Rocky II (1979) on Netflix
After a split-decision loss to Apollo Creed, Rocky Balboa retires and marries Adrian. Apollo, stung by claims the fight was fixed, demands a rematch, but Adrian fears for Rocky's injured eye.
- Netflix3.8/5
- IMDb7.3/10254,442 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes71%
Trailer
Plot summary
Rocky Balboa retires from boxing after going the distance with heavyweight champion Apollo Creed in a split-decision loss. In the hospital, doctors warn that his detached retina could cause blindness if he fights again. Rocky marries Adrian and learns she is pregnant. Apollo, stung by hate mail accusing him of fixing the first fight, demands a rematch to prove himself. Rocky struggles to earn a living outside the ring: a TV commercial fails, and jobs are scarce. He visits his trainer Mickey about facing Apollo, but Mickey refuses out of concern for Rocky's health. When Apollo publicly insults him, Mickey changes his mind. Adrian confronts Rocky over the risk to his eyesight, but he insists fighting is all he knows, and she refuses to support him.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Rocky II (1979)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Rocky II returned to United Artists 75% of Rocky's rentals in the United States and Canada, $42 million against $56 million, when the rule of thumb at the time was that a sequel would do only 30% to 40% of the business of its predecessor.
- John G. Avildsen declined to direct again because he was busy with pre-production on Saturday Night Fever. Stallone waged as big a campaign for the job as he had for the lead role, but United Artists was reluctant because his earlier film Paradise Alley was not a success.
- The ending fight sequence posed a challenge because Talia Shire was busy making the drama Old Boyfriends and could not be on the set, so Stallone came up with having Adrian watch the fight from home because of the new baby; her scenes were filmed months later.
- An estimated 800 school children were used as extras in the scene in which Rocky runs through Philadelphia and climbs the steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
- Stallone wanted the boxer Chuck Wepner to play Rocky's sparring partner, but Wepner was in a destructive cycle at the time and failed his audition.
SPOILER
Rocky switching back to fighting left-handed at the end of the match was not in the original script. While getting in shape, Stallone almost completely tore his right pectoralis major trying to bench press 100 kg with bodybuilder Franco Columbu, and after partially successful surgery he could not fight with his right hand.
