For a sports drama that relies pretty heavily on inspiration, this was pretty…well…uninspired. There’s nothing really unique or interesting about the story, or most of the characters. There are some bright spots in here, don’t get me wrong. It’s not a bad movie. But it just feels very formulaic and predictable. There’s nothing that really comes as a surprise. Before even hitting the halfway mark, it’s already pretty clear how things will play out. Which means the momentum in the movie just comes to a grinding halt as we wait for the inevitable plot points and character revelations to play out.

Maybe I’m being too harsh here. Or maybe I just expected too much from an 8th film of a franchise. Or maybe I just need to give it a little more time to breathe in my memory. But when I reflect back on Creed 2, I’m not thinking of the good things about it. I’m thinking of the plot holes and the grievances I have with it. The things that bored me, or the things that just didn’t feel authentic. So that’s not a good sign, really. You have to wonder what this movie would have been like if the original Creed director, Ryan Coogler, had helmed this one too. Maybe he would have been able to breathe some fresh life into it.

I do think a lot of people will like this movie though. It’s got standard dramatic elements that people like in movies. But those elements are also what make it feel cliche and predictable. And uninspired.