For those who viewed “Creed I” or followed the Rocky series, the sequel movie “Creed II,” which opened in theatres Nov. 21, will make you want to watch the films all over again.

The movie follows an intriguing plot that incorporates “Rocky IV,” released in 1985. The baseline of the film is that Adonis Johnson, Apollo Creed’s son, has accepted a fight from the most fierce competitor in the world – Ivan Drago’s son, Viktor. As viewers may remember, Ivan Drago is the man who fought Adonis’ father in 1985, and hit him so hard that Apollo died in the ring. This was a crucial moment in the Rocky series and affects Adonis in just about every aspect of his life. Now, Adonis must battle Viktor and avenge his father in the fight of his life. Adonis will be trained by none other than Rocky Balboa, Apollo’s former best friend.

This film, directed by Steven Caple Jr., features stars such as Sylvester Stallone; Stallone reprises his role as the famed Rocky Balboa. Aside from Stallone, the film features: Michael B. Jordan, who plays Adonis; Dolph Lundgren returning as Ivan Drago, father of Viktor (played by Florian Munteanu); and Tessa Thompson who plays Bianca, the love of Adonis’ life.

The actors fulfill their roles perfectly as the Dragos are able to sustain their utter strength and dominant appearance in the ring. On the other hand, Stallone fits the part of trainer and carries out his duties as Apollo’s best friend perfectly with the emotion he conveys. Aside from these characters, Michael B. Jordan plays the star role almost perfectly as he is able to overcome the challenges which lie ahead of him and risks it all for the fight; he stars in this role effectively as he truly convinces the audience it’s all or nothing. Tessa Thompson plays the role of Adonis’ love well as she is reluctant to allow her future husband to risk his life. Ultimately, he realizes she must get on board because the fight is inevitable.

The film is full of action-packed scenes as well as moments which will make you want to close your eyes and pray. For example, when Adonis is suffering so badly in the ring, it makes one fear for his life. These scenes were accompanied by a fitting soundtrack which features new, popular artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Meek Mill and Lil Wayne.

This movie is a must-see for fans of the Rocky franchise. If you did not see the first Creed movie but want to see the second, I would highly recommend watching the first installment prior, as it follows up with some of the information presented in the previous film. Overall, this movie deserves an 8.5/10. The soundtrack was great and although the action was strong, there could have been more fight scenes. Additionally, the plot was intriguing but a bit predictable. IMDB gave Creed II a 7.9/10 while Rotten Tomatoes ranked it at a strong 88% audience score. Ultimately , this motion picture is definitely worth the $11 and trip to a local theatre.