ROCKY II ÌÌÌÌÌ

1979 ITV4, 9pm

Sylvester Stallone directed the first sequel to the 1976 breakout hit that made him a star. It chronicles unlikely boxing champion Rocky’s demise after a brief period of fame; Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) goads him into a rematch of their highstakes heavyweight fight. It boasts a great final fight scene, but the work as a whole suffers from classic sequel fever and is a cruder piece of film-making than the original, which changed sports films forever.