Hitting theaters three years after its original release, Creed II entices fans into the boxing ring once again with its premiere on November 21. Creed II left its audience with a powerful story, encouraging them to conquer any challenges faced. The film, which reached number two on the box office charts, earned a groundbreaking $55 million in sales Thanksgiving weekend.

“The movie was really good. I liked it because it was more than just a boxing movie; it showed [Adonis Creed’s] trials in the ring and even in his personal life. I really enjoyed the first one, so when I heard about the second movie coming out, I just had to go and see it,” junior Christopher Jenkins said.

Continuing his father’s legacy, Adonis Creed, played by Michael B. Jordan, holds the title of World Heavyweight Champion. Attempting to maintain his father’s image, Adonis hesitantly accepts a boxing match from family rival, Viktor Drago. When news spread that Adonis accepted the fight, trainer Rocky Balboa reluctantly refused to train him any further, terrified that he may end up dead like his father.

Rocky refusing to train Adonis shifted the storyline, just when the audience believed neither would walk away from a challenge, there they stand in disagreement. Concerning as it may appear, the two seem intimidated by a menace named Drago, who created a frightful stir from the audience.

Sadly, after losing the match against Viktor and facing horrible injuries, Adonis becomes overwhelmed with the pressure of handling both his public and personal life.

Attempting to heal and regain his strength while helping raise a newborn at the same time, Adonis finds his power and passion behind doing what he loves: boxing.

“Creed II taught me a plethora of different life lessons. In life you never know what’s going to happen so you need to work hard, and stay positive to get through those trials and tribulations. It also motivated me to try to be the best at what I do and never give up, that’s something I feel like everyone can take away from the movie,” junior Josh Hollis said.

The shocking agreement of Rocky training Adonis again implemented hope. The scenes of the unstoppable Adonis Creed finally meeting his match in the ring made the movie resemble any other film depicting someone engulfed in success and losing it all overnight.  

The second half of the movie led to scenes becoming more predictable. Together, Adonis and Rocky created a powerful duo despite a  turmoil-filled past, the two commenced their training once again. The over dramatic scenes portrayed Adonis’s improved chances of winning. Creed II falls into the category of aspiring movies, depicting the life of an underdog facing harsh challenges, but eventually conquering these trials in the end— which Adonis does exactly. The scenes following Adonis released from the hospital felt forced. Between witnessing him complete physical therapy, face life-threatening training, and work on his parenting skills in his downtime, lead to stronger momentum in the ring.

“The second Creed is by far the best one yet, with its ties to the Rocky Franchise. Its collaboration brought nostalgia to not only Rocky fans, but to all the die-hard boxing fans like myself. The movie hit home because society today is shaped to a point where we must follow the footsteps of our parents and ancestors, instead we must learn to choose for ourselves,” junior Blake Dosdos said.

Creed II ended with a complete story this time around, with no cliffhangers or possible matches that may turn into the production of a trilogy. Although the film grasped its audience with its intense and realistic boxing scenes, the storyline remained basic. Its simplicity created a complete story and left its viewers satisfied.

The Chant’s Grade: B+