Rocky II proves itself to be a really good continuation of the original film from 1976. The narrative begins right where the first movie ended, and we see Rocky struggling to adjust to his sudden celebrity and wanting to get back to an ordinary existence. I thought this part was especially powerful. He doesn’t fit into the world of white-collar jobs, so he's forced to go back to doing simple work, with only one real goal: another fight. The main struggle in the film is between his need to compete and provide for himself versus what others want him to do, which is retire. This internal battle lets us explore Rocky’s personality more deeply; he's a man who feels damaged and lacks confidence, wanting something more out of life. But all he seems good at is fighting. Getting to this understanding might feel slow sometimes, but it’s definitely worth the wait. Once the fight is arranged and Rocky decides to do it, the movie really gets going and doesn’t let up. The final fight scene was thrilling and energizing—easily one of the best sports movies I've ever seen. The performances are stronger in this film, thanks to a better script as well. Sylvester Stallone does a great job here, and his connection with Talia Shire is fantastic. They really develop their characters and become the clear main figures in the series. Even though the writing has improved with easier-to-understand lines, the screenplay itself isn’t quite as strong overall. The story of the first film was flawless and almost impossible to copy. All in all, this movie is excellent. It does everything a sequel should do and comes close to being better than the original. Score: 87% | Verdict: Excellent

Source on TMDB