Rocky II comes from a time where sequels were nothing more than narrative continuations of the original that existed to allow an pre-VHS audience hungry to relive their favourite movies. And, shocker, the first sequel is thus an epilogue-cum-remake of the original - we open with Rocky dealing with his newfound fame before the call of the ring draws him back for a rematch with Apollo Creed. Directed by Stallone, and thus seeing him begin to steer the franchise towards his own, personal goals, it's serviceable alongside the likes of Jaws 2 and the later Planet Of The Apes sequels, but doesn't come close to the original. It does have an understanding of the character of Rocky - he's a well-meaning, community-minded Philadelphian - and really gets into that spirit, but you can already see Stallone begining to reallign him as some great American hero; the classic montage sequence now has Balboa flanked by hundreds of screaming children for no clear reason. Ultimately though, it is effective - the final fight is beat-for-beat identical to the original (in terms of punches and musical notes), but the built-up emotional involvement and that score mean it's hard not to get excited. "YO ADRIAN!"
