Rocky II

Once he fought for a dream. Now he's fighting for love!

1979 • 119 min • Drama

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Synopsis

After Rocky goes the distance with champ Apollo Creed, both try to put the fight behind them and move on. Rocky settles down with Adrian but can't put his life together outside the ring, while Creed seeks a rematch to restore his reputation. Soon enough, the "Master of Disaster" and the "Italian Stallion" are set on a collision course for a climactic battle that is brutal and unforgettable.

Our family guide

Best from age 9

Movie Knight Score

4898 reviews

100 Reviewers · 4 · 60%
73 Audience · 4894 · 40%

Rocky Balboa tries to settle into a normal life after his fight with Apollo Creed, but struggles with his finances and identity outside the ring. Meanwhile, Creed, feeling his reputation is on the line, demands a rematch. The two prepare for an intense, dramatic second bout.

Violence & peril: 6/10
Language: 3/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 1/10
Romance & sensuality: 1/10
Scary moments: 4/10

Heads up

Intense boxing matches with realistic injuries
Some marital stress and arguments
Brief scenes of a character in intensive care

What it models well

Perseverance and hard work
Loyalty and devotion to family
Standing up for yourself
Belief in one's abilities

Talk about it after

The importance of balancing ambition with family life
Dealing with financial struggles and career changes
What it means to be a champion, in and out of the ring
The physical and mental demands of professional sports

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for Rocky II. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

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Top billed cast

Director: Sylvester Stallone • Crew: Sylvester Stallone

Trailers & clips

Reviewer notes

Recommended
Undaunted by his defeat, the eponymous Italian Stallion and his stalwart trainer "Mickey" (Burgess Meredith) return for a rematch against the cock-sure champ "Apollo Creed" (Carl Weathers) in this superior sequel that manages, successfully, to build upon the original film and to develop some interesting, quirky, characters whilst again epitomising just how boxing was the route out of poverty for so many urban kids ev…
CinemaSerf, TMDB Community

Recommended
Rocky II is an incredibly worthy sequel to the 1976 hit. The story picks up immediately after the conclusion of the first fight and follows Rocky as he tries to cope with his new-found fame and return to normalcy. I found this aspect to be incredibly impactful. He has very little to offer the white-collar world, forcing him to return to a life of menial labor with only one true dream: to fight again.…
Nathan, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
I haven't seen Creed yet, either of them, and that has me concerned mainly because I hadn't even heard of them until after they were released. So I can't weigh in on all the Rocky movies just yet... ... But Rocky II is what I consider to be the last real Rocky movie. That doesn't mean I don't like the others, but it means that there was a dynamic shift for the series after II.…
GenerationofSwine, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
There's one thing I want you to do for me. After pushing champ Apollo Creed all the way in their title fight, Rocky Balboa retires from the ring and basks in gallant loser glory. However, he soon finds he is down on his luck and accepts a challenge to a rematch with the ever irate Apollo Creed, something that is much to the chagrin of Adrian.…
John Chard, TMDB Community