Synopsis
After Rocky goes the distance with champ Apollo Creed, both try to put the fight behind them and move on. Rocky settles down with Adrian but can't put his life together outside the ring, while Creed seeks a rematch to restore his reputation. Soon enough, the "Master of Disaster" and the "Italian Stallion" are set on a collision course for a climactic battle that is brutal and unforgettable.
Your Movie Library
Cast
- Sylvester StalloneRobert 'Rocky' Balboa
- Talia ShireAdrianna 'Adrian' Balboa
- Burt YoungPaulie Pennino
- Carl WeathersApollo Creed
- Burgess MeredithMickey Goldmill
- Tony BurtonTony 'Duke' Evers
- Joe SpinellTony Gazzo
- Leonard GainesAgent
- Sylvia MealsMary Anne Creed
- Frank McRaeMeat Foreman (uncredited)
Recommendations
- 80
Variety
Rocky II follows much the same theme as its predecessor – that is fighter Rocky Balboa’s path to a stab at the heavyweight crown. In its boxing and training scenes Rocky II packs much of the punch the original did, complete with an exciting pugilistic finale that’s even better than its predecessor. - 80
Newsweek
Rocky II may be superfluous, but it works. And it's successful in exactly the same way the original was - as an adroit mixture of grit, guts and treacle that whips the audience into a frenzy of satisfied wish fulfillment. [25 June 1979, p.81] - 75
TV Guide Magazine
This time Stallone both wrote and directed the film, and though his handling of the actors and camera is less assured than John Avildsen's in Rocky, he keeps things moving at a good pace and delivers another charming performance himself. - 70
Chicago Reader
Sylvester Stallone's follow-up to his runaway success of 1976 is a little more threadbare in spots than the original, but it still has some conviction and spunk. - 63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
Perhaps it is Stallone's candor with respect to his commerciality that is the key to the success of both Rockys - they're not trying to con you behind your back. Right out in front, they are unpretentiously calculated, manipulative, unbelievable, faux naif, sentimental. And irresistible. Stallone's stitched-together innocence hides its seams. [16 June 1979] - 60
Empire
Sequel manages to retain some pathos and credibility. - 60
Time Out London
An old-fashioned sequel which plumbs depths and hits heights, in which the lovable Rocky Balboa gets another crack at the world heavyweight championship. - 50
The New York Times
Rocky II has a waxy feeling, and it never comes to life the way its predecessor did. As the characters go through their stock routines — Talia Shire shyly whispering I love you, Mr. Stallone making self-deprecating jokes, Burgess Meredith telling the kid he's either a bum or a hero — you get the feeling that you've been here before. Well, you have.
