Rocky II

Rocky II (1979)

  • 71% of critics liked it
    (24 reviews)

  • 79% of users liked it
    (320,236 ratings)

By concentrating on character development with this first of several sequels to his Oscar-winning smash Rocky (1976), writer/director Sylvester Stallone earned critical praise that would desert him with the boxing saga's shallower subsequent chapters. Stallone returns as Rocky Balboa, a Philadelphia… More

PG, 1 hr. 59 min.
Directed By
Sylvester Stallone
Written By
Sylvester Stallone
Genres
Drama, Action & Adventure
In Theaters
Jun 15, 1979 Wide
On DVD
Feb 8, 2005
United Artists

Critic Reviews

  • Variety Staff, Variety

    Stallone and producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff know from experience audiences love to root for the underdog and have concocted an irresistible final 30 minutes.

  • Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

    Sylvester Stallone's follow-up to his runaway success of 1976 is a little more threadbare in spots than the original, but it still has some conviction and spunk.

  • Janet Maslin, New York Times

    Rocky II has a waxy feeling, and it never comes to life the way its predecessor did.

  • Charles Cassady, Common Sense Media

    Sly sequel is as predictable as a gym workout.

  • Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com

    Pretty good sequel, among several that followed, this time directed by Stallone.

Read all 12 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Michael M


    This is the sequel that Stallone put his backbone into and tried his best to make something more passionate than the first installment. This first sequel packs a good punch.

  • Alexander D


    Title character marries girlfriend? Very predictable. They have a kid? No spoiler there, folks. Rocky is illiterate? Who knew! But, who cares? And basically, those two words sum up ROCKY II. The first one was great. It put love in our hearts and success in our minds, and it… More

  • Lady D


    My predicted rating: 2.5 Worth seeing as part of the series, but it's just like the first with added parts of Rocky's personal life thrown in.

  • Chris W


    This fails to top the original, but it's one of the better sequels in the series. They try to expand upon the story and character, which is always cool, but I'm not entirely happy with how they handle things. They don't do a bad job, but this movie doesn't have… More

  • Conner R


    A true sequel, continuing on where the first left off. This shows Rocky lose a lot of the respect he tried so hard to get, leading to a re-match with Apollo Creed. In many ways the story is strengthened with this entry because we get to see Rocky really accomplish his goal and get the… More

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

Cast

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