight again, due to the eye damage incurred from the beating he took from Apollo. Not only going on the job hunt, Rocky and Adrian get married. A lot of subtle, yet touching scenes that continue the magic both characters displayed on screen in the first film. However, after several attempts at finding a regular job, and the frustration that goes along with that, Rocky decides he has no choice but to try and fight again. Not only does he want to do this to support Adrian, but the child that Adrian is now carrying. This leads to seeing Rocky become extremely vulnerable, having to relearn how to box now that he has the added distraction of a wife, and a child on the way. The conflict's that brew central to this character also come from his manager, Mickey, who truly doesn't think it's a smart idea that Rocky goes back into the ring. Add to this, even Apollo's character is going through his own arc of being told he's a loser by fans for allowing Rocky to take him the distance. This motivates Apollo to really go after Rocky in the media, cementing a motivation and drive that forces Rocky to want to fight him again to prove the first fight wasn't just luck.
Now, let's get to the real gem of this film. The final fight. This is in my opinion the best choreographed boxing match I've ever seen in the cinema. Sure, it may not be completely realistic in terms of how many punches are thrown, but it's just a thing of beauty to watch nonetheless. Add to it, the insanely classic score from Bill Conti, and it truly sucks the audience into it, and gets the adrenaline pumping at key points during the fight. It not only tops the fight from the first film, it ups the stakes in the best way possible. I couldn't imagine seeing this film for the first time, before the internet and fan boards ruining plot details, and wondering whether Rocky or Apollo will get up before the ten count. Absolute edge of your seat drama, and I'm not sure many films of today have that kind of gravitas going for it in the third act.
So take a trip down memory lane. Watch Rocky II (especially if you haven't seen it before, shame on you!), and make sure you do it with an adequate surround sound set-up to really make the movie pop the way it should. Nuff said.
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