Intense and action-filled movies are not my favorite.

Each time someone gets hit, I flinch and cover my eyes. Although, while I sat watching Creed II, I was mesmerized by the fights occurring on the vibrant screen in front of me.

When I watched Creed back in 2015, I shockingly fell in love with the screenplay, plot, and drama of the movie. When I was informed that Creed II had been released, I raced to the movie theater to feed my hunger that initiated back in 2015.

Creed ended with Adonis Creed, a famous boxer, losing to Brady Ricky Conlan in a big fight, but winning the hearts of the crowd. The new movie, Creed II, started with Creed back in the arena gaining a big championship title due to his latest win. The sequel did an outstanding job of picking up right where the original movie left off. The intense and action-packed story follows Adonis Creed and his fight against Viktor Drago, whose father killed Creed’s during a fight many years earlier. Creed has to make the decision of a lifetime: if he is willing to fight Drago. While many people are telling Creed not to, his mind ponders on the fight. The movie is jam-packed with sadness, inspiration, and action all within two hours and ten minutes, and it captured my heart.

Although the movie is quite lengthy, I was stuck to my seat as if I was binge watching my favorite Netflix series. Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) and Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) were portrayed beautifully; they created a relationship that flowed through the screen. Bianca (Tessa Thompson), Creed’s girlfriend, adds romance to the plot. Her heartwarming relationship with Creed touched viewers’ hearts. These touching relationships made me fall back in love with the characters like I did in 2015.

Not only was the acting aspect amazing, but the fighting seemed undeniably realistic and made it feel as if I was standing in the arena with the boxers. The face makeup was extremely realistic, almost as if Creed and his opponent were actually trading hits. For example, when Creed found himself in the hospital after a big fight, all of his injuries seemed real and life-threatening, making my stomach churn with queasiness.

I was extremely surprised by the outcome of this movie. Many sequels to movies are worse than the first movie, adding information that isn’t necessary and boring the viewer; however, Creed II was different and a refresher. All the way from the beginning scene, the movie captured my full attention, jumping out of the screen and bringing me through Creed’s life like I was standing alongside him the whole time.

Director Steven Caple Jr. and producers Sylvester Stallone, Irwin Winkler, David Winkler, William Chartoff, Charles Winkler, and Kevin King Templeton created a movie that could have easily been cliche and boring, but it failed to be. Even though Creed II was a movie that revolved around fighting, it displayed a heartfelt message of determination.

The movie is an inspiration to achieve goals and work hard for what you want.