'Creed II': there is no knockout here

Two years ago, director Ryan Coogler managed to reanimate the 1980s icon Rocky Balboa. Sylvester Stallone happily took on the role of coach-mentor-surrogate father while his place in the ring was taken by Adonis Creed, the son of Apollo Creed, who was fatally pummelled by the Soviet monster Ivan Drago in Rocky IV.

A sequel was inevitable. Unfortunately, it is nothing more than a lazy copy of Rocky IV, which will please old nostalgic types more than young people looking for their own heroes. There is no knockout here.