Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13664 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-01-15
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 114 minutes

Synopsis
The Italian Stallion returns for a rematch with Apollo Creed, hoping, finally, to capture the heavyweight title. This time, even his girlfriend, Adrian, gives Rocky her blessing. Sylvester Stallone wrote and directed this exciting follow-up, with Burgess Meredith, Talia Shire, Carl Weathers, and Burt Young all reprising thier roles from the first film.

Customer Reviews

Round two, and still going strong
It's often been said that each of the movies in the Rocky series essentially represents Stallone's career at the time, charting his rise from obscurity (Rocky), his struggles to stay at the top (Rocky III and IV), his decline from the glory days (Rocky V), and his efforts to make a comeback (Rocky Balboa). Following this analogy, Rocky II is about his attempts to deal with his new-found fame and break out into something new.

Picking up immediately after the iconic fight that climaxed the first movie, Rocky is taken to a local hospital where his injured right eye is operated on, leaving him with diminished peripheral vision. Realizing that further fights could leave him blinded, he decides to retire from boxing and marry Adrian, going on shopping sprees and buying a family home. Impulsive and short-sighted, he quickly blows through the modest fortune he made from his big fight. Attempts to capitalise on his fame through commercials eventually peter out when his lack of reading and acting ability become apparent, and he's soon forced to take a menial job in a meat factory, essentially having fallen back into obscurity.

Meanwhile, Apollo Creed is facing mounting criticism from fans and boxing pundits who believe that his previous fight with Balboa was a fake, and that he doesn't deserve to be heavyweight champ. Frustrated and determined to win back his respect, he challenges Rocky to a rematch. Rocky declines, but as his financial problems continue to mount, he eventually relents and agrees to the rematch against Adrian's wishes. Mickey, his old trainer, initially advises him against it, but after witnessing Creed publicly insult Rocky, he agrees to train him again.

Unlike last time, Creed takes this fight seriously, training with far greater intensity and determination. When they meet once more in the ring, he pummels Rocky without mercy, knocking him down several times and building up a big points lead. Crucially though, Rocky refuses to stay down, and his own powerful body shots start to take their toll. The fight thus becomes one of sheer determination between the two men.

Rocky II is an interesting film. Often seen as a cash-in sequel, I prefer to think of it as a logical progression in Rocky's life, dealing with different themes and ideas. Whereas Rocky was all about a man rising up from poverty and obscurity, Rocky II is about what that same man does with instant fame and fortune, and how he moves on after his fifteen minutes are over. It's a surprisingly intelligent premise that was in many ways ahead of its time.

Stallone, pulling director duty as well as starring, looks more relaxed and comfortable in front of the camera this time around. He's still the same Rocky we loved from the first movie, but he doesn't quite have the edge. Carl Weathers is allowed more screen time than in Rocky, portraying Creed as a man haunted by doubt and frustration. By the last round, Creed has essentially won the fight on points, but instead of keeping his distance, he goes for the knockout, determined to prove his superiority.

A lot of people point to Rocky II as a low point in the series, but I like it. It advances Rocky's character while staying true to his roots. Parts III and IV, while entertaining, had essentially turned him into a cartoon character, but this is the Rocky we know and loved from the first movie. The direction and cinematography are all solid, and the fight choreography is much more polished and assured.

Overall, nice one, Rock.

Round 2: The fight continues
It's easy just to assume that Rocky 2 is simply the same plot as Rocky ( Rocky fights Apollo). However, this is incorrect! Rocky 2 is about a man trying to live with fame that he doesn't necassarily need or want. Its about being popular in the media eye one minute, then discarded the next. Rocky 2 is a tear jerking tale, and Sylvester Stallone has done amazingly well to manage to pull off, a second time film that its just as incredible as the first.

Any emotion felt for Rocky in the first movie is still here, if not more. Through all the serious nature of the sequal there is still a lot of fun to be had, such as " You gotta catch a chicken"!!

Overall though Rocky 2 has always been my favourite of all the Rocky films (although i heavily enjoyed Rocky Balboa), and it should never be discarded as simply being a cheap souless sequal BECAUSE IT ISN'T!

Rocky's second match
After the surprise and upset win of Rocky over the Best Picture giants of Taxi Driver and All the President's Men. The Producers, Chartoff and Winkler were enthuastic to make a second Rocky film, which is in those days was very rare, prior to being associated with Raging Bull.

Rocky 2, finds Rocky back in Philadelphia strugging to find some part-time work, preferably working in an office. Creed, on the other hand, faces severe backlash from his fans for the way he let himself down by his performance. Creed is determined to bring Rocky back into the ring to finish the "real" fight, for financial purposes and to show how great he still is..........

Adored by the fans who saw the precedessor, Rocky II is a simple film, but with a larger budget spent, things have improved, with Stallone behind as well as starring this time. Since we were left on a high, last time around, it soons becomes gritty with Rocky rather upset that the fight was a deliberate fix to make some money for the champ. Stallone does give this more attention than the original, he wants to outline how Rocky has all of a sudden, seen this life prosperous and how he strives to leave his boxing career behind with little success.

The editing like before, now focuses more on how Rocky tries to be content with what he has now been given and the slow weary day-to-day appearance of how Rocky is starting to deal with, where the fight is being built upon unexpectably towards the finish.

Rocky II didn't make as much profit as the original did and it also was penalised for being too similiar in style to the original. However, Rocky II is best viewed for being a sequel, where some scenes trimph, which in some ways, you could say, superior to the original.