Rocky II

PG

Released Jun 15, 1979

1h 59m

Drama

List

71%

34 Reviews

Tomatometer

82%

250,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Although working-class Philadelphia boxer Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) lost his high-profile bout with the cocky world champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), his Cinderella story has caught the national sports media's attention, and he now has the opportunity to capitalize on his sudden fame. Meanwhile, Creed is still smarting from nearly losing to some palooka no one has ever heard of, and arrogantly prods his newfound nemesis into getting back into the ring.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Premiered May 01

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Prime Video

Max

Watch Rocky II with a subscription on Max, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

Critics Consensus

Rocky II is a movie that dares you to root again for the ultimate underdog -- and succeeds due to an infectiously powerful climax.

Read Critics Reviews

Howard H

Great sequel to first film. 80s written all over. Picks up straight where the first film ends.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/23/24

Full Review

Brent A

50% rating ... I thought the original film was a little overrated. This sequel was solid, but still just below the first film. Overall not bad.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

04/01/24

Full Review

Jesus

Good emotional movie, they all are really to different extents (the Rocky movies)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/24

Full Review

Adi 1

A great follow up which not only continues on the themes of the 1st film but also expands on it. It has one of the best final fights in the entire franchise. The only negative is the part when rocky indulges in advertisements. Now, that part was fine, but I feel it was more stretched then required. Overall, a great continuation.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/20/23

Full Review

david h

Una joya del cine del boxeo con un mensaje increíble

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/30/23

Full Review

Rob A

Long (5-10 minutes could have been edited out) but thrilling and memorable none-the-less. The first 3 Rocky's were undoubtedly the best (at least until you get to the Creed series). This one picks up where the original left off. Rocky's eye is banged up and Adrian won't allow him to fight any longer. But an embarassed Apollo is desperate for a rematch; feeling more like the fighter who lost than the victor. As Rocky struggles to make ends meet (there's a really funny scene where he tries to film some commercials) the pressure to take Apollo up on his offer builds. His training is great, once he gets going. The ultimate ending is over-the-top, but Stallone and company must have breathed a sigh of relief. Instead of laughing, we cheered like crazy and said "I have to see this again!"

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/21/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Sylvester Stallone

Director

Sylvester Stallone

Rocky Balboa

Talia Shire

Adrian

Burgess Meredith

Mickey Goldmill

Burt Young

Paulie

Carl Weathers

Apollo Creed

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

Rocky II: Official Clip - Beast Aftershave

1:56

Rocky II: Official Clip - Rocky Proposes to Adrian

1:48

Rocky II: Official Clip - Heated Press Conference

2:11

Rocky II: Official Clip - You Got the Heart, But You Ain't Got the Tools

2:29

Rocky II: Official Clip - Kentucky Fried Idiot

2:16

Rocky II: Official Clip - Rocky's Run

2:35

Rocky II: Official Clip - Adrian Comes Back

2:12

Rocky II: Official Clip - Yo Adrian, I Did It!

1:01

Rocky II: Official Clip - I Won, But I Didn't Beat Him

2:04

Rocky II: Official Clip - 200 Pound Italian Tank

2:45

View more videos

66%

74%

Rocky III

92%

69%

Rocky

TRAILER

for Rocky

40%

82%

The Champ

95%

75%

The Great Santini

0%

40%

Staying Alive

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

The Most Satisfying Golden Globes Winners’ Reactions As Animated GIFs

Definitive Sylvester Stallone Movies

24 Stars Who Dominated the Boxing Ring

View more photos

Bob Thomas

Associated Press

Rocky II contains the flaws of the original: simplistic characterizations, saccharine romance, a tendency to cuteness. But it also fills the heart and quickens the pulse.

Jul 17, 2019

Full Review

Ian Nathan

Empire Magazine

By the punishing heft of the big fight, there is the clear hint that the series will soon plunge into an unpalatable patriotic fervour. For now, though, with its leathery texture of working class Philly-life it felt enough like reality.

Rated: 3/5

May 30, 2018

Full Review

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.

Mar 26, 2009

Full Review

Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

It’s not the perfect sequel, in fact it’s a staggeringly uneven one, but it makes it across the line in the end and provides an immensely satisfying conclusion.

Rated: 7/10

Feb 6, 2024

Full Review

Jana Monji

Age of the Geek

This film is a predictable workhorse of a film with few surprises but an ending that will leave you satisfied.

Rated: 2/5

Mar 8, 2023

Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

Stallone captures much of the same look and feel of the original, and it works, even if it lacks the original's underdog appeal.

Rated: 3/4

Mar 28, 2022

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

Although working-class Philadelphia boxer Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) lost his high-profile bout with the cocky world champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), his Cinderella story has caught the national sports media's attention, and he now has the opportunity to capitalize on his sudden fame. Meanwhile, Creed is still smarting from nearly losing to some palooka no one has ever heard of, and arrogantly prods his newfound nemesis into getting back into the ring.

Director: Sylvester Stallone
Screenwriter: Sylvester Stallone
Distributor: United Artists
Production Co: Chartoff-Winkler Productions
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 15, 1979, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 31, 2015
Runtime: 1h 59m
Sound Mix: Surround

Most Popular at Home Now