Creed II

THE GIST: Adonis Creed is the current heavyweight champion and his life is pretty good. He even proposes to his girlfriend Bianca. Then, his title is challenged by Viktor Drago, whose father, Ivan, killed Adonis's father in the ring decades earlier. Ivan, who was later defeated and humiliated by Rocky Balboa in Moscow, hopes his yet undefeated son's victory will allow him to regain his status in Russian's society. Adonis, against Rocky's advice, accepts the challenge.

Given the positive reception by both public and critics of the Rocky Balboa reboot Creed, a sequel was a foregone conclusion. So it is that we now have Creed II, which might be sounding familiar notes but is entertaining nonetheless.

Michael B. Jordan is back in the boxer shorts, flanked by Tessa Thompson, Sylvester Stallone, and Phylicia Rashad. Dolph Lundgren and Brigitte Nielsen breathe new life into their old characters, with Florian Munteanu playing their son.

THE BOTTOM LINE: You know what you're going to get even before the lights dim, so no surprises there, but it's still a fun ride.

Grade: 7