An Inside Look at Creed 2 and the Father-Son Dynamic

The sequel to Creed is in theaters today all across the country. Last week, I had the opportunity to see an advanced screening of the movie and I have to say it is a film that you will definitely enjoy. *Some Spoilers Follow*

Creed 2 is not another boxing movie, it has so much depth, character development, and relatability. There are many reasons why you should see the film from the boxing scenes where you feel every punch that is thrown to being a hardcore Rocky franchise fan. But one of the main reasons I would say to check out Creed 2 is the various father-son relationship dynamics.

Apollo Creed and Adonis “Donnie” Creed

We know from the first installment of Creed, that Donnie is navigating life without his father. In this film, Adonis has to figure out what he is “fighting” for. Is it to get revenge for his father being killed in the ring or is it because he wants to be what his father wasn’t. The relationship between a father and his son can become very complicated. Many men want to be just like their fathers, while also trying to be there own man. Depending on what a father and son relationship is and their experiences together will dictate the complexities of this bloodline. It’s interesting to see what choice Adonis makes at the end of the movie when he finally realizes what matters most to him.

Adonis “Donnie” Creed and Rocky Balboa

There is also an interesting dynamic when a person comes into your life later on and fills a father figure role. What expectations are required just by entering into a young man’s life? Rocky took on that role with Donnie but initially let him down when he didn’t want to train him for a fight. Knowing how important the fight against Drago would be, Donnie needed Balboa in his corner. During the movie, we see how Rocky and Donnie’s relationship plays out with ups and downs.

Rocky Balboa and Robert Balboa Jr.

We are also introduced to the relationship that Rocky has with his biological son Robert who he hasn’t seen for years. We see that Rocky is more of a father figure to Creed than his own flesh and blood. We find out that the reason that Rocky hasn’t reached out to his son because he just hasn’t picked up the phone and reached out. There are many reasons why fathers lose relationships with their children and many times the relationships can be repaired but it takes one of them to take the first step. Nowadays we’re lucky that we can use a simple people search to get in touch with those we’ve lost contact with, but there might be psychological barriers in place such as a fear of rejection. In the end, Rocky attempts to repair the relationship with his son and we see the growth in the veteran father after so many years.

Ivan Drago and Viktor Drago

Another father-son dynamic that we see is between Ivan Drago, the person who killed Adonis’ father, and his son Viktor. Their relationship is one that you tend to see when a parent is trying to live vicariously through their child. Ivan wants Viktor to win so bad as to redeem the family name after being KO by Rocky. Viktor doesn’t seem to really want to win as badly as his father especially since his father is only pushing him so hard to appease people who turned their back on them. This is a great dynamic between doing what you want and doing things to please your parents.

All in all, this film has so many parallels and even if you can’t personally identify with any of these father-son relationships you have seen them demonstrated before. The movie will definitely have you emotional as you witness the trials and tribulations that each of these characters face.

Make sure you check out Creed 2 in theaters today and let me know what us know what you think!

#Creed2 #family #Father #Son