“Creed II” has a touch of sequelitis, but it’s still a rousing ride

“Creed II” has a few problems that many other sequels have. It lacks focus and tries to tackle a few too many side plots. It reprocesses a storyline from an earlier installment in the “Rocky” franchise without adding much to surprise audiences. And yet, by highlighting powerful, relatable themes and compelling character relationships, “Creed II” avoids falling prey to sequelitis and provides viewers a rousing good time.

This movie finds Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) rising to the top of the heavyweight boxing world. He proposes to his girlfriend, Bianca (Tessa Thompson) and everything looks rosy. That is, until Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), challenges him to a fight. This match causes a rift between Adonis and his trainer, boxing legend Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) and lands the young champ in the hospital.

The rest of the film is a comeback story, where Adonis learns what is important in his life and trains to take on the younger Drago again. Meanwhile, Rocky has his own issues of pride and guilt to overcome. Throw in a killer training montage that amps you up for the final boxing bout and a lot of family drama, and “Creed II” entertains, even if it doesn’t do much surprising.

The formulaic plot is just one symptom of sequelitis that threatens to derail this movie. The story beats are all predictable. Another sequelitis symptom afflicting “Creed II” is that it feels unfocused and has way too many side plots that need more screen time than they’re given. The pacing feels a little choppy, too. Sometimes, it’s obvious that events are unfolding over months, while other times it’s difficult to get a sense of the flow of time. It’s not a mortal flaw, but it is distracting.

Fortunately, “Creed II” is full of good acting, solid writing and thought-provoking themes. Jordan is becoming a giant movie star right before our eyes. His performance in “Creed II” is as good as you’ll see in a sports drama. His Adonis has all the swagger and arrogance expected from a champion boxer, but there are also plenty of scenes where we see behind that mask. We see how scared, angry and vulnerable Adonis really is. Regardless of the emotion he’s playing, Jordan is completely believable.

Thompson matches Jordan, turning in a performance that radiates strength. Stallone gets a few wonderful moments as Rocky, and his last scene in the movie is truly moving. I also need to point out that Lundgren is very good. He’s as stoic as you would expect Ivan Drago to be, but he’s also surprisingly sympathetic.

The writing may not break new ground story-wise, but it packs in the thematic material to give viewers a few things to chew on. The film touches on the dangers of pride, the importance of fighting for yourself and how you don’t have to face the tribulations of life alone. This stuff is the meat of the movie, and it makes “Creed II” stand a step or two higher than the average sequel.

Of course, a proper “Rocky” movie needs some bloody good boxing action, and “Creed II” delivers. Director Steven Caple, Jr. captures some brutal fight footage, putting us in the fighters’ heads at several points so we see what they see. But the best reason to see “Creed II” is drama, the watching people grapple with and overcome their issues. “Creed II” is worth seeing because it makes you believe, if only for a minute or two, that if Adonis Johnson can battle through his demons and come out a champion, maybe you can beat your problems, too.

3 ½ Indy Fedoras out of 5

MPAA Rating: PG-13