Sure, Apollo was pointlessly painted as the bad guy early in the film, but this a sequel. While it is not as good as the first film, it still embodies many of the themes and hopes which made the first film so powerful. This time, the audience got what it wanted, a win for a guy who had been kicked down for so long. With more money, the film felt more lucid and better put together, which made it a whole new experience in itself. I especially enjoyed the scene where the kids are chasing Rocky, certainly one of the most complicated and time consuming shots of all time, considering all of the extras the various sequences needed. Better than an average sequel, it still pales a shade below the original film.

Rocky II continued on from the first movie, and though it was no easy task, Sylvester Stallone did a terrific job returning to his now iconic role as well as taking on both roles as writer and director.

Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) has retired from boxing on medical grounds and is getting used to his newfound fame. Unfortunately, his post-boxing career has not flourished which sees him going back to dead end jobs such as working at the meat packing company with his best friend and brother in law Paulie (Burt Young) to keep his head above financial dire straits and his newly wedded wife Adrian (Talia Shire) vows to stay loyal to him. Meanwhile, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) is enraged by all the hate mail that he is receiving, mostly telling him that his championship match was nothing more than a fluke and vows to do everything in his power to goad Rocky Balboa into a rematch. Though Adrian is upset with Rocky's decision to return to the ring, Rocky teams back up with his trainer Mickey (Burgess Meredith) to regain his passion and pride.

The cast is faultless, and the spirit of the first movie still remains intact. In fact, I found the training scenes to be a lot more uplifting, and I found myself secretly cheering during the penultimate match. And the ending unashamedly had me in tears.

I've always had a soft spot for Rocky II and years later, it's one of the few movies that has me going through a roller-coaster of emotions. In some ways, I wish this was the ending of the first Rocky movie. But it is what it is. Still Rocky II is a worthy sequel that goes the distance.

8/10.

The second film of the ROCKY franchise is a winner right along with its hero. While I enjoyed the first movie, I was constantly aware of its low budget roots, the rough-around-the-edges feel to it and the slightly overlong running time. All of those factors have been cleared up in this sequel, which offers a more satisfying, perfectly made viewing experience. There are no long-winded introductions to the characters here, instead we're thrown into the thick of the human drama and the film excels as a result. It follows roughly the same template as the first, with a down-on-his-luck Rocky struggling to make a success of his life before finally giving in and then training for the climatic boxing match.

Stallone directed this instalment and his skill behind the camera shows with lots of well-shot sequences. The training sequence of the first film was a classic moment but this one manages to top it with a real feel-good factor. Excellent theme music helps, along with the fact that Stallone had grown enormously as an actor by this stage and thus his Rocky is a much more human, likable creation. Kudos too to the supporting players, ALL of whom are warmer than we found previously; Apollo Creed is a very human opponent; Adrian is actually likable instead of cold, and Paulie is no longer an idiot. Plus we also get Burgess Meredith on top form, and he shares some fine scenes with Stallone in this one.

There are plenty of entertaining moments, not least Rocky's lengthy search for an honest profession. Of course, the boxing match at the climax is what it's all about, and it doesn't disappoint: it's longer, more sustained, better choreographed, and even more violent than the original's, as the camera never flinches away from the brutality of the sport. Sitting back when it was all over, I realised that there was nothing about this film I didn't like: I found it a fantastic film in every respect.