Grade:  B+

Director:  Sylvester Stallone		Released:  June 1979
Writer:  Sylvester Stallone		MPAA Rating:  PG
Players:  Sylvester Stallone, Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith, Talia Shire, Burt Young		Running time:  119 minutes

Ratings System

I always feel torn on which film I prefer: Rocky or Rocky II.  Ultimately, Rocky is a classic, it practically invented the Underdog Sports Film formula that has been used in everything from The Karate Kid to Rudy.  Rocky II, on the other hand, engages me in the story in ways that Rocky doesn't always do.  At times, Rocky can be slow and plodding.  Rocky II picks up the pace a bit.

Rocky II has some scenes that are just terrific, like the one in the hospital where Rocky visits Apollo, or the one where Rocky is trying his hand as a commercial actor, or the one where Apollo is reading "fan" mail to his wife, or the one where Mickey slaps Rocky in the face.  I love those scenes.

The story doesn't just assume that there will be a rematch, it creates circumstances which make the rematch more and more likely, until finally it comes to be.  I could have lived with a different resolution to the fight, though.  The whole "beat the count" thing is overly dramatic.

- crocoPuffs