Creed II • The Next Reel

"Remember why you’re climbing these steps." In a franchise so full of sequels, it was inevitable that the success of the spin-quel Creed would be followed up with its own sequel. And while Ryan Coogler was busy on Black Panther, Sylvester Stallone and his team found a very capable director with Steven Caple Jr. The movie was released in 2018 and was a box office hit, even if people largely found it to be ‘just another sequel’ in the Rocky franchise. But is it more than that? Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we wrap up our look at the Rocky films with Caple’s 2018 film Creed II. We talk about bringing back the Russians, the strength of making it a story about family, and why it all ties together so nicely. We look at the cast and why they all work so well in their respective parts, especially the supporting characters who never feel like they get sidelined. We chat about the look and how it never quite finds the magical look we get in fight scenes in the previous films, but how it still looks nice. We look at how relationships are developed throughout the film and the franchise. We touch on Stallone’s comments about retiring the character Rocky after this film. And we look at the franchise as a whole and why it works so well for us. It’s a great film that stands up above many other sequels because the people behind it clearly had a great story to tell and kept it honest. We have a great time talking about it on the show this week, so check it out then tune in! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins. Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel! Film SundriesThank you for supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast on Patreon!Watch this film: iTunes • Amazon • YouTubeOriginal theatrical trailerOriginal poster artworkFlickchartLetterboxdSly says goodbye to RockySupport The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Become a member for just $5/month or $55/yearJoin our Discord community of movie loversThe Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and MovementsThe Film BoardMovies We LikeThe Next Reel Film PodcastSitting in the DarkConnect With Us:Main Site: WebMovie Platforms: Letterboxd | FlickchartSocial Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | PinterestYour Hosts: Andy | PeteShop & Stream:Merch Store: Apparel, stickers, mugs & moreWatch Page: Buy/rent films we've discussedOriginals: Source material from our episodesSpecial offers: Letterboxd Pro/Patron discount | Audible