Creed II - 4K Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Creed II

Movie:
4K Video:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score: ​

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Movie
As a child of the 80s you can bet your last nickel that I grew up watching all of the Rocky movies on TV (and later on VHS, DVD and then Blu-ray). Watching Rocky Balboa whoop Apollo Creed’s butt was something my young friends and I enacted out on the playground all the time (much to the chagrin of our parents who wondered why we came home bloody and bruised from our makeshift boxing gloves) and have a very VERY special place in my heart for Rocky IV. In many ways it was the pinnacle of the series, pitting the young up and coming Dolph Lundgren against Sly Stallone, and killing off one of the major characters in a shocking twist. Even though I’m a HUUUUUUUUUGE fan of 2006’s Rocky Balboa (it was one of the most intensely dramatic Rocky stories of the franchise) I have to give the nod to Rocky IV just for the fun factor alone. So you can naturally assume that I was eager to see the Creed spinoff in 2015.

Well, Creed was a middle of the road Rocky movie, but it was fun nonetheless. It had Sly back as old man Rocky the trainer, and the fight scenes were actually REALLY good. But there was something missing. The pacing was slightly off and Michael B. Jordan just didn’t have the raw intensity of Stallone or Carl Weathers. He’s a great actor, but for some reason I just couldn’t get behind him all the way. Last time we left off, Apollo Creed’s son Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) had got himself on the map, and now it was time for the big leagues. Working his way up from NOTHING, without even the name of his father by his side, Adonis has worked himself up to the heavyweight title and it is HIS.

Unfortunately, the win is slightly tainted due to the fact that his opponent was a few years past his prime and Adonis Creed (as he now goes by) is just coming into his. However, a threat to his belt and an actual REAL opponent lurks in the wings. For the last several decades he has been hiding in shame, training in secret, and nothing left to lose. No honor, no dignity, not status, just sheer rage and a desire for revenge. Rocky Balboa’s (Sly Stallone) worst nightmare is back, and he’s bringing with him the same terrifying ferocity that took Apollo Creed’s life 34 years ago. Yes, that’s right, Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) seems to have had a son since Rocky IV, and has been training him as an unstoppable fighting machine for the better part of his boy, Viktor’s (Florian Munteanu), life.

As shocking as it is to see his old nemesis alive for Rocky, it’s rage inducing for Adonis. Here is the man who killed his father, and his son is challenging the reigning heavyweight champion of the world for his title. Not only is it a chance to beat a REAL challenger, but it’s a chance to gain his family’s honor back and a chance for revenge against the family who took his father from him. Needless to say, Rocky is not to enthused about the fight. As Rocky says in the film, Drago has nothing to lose. Someone who has nothing to lose is dangerous beyond believe, and has a motivation that those at the top can’t fathom. Stupidly taking the fight against his trainer’s advice, Adonis steps into the ring and gets utterly obliterated. His only saving grace being that the final blow that puts him in t he hospital was an illegal strike, making Viktor forego the title belt and is disqualified.

Shattered in mind and body, the young fighter is forced to dig deep into his soul and find what really is his motivation for stepping in the ring. Is it something to prove to the world? Is it something to prove to himself? Is he doing it for selfish gains? What really MEANS something to him? Like all Rocky films, young Creed is forced to re imagine himself and go back to the very beginning in order to defeat an enemy who is faster, stronger, bigger, and seems to know his moves better than he does.

Creed was a decent movie, and solidly received, but for some reason was missing “something”. It had a lot of the elements of a good boxing movie, and even a decent spinoff from the Rocky movies as well. There was the tie in with Rocky Balboa, but for some reason it wasn’t “enough”. This time around the powers that be got smart and added in some heavy nostalgia factors. Instead of just bringing back Rocky himself, they dug deep into the past and got his most powerful enemy back, with Dolph Lundgren bringing the same chiseled and icy Drago gaze that made him terrifying in Rocky IV. I literally had chills down my spine watching the opening moments of the movie where we see Ivan Drago for the first time, standing there watching his gigantic son beat down an opponent. We even get to see Brigitte Nielsen come back as Ivan Drago’s ex-wife (who seemingly left him after his defeat at the hands of Rocky Balboa). It’s the perfect tie in to the old franchise, allowing those who weren’t as enthused with Michael B. Jordan’s performance to revel in the nostalgia of the Drago name, and watching Viktor become a literal wrecking machine. The fights themselves were actually much more intense than the original film, as Viktor is an enemy that we hadn’t seen before. Drago is no mere boxing champ to overcome. He’s a literal wrecking ball who can break Adonis down to his very being in just a few rounds. Even the final round you’re not sure if he’s ACTUALLY going to win, as they make you wonder whether this will be a humbling moment for Creed, or whether the Dragos will suffer a second defeat at the hands of an American boxer once more.

