Jordan still packs a punch

twist befitting successor Adonis.

Jordan is dynamite once again, exhibiting tenderness with girlfriend Bianca (a wonderful Tessa Thompson), banter, frustration and warmth with Rocky and inner rage and feverish physicality towards the Dragos.

Stallone, who also co-wrote the screenplay and at one point seemed set to direct, doesn’t have as well-rounded a role this time around but his presence is key; he tugs at the heartstrings and brings levity – and the Rocky-ivan face-offs deliver some serious goosebumps.

Real-life boxer Munteanu fares less well. He may be physically impressive, but there’s little to his character bar his family ties and he’s not the upgrade on Creed’s previous opponent Tony Bellew – who wasn’t exactly a stellar foe; part of me wishes Ivan had pulled on the gloves instead of his boy.

The emotion is still there but there’s no denying Creed II lacks the depth of the previous movie – and Rocky’s best – and the script gets bogged down with a few too many weighty speeches when a couple of words would’ve done just nicely.

No matter what has come before, though, it’s impossible not to get caught up in the cracking climactic showdown as more than three decades worth of Rocky-flavoured drama comes to the boil in authentic, bruising style.

The Rocky sequels never matched the quality of the original and while Creed II falls short of its predecessor, it’s by no more than a tiny points difference rather than a knockout blow.