Rocky II

• Rating:
• Genre: Drama
• Movie Type: Sports Drama
• Themes: Boxers, Underdogs
• Director: Sylvester Stallone
• Main Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith
• Release Year: 1979
• Country: US
• Run Time: 119 minutes
• MPAA Rating: PG

Plot

By concentrating on character development with this first of several sequels to his Oscar-winning smash Rocky (1976), writer/director Sylvester Stallone earned critical praise that would desert him with the boxing saga's shallower subsequent chapters. Stallone returns as Rocky Balboa, a Philadelphia prize fighter enjoying his brief fame after nearly defeating world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). When Rocky is offered lucrative product endorsement opportunities, his limited education and lack of sophistication quickly become an impediment to his future success, causing him embarrassment and his pregnant wife, Adrian (Talia Shire), a great deal of financial concern. Meanwhile, Creed is brooding over his near loss to a fighter he considers an amateur far beneath him and decides to goad a reluctant Rocky into a high-profile rematch. With the family resources dwindling and his pride wounded, Rocky decides that fighting is all he knows and makes the fateful decision to climb back into the ring once more with Creed to vie for the championship belt, despite assurances from all concerned that he will blind himself irreparably. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Review

Released in 1979, Rocky II arguably represents the beginning of '80s film. The original Rocky was a welcome turn from the nihilistic storylines that dominated early and mid-'70s American films. Sure, Rocky does not have such a fairy tale life that he wins the title, but he does accomplish his dream to go the distance with the champ, and he gets the woman of his (realistically modest) dreams. The film's first sequel represents Stallone's abandonment of personal cinema and his acceptance of what would become '80s rah-rah, boom-boom blockbuster cinema. While the first two thirds of the film expand on the characters of Rocky and Apollo, recognizable human emotions disappear during the hyper-dramatic final fight. It is in the character of Adrian that one can see the death of Stallone the artist and the birth of Stallone the superstar. Adrian's love for Rocky proves to be selfless. Only when she believes in him without reservation does he find the fortitude to defeat Apollo. This is exactly the relationship Stallone wanted with his audience. He wanted to be more than a standup guy with some talent; he wanted to be a larger-than-life hero who is adored for being a courageous warrior. Rocky was about a man who lived up to his potential. Rocky II is about an idealized hero. For good or ill, Stallone stopped being one of the common men and became an icon. He would never fully shed that screen persona. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Cast

• Sylvester Stallone - Rocky Balboa
• Talia Shire - Adrian
• Burt Young - Paulie
• Carl Weathers - Apollo Creed
• Burgess Meredith - Mickey

Tony Burton - Apollo's Trainer; Joe Spinell - Gazzo; Leonard Gaines - Agent; Sylvia Meals - Mary Anne Creed; Frank McRae - Meat Foreman; Al Silvani - Cutman; John Pleshette - Director; Stu Nahan - Announcer; Bill Baldwin - Commentator; Jerry Ziesmer - Salesman; Paul Micale - Father Carmine; Taurean Blacque - Lawyer; James J. Casino - Chink's Manager; Charles "Honi" Coles - Singer; Michael Dorn - Bit; Roberto Duran - Fighter; Lou Filippo - Referee; Grainger Hines - Emergency Room Aide; Ava Lazar - White Hunter; Eddie Lopez - Fighter; Paul McCrane - Young Patient; Sonny Melendrez - Reporter; Jane Marla Robbins - Gloria; Stuart K. Robinson; Hank Rolike - Cornerman; Fran Ryan - Adrian's Nurse; Whitney Rydbeck - Sound Man; Shepherd Sanders - Employment Manager; Jeff Temkin - Ring Announcer; Allan Warnick - Makeup Man; Tony Munafo - Boxer; Frank Stallone - Singer; Charles Winkler - Camera Assistant; Shaka Cumbuka - Cornerman; Earl Montgomery, Jr.; Herb Nanas - Employment Manager; Rene LeVant - Young Lugger; Allison Caine

Credit

Stanford C. Allen - Editor; Richard G. Berger - Art Director; Tom Bronson - Costume Designer; Bill Butler - Cinematographer; Robert Chartoff - Producer; Arthur Chobanian - Associate Producer; Bill Conti - Composer (Music Score); Michael S. Glick - Executive Producer; Danford B. Greene - Editor; Janice Hampton - Editor; Frank Stallone - Composer (Music Score); Frank Stallone - Songwriter; Sylvester Stallone - Director; Sylvester Stallone - Fights Choreographer; Sylvester Stallone - Screenwriter; James R. Symons - Editor; Michael Westmore - Makeup; Irwin Winkler - Producer; Michael McLean - Casting; Joy Todd - Casting; Sandra Berke - Costume Designer; Ed Baer - Set Designer; Al Silvani - Consultant/advisor

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