Creed II has landed its second trailer ahead of its November 30th release date.
The first trailer was more of a teaser anyway, but we now get to see much more of what’s starting to look less like a sequel to 2015’s Creed, and more like a sequel to 1985’s Rocky IV. Not that we’re complaining about that.
Michael B. Jordan is back in the title role as Rocky’s troubled protégé, and just as the first film mirrored Sylvester Stalone’s original boxing classic (downbeat, more drama than fighting, serious lumps of acting), the sequel looks like it’s gunning straight for everyone’s favourite sequel – with evil Russian baddies, plenty of West vs East patriotism and (probably) a fair few training montages that remind us all that Americans do things the real way.
Aside from all the shots of Jordan pounding the ground with hammers, and original Drago Dolph Lundgren glowering at Stallone as he preps his son to fight, we also hear the first strains of Bill Conti’s seminal ‘Rocky Theme’ – reminding us of just how powerful the end of Creed really was when it kicked in properly.
Whilst recent political headlines around the world mean a good ol’ fashioned Hollywood Russian bashing might be on the cards again for Creed II, there’s more than enough reason to think that the film will be much smarter than that – following up the first film with another heavy-hitting, socially-conscious boxing drama with a genuinely good story to tell.
Stallone seems much more humbled by his own history than he did in 1985, Jordan is riding a career high as one of the best young actors around, Tessa Thompson looks like she’s going to give another stellar performance and the film is directed by Steven Caple Jr, who made a pretty good, grounded indie drama in The Land.
Another Creed or another Rocky IV? It’s pretty much win-win, either way.