Rocky II (1979)
Rocky II is a 1979 American sports drama film written, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the sequel to Rocky (1976) and is the second installment in the Rocky franchise. In the film, Rocky Balboa (Stallone), struggling to adjust to family life, finds himself in a rematch fiercely demanded by Apollo Creed Development of Rocky II began in 1977, after Stallone completed the screenplay. United Artists were reluctant to allow Stallone to direct after John G. Avildsen, the director of the first film, was unable to return. Stallone was eventually hired after disallowing the film to be made without him as director, and the returns of the rest of the cast was secured soon thereafter. Rocky II was theatrically released in the United States by United Artists on June 15, 1979.
Plot.
On New Year’s Day in 1976, world heavyweight boxing champion Apollo Creed has successfully defended his title in a split decision against challenger Rocky Balboa. He and Rocky are taken to the same hospital. Despite their mutual agreement not to seek a rematch, Apollo challenges Rocky again to prove that the fight was no fluke, but Rocky declines and retires from professional boxing. Balboa’s girlfriend, Adrian, supports his choice as do his doctors who go on to reveal that Rocky will require surgery for a detached retina, a condition that could lead to permanent blindness. In a private moment, Rocky goes to see a recuperating Apollo, and wants a truthful response to his question of whether Apollo gave his all in the fight; Creed confirms that he did. After Rocky is released from the hospital, he enjoys the benefits of his newfound celebrity status. An agent sees Rocky as a potential endorsement and sponsorship goldmine and his sudden wealth encourages him to propose to Adrian. She happily accepts and they marry in a small ceremony. Soon after Adrian reveals that she is pregnant.
Meanwhile, fuelled by hate mail claiming he fixed the fight in order to protect his reign as champ, Apollo becomes obsessed with the idea that a rematch is the only way to prove that Rocky’s performance was simply a fluke. Determined to rectify his boxing career’s only blemish Apollo demands his team do whatever necessary to goad Rocky out of retirement, despite the pleas of his friends and family that Rocky’s ability to absorb punishment is too dangerous for his chances to successfully defend the title a second time.
Development and writing.
After the enormous success of the first Rocky, the producers were anxious to make a sequel. Stallone again wrote the script, originally titled Rocky II: Redemption, but John G. Avildsen declined to direct again because he was busy with pre-production on Saturday Night Fever. Stallone wanted the job and waged as big a campaign as he had for the lead role in the previous film. United Artists executives were reluctant to give the actor the directing reins because, while he had previously directed the drama Paradise Alley, it was not a success. However, producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff understood how much of the success of the first Rocky had come from Stallone’s enormous input and lobbied hard to get him the job.RELATED:
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Filming.
The story development of involving Rocky surprising Creed by switching to fighting right-handed was not in the original script and only came about because of an accident onset. While getting in shape for the film, Stallone experienced an almost complete tear on his right pectoralis major muscle while trying to bench press 100 kg with bodybuilder Franco Columbu and underwent a partially successful surgery in order to try to reattach the muscle. Therefore, he could not fight with his right hand. The film’s ending fight sequence also posed a challenge because at the time Talia Shire was busy making the drama Old Boyfriends and couldn’t be on the set. So Stallone came up with the idea of having her watch the fight from home because of the new baby. Adrian’s scenes were actually filmed some months later, toward the end of the shoot. An estimated 800 school children were used as extras in the scene in which Rocky runs through Philadelphia and climbs the Rocky Steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Box office.
Rocky II opened in 805 theatres and grossed $11 million in its first week. It finished in the top three highest-grossing films of 1979, in both the North American market and worldwide. In the United States and Canada, the film grossed $6,390,537 during its opening weekend, and $8.1 million in four days. It went on to gross $85,182,160 at the North American box office, and $200,182,160 worldwide. Rocky II returned to UA 75% of Rocky’s rentals in the United States and Canada ($42 million vs. $56 million when the rule of thumb at the time was that a sequel would only do 30% to 40% of the business of its predecessor. Critical response.
Rocky II holds a 72% approval rating on the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes; out of 32 reviews, the average rating is 6.8/10. The site’s consensus reads: “Rocky II is a movie that dares you to root again for the ultimate underdog – and succeeds due to an infectiously powerful climax.” Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote that the film “has a waxy feeling, and it never comes to life the way its predecessor did.” Variety wrote, “In its boxing and training scenes Rocky II packs much of the punch the original did, complete with an exciting pugilistic finale that’s even better than its predecessor.Cast:
- Sylvester Stallone as Robert “Rocky” Balboa,
- Talia Shire as Adrian Balboa:
- Burt Young as Paulie Pennino:
- Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed:
- Burgess Meredith as Michael “Mickey”Â
- Tony Burton as Tony “Duke” Evers:
- Sylvia Meals as Mary Anne Creed:
- Seargeoh Stallone as Robert “Rocky” Balboa, Jr.:
- Joe Spinell as Tony Gazzo:
- Paul J. Micale as Father Carmine:
- Frank McRae as meat foreman.