Word: adriane
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...necessarily a defect in movies that depend for effectiveness on walloping blows to the audience's emotional solar plexus. Stallone is unabashedly faithful to his character and his friends. The old gang is reassembled. Talia Shire is freshly steadfast and inspirational as Rocky's wife Adrian, Burgess Meredith is back as the wizened trainer Mickey and Burt Young as the earthy brother-in-law Paulie. Carl Weathers reprises his wily Apollo Creed. It is all durable and somehow innocent. There are no crooked managers, no manipulating promoters, no mobsters in this boxing crowd...
...retired Creed, of all people, replaces Mickey and tries to teach Rocky the new boxing method he must acquire to beat Lang-quick, stylish and black. Rocky is slow to pick it up and agonizes in self-pity. It remains for Adrian to deliver the ultimatum: go for it-the Rocky motto-or give up the rematch...
...Shire parades through the film with but two emotions, and you can't miss them. When she's proud, she smiles hesitatingly, blanks back tears, and lowers her head. When she's worried, she frowns hesitatingly, blinks back tears, and lowers her head. Her character, however, has gained confidence: Adrian now occasionally wears her hair in a French braid...
Burt young recreates his role as Paul, Adrian's brother and Rocky's sometime assistant manager. Though an appealing character, Paul must speak lines that seem as original as the movie's premise. Walking down the back streets of L.A. with Creed and Rocky, he says, "Rats even have more pride than to be caught dead here." When Creed insists that Rocky jump rope to disco music. Paul complains, "Rockey can't train like a colored fighter. He ain't got no rhythm...
...Rocky's dying coach Mickey. Burgess Meredith gives an accomplished, however brief, performance. Perhaps its brevity explains its success. As a character, Mickey, like Adrian, Paul and Balboa, hasn't really changed since Rocky. But because he only appears for a relatively short time, Meredith manages to remind the audience of Mickey's likeability and commitment while avoiding over-kill. And Meredith performs with humor. He trains Rocky in a hotel ballroom, full of posters, balloons and a band that plays Rocky's theme song. Mickey turns and shouts. "Shut up back there. And change your tune." If only...