The real issues stem from the center act of the film. The first act was really great (although predictable), with Adonis gaining his belt, gaining a bride, and then getting his butt whomped on by a very hungry Viktor Drago. The same thing with the final act. The end battle (which we all were waiting for) is intense, vicious and awe inspiring. But the center act slows WAY down as the defeated boxer looks into what makes himself tick. For nearly 40 minutes the film comes to a screeching halt, as he mopes around the place with Rocky trying to cheer him up. Even the issues with his newborn having the same issues as his mother Bianca (Tessa Thompson) don’t really feel at “home” here. It’s almost like the high of the fight shoots straight into the floor and you’re checking your watch until the final act picks up once more. Again, this is partially due to Michael B. Jordan who just DOESN’T do as good of a job as Vicktor, Ivan, or Rocky on screen. When those three are there, it’s fun, inspiring, and tense. But when Jordan is moping around, the film’s pacing just slows WAAAAAAAAY down.




Rating:

Rated PG-13 for sports action violence, language, and a scene of sensuality




4K Video: Video:

Creed II was shot similar in style to the first film, with Arri Alexa Mini and XT cameras at 2.88K and then transferred to a 2K digital intermediate and upscaled for the 4K release. With this in mind also remember that Creed II is a film that deal in low light shadows, with dimly lit arenas, dark training facilities and a slightly hazy stylistic look to it steeped in blue and sepia (depending on the location. The scenes in Russia and the Ukraine are definitely more blue tinged, while Creed’s house is more sepia and with bright lighting). As a result the uptick in quality from the Blu-ray isn’t a wild one, but there are distinct differences. The 4K disc is able to handle the shadows better, with strong contrast and distinct shadow details that were just a blur in the Blu-ray. Those detail increases still aren’t wild though, and it’s the additional use of HDR and DV that really make the film’s upgrades noticeable. Those deep inky blacks make the end arena stand out so much better, with the smoke in the air actually visible instead of just a haze, and the red colors on Drago’s outfit just pop off the screen. All in all it’s a solid 4K release and makes a few strides in being a better image than it’s 1080p counterpart.






Audio:

Like normal with Warner Brothers releases, you’re going to want to check the audio options BEFORE you hit the play button, as the Atmos track isn’t default on the disc. The default is instead given to a more traditional 5.1 DTS-HD MA track and you’ll have to switch that over to enjoy the immersive audio mix. While the video is just “good”, the audio is nothing short of sonic perfection. The track is perfectly balanced with great vocals, a roaring surround track that really comes from all directions during the fights, and an incredible low end score that just shakes everything around you. Fights are the most immersive, giving us the screaming crowd, the throbbing Rocky inspired score (including the infamous theme song from Rocky fighting Drago), and a pulsating LFE beat that literally was vibrating things off my walls. Dialog heavy moments in the film calm things down a bit, but the track is always rich, always clean with the vocals, and privy to the urban score piping up at any time to liven things up a bit.





Extras:

• From Father to Son, Blood Runs Hot - Featurette
• Finding the Authentic - Featurette
• The Women of "Creed II" - Featurette
• The Rocky Legacy - Featurette
• Deleted Scenes

Final Score:
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Steven Caple Jr.’s Creed II is a solid sequel to Creed and is in may ways superior to the fist film. Sadly there are several ways that it’s inferior as well and in the end both films are about equal with each other in terms of overall enjoyment. There’s some pacing issues in the center half and the film’s end fight for some reason is just not AS enthralling as the previous Rocky films (I have a hard time placing my finger on the reason), but overall the movie is an entertaining boxing film. It has two REALLY good fights in it that we’ve all been waiting for, and the return of Dolph Lundgren as Ivan Drago is something every Rock IV fan has been waiting for since 1985. The 4K UHD disc is a good (if not great at times) upgrade in visual quality over the 1080p Blu-ray, and worth the purchase over the cheaper 1080p disc if given the choice. Definitely worth it as a fun watch.



Technical Specifications:

Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, Brigitte Nielsen, Tess Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Florian Munteanu
Directed by: Steven Caple Jr.
Written by: Cheo Hodari coker, Sylvester Stallone, Juel Taylor
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 HEVC
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Core) English DTS-HD MA 5.1 French, Spanish DD 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Studio: Warner Brothers
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 130 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: Own Creed II on 4K UHD Combo Pack, Blu-ray combo pack and DVD on March 5, or Own It Early on Digital on February 12!

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• Michael Scott
• May 11, 2017

Recommendation: Fun Watch

 

[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. Will check it out once available on amazon prime/netflix.

 

[Todd Anderson]

I didn't even know Creed II was a thing.

I have Creed... only watched a few minutes of it here and there... this one is a distant maybe for me

 

[Asere]

Thanks for the review. I own the first one but will rent this one.

 

[Asere]

Watched this one over the weekend and really enjoyed it.