Netflix Friday - Volume 66

Some Netflix film tips for the weekend! And there is something for everyone, since I picked a movie for all the different genres.
 

Action: Bad Boys II (2003)
Two loose-cannon narcotics cops (Will Smith, Martin Lawrence) investigate the flow of Ecstasy into Florida from a Cuban drug cartel.
 

Drama: Creed II (2018)
Under the tutelage of Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), newly crowned heavyweight champion Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) faces off against Viktor Drago, the son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren)
 

Comedy: The Spy Who Dumped Me (2018)
Audrey (Mila Kunis) and Morgan (Kate McKinnon) are best friends who unwittingly become entangled in an international conspiracy when one of the women discovers they boyfriend who dumped her was actually a spy.
 

Animation: Minions (2015)
Minions Stuart, Kevin and bob are recruited by Scarlett Overkill (Sandra Bullock), a supervillain who alongside her inventor husband Herb, hatches a plot to take over the world.
 

Romance: The Guernsey Literal Society (2018)
In the aftermath of World War II, a writer (Lily James) forms an unexpected bond with the residents of Guernsey Island when she decides to write a book about their experiences during the war.
 

Horror: Blood Red Sky (2021)
A woman with a mysterious illness is forced into action when a group of terrorists attempt to hijack a transatlantic overnight flight.
 

Science Fiction: The Hunger Games (2012)
Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) voluntarily takes her younger sister’s place in the Hunger Games: a televised competition in which two teenagers from each of the twelve Districts of Panem are chosen at random to fight to the death.
 

Crime: Basille Day (2016)
A young pickpocket (Richard Madden) and a unruly CIA agent (Idris Elba) team up on an anti-terrorist mission in France.
 

Thriller: Hush (1998)
A couple (Gwyneth Paltrow, Jonathan Schaech) with jobs and apartment in New York City, decide to move to his mom’s farm, get married and have the baby there. They can also make the changes to get better price for the farm. However, there’s something seriously wrong with the mom.
 

Documentary: Pray Away (2021)
Former leaders of the “pray the gay away” movement contend with the aftermath unleashed by their actions, while a survivor seeks healing and acceptance from more tna a decade of trauma.
 

Family: Goosebumps (2015)
A teenager (Dylan Minnette) teams up with the daughter (Odeya Rush) of young adult horror author R.L. Stine (Jack Black) after the writer’s imaginary demons are set free on the town of Madison, Delaware.

Movie Reviews - Creed II

Director: Steven Caple Jr.
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 130 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Florian Munteanu, Brigitte Nielsen, Milo Ventimiglia

Description: Under the tutelage of Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), heavyweight contender Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) faces off against Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren).

Review: I don’t think Sylvester Stallone would have thought that his creation Rocky Balboa would still be in a running franchise, fourty years after the first film. He tried to end the franchise twice. In 1990 with “Rocky V” and later in 2006 with “Rocky Balboa”. And that would have been the end, if it weren’t for director Ryan Coogler. He decided to make a spin-off, based on Rocky’s boxing friend Apollo Creed. With son Adonis Creed as the central character. “Creed” was a very successful, strong and beautiful film. It blew new life into the franchise in 2015.
With many sequels, it’s hardly ever better. “Creed II” is no exception, but it’s also a really good film. Here we look back at the 1985 film “Rocky IV”, where Apollo Creed died in the ring, after a match with Russian Ivan Drago. In “Creed II”, Drago returns. With his son Viktor who is also a boxer. And he wants to fight Adonis Creed.
In “Rocky IV”, Drago was portrayed as a stereotypical Russian. He was pretty one-dimensional and it was a fight between the good and patriotic American and the curt, stoic and evil Russian. In “Creed II” they get rid of most of them. This is a more character driven film and there is more story and emotion behind both parties. This is a big plus. It gives the film a more realistic feel and it’s not so black and white.
When it comes to the story, “Creed II” isn’t surprising. Maybe how the final match eventually end, that was pretty cool. But overall it’s predictable. But somehow it didn’t really bother me.
The cast is really strong and director Steve Caple Jr., who stepped in for Ryan Coogler, did a fantastic job. “Creed II” proofs, that the franchise is not dead and that Rocky is still Stallone’s best character to date.

Rating: 4/ 5