10 Best Movie Sequels That Start IMMEDIATELY After The Last Film's Ending
2. Rocky II
How do you follow on from one of the most unexpectedly successful underdog stories ever to grace the world of cinema? A cheeky recap rapidly followed by a painful reality check was Sylvester Stallone's vision for Rocky II's opening stretch and it proved to be a rather intriguing formula... one later recycled for many of the other flicks in the Balboa series, too.
After fans had relived the absolute war that played out between Rocky and Apollo Creed in that first critically acclaimed spectacle, Stallone opted to resume the underdog tale not long after the pair's going of the distance as they both found themselves being wheeled into a hospital to receive medical attention.
A now very much famous Balboa is swamped by the press upon stumbling into the facility with his face absolutely mangled as we're given an unsettling first glimpse into the fighter's new world under the media microscope early on. It isn't long before a victorious but clearly embarrassed Creed is then pushed into frame itching for another round with The Italian Stallion, and the seed for the mother of all rematches is planted before our very eyes.
After all, it ain't over 'til it's over...