YMMV / Rocky II

• Alternative Character Interpretation: Both Noah Antwiler and Brad Jones feel as though Apollo Creed is a Tragic Hero who is simply looking to prove that he still deserves the title, spending most of the film training as a man possessed. On the flip side, Rocky spends most of the movie-making poor personal choices and ultimately agrees to the fight for Money, Dear Boy and half-asses most of his training. In that perspective, Creed comes off as the more sympathetic of the two.
• Contested Sequel: While Rocky II is often regarded as the best sequel to the original film, it is also controversial in the sense of detractors accusing it of being a glorified Fix Fic to appease audiences who were upset that Rocky didn't win in the first match, something that many felt missed the point of the first film, where it was acknowledged that Rocky didn’t have much of a chance to win, but wanted to prove he was worth something.
• Franchise Original Sin: The film is in the shadow of the original, but is largely seen as a comparable follow-up for the characters in the aftermath of the original. Rocky III and IV are where the sequel fatigue became infamous, as what started as a character drama with boxing as a theme became grandiose sports films with action hero undertones. This film serves as the transition between the two.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: After everything we've now seen companies put up with to keep their celebrity endorsements, it's absolutely adorable that the movie expects us to think Rocky would lose all his contracts just because of a couple failed commercial shoots.
  • During the training montage, Rocky wears a red headband that makes him look an awful lot like Rambo.
• Narm Charm: The training montage gets a little cheesier by having hundreds of kids running along with Rocky. It's corny, but also pretty heartwarming as it shows how Rocky has become a hero for his hometown. Bill Conti's "Gonna Fly Now" playing in the background also helps the scene feel more epic.

---