CREED II, the eighth film in the Rocky franchise, is as predictable as Greenwich Mean Time, cheesier than the world’s biggest fondue, and so drenched in sentimentality it makes early Disney cartoons look like red in tooth and claw wildlife documentaries.

But if you do not feel a flutter in the chest when the Rocky tune strikes up during Steven Caple Jr’s picture, then, I’m sorry, you have no cinematic soul, and need to leave this page immediately.

Sylvester Stallone, who started the Rocky tale 42 years ago, successfully rebooted it in 2015 with the story of Adonis Creed, the son of Apollo, Rocky’s foe turned friend. Adonis wanted to be a champ like dear old dad, and who else could take him there but Rocky Balboa?

Having dug into the back catalogue once, it was clearly too tempting not to go back again. After all, superhero movies do it all the time, and who is Rocky but a superhero fallen to Earth with an almighty bump?

In Creed II, Stallone (acting, writing, producing) doubles down, pitting Adonis against the son of Drago, the man who battered Apollo so badly he died in the ring. (Remember: Rocky went to Russia to avenge his friend, beat Drago, and delivered a speech to the crowd that single-handedly ended the Cold War? Of course you do.)

Life has been sweet to Adonis (Michael B Jordan, Black Panther). He has his championship belt, his singer girlfriend (Tessa Thompson), is by his side, and Rocky will be in his corner when it comes time to defend his title.

But then a wily promoter hears talk of a new fighter in Ukraine with an infamous surname, puts two and two together, and yet another fight of the century is born.

Life has been far from sweet for Ivan Drago (a nicely mournful Dolph Lundgren) and his son Viktor (Romanian actor Florian Munteanu). Cast out of Russia after his defeat, Ivan lost everything except his son, and now he wants revenge, and a big pay day.

Rocky thinks it is a terrible idea. Viktor is a haymaker machine built like a brick outhouse, a “monster” says a trainer, with hate in his heart. Adonis is smaller, lighter, more graceful. But Adonis, despite his success, still feels he has a lot to prove and, in the case of the Drago family, the mother and father of all scores to settle.

With the exception of one or two diversions, you can doubtless plot the story from there. If not, ask a passing three-year-old. The fact that Creed II is so predictable takes nothing away from the excitement. The scenes in the ring are superbly shot and slickly edited, the thud of each blow enough to send you reeling back into the cinema seat.

The fights, though spectacular, are not the most important things in the picture. Creed II is not so much a boxing film as a family drama punctuated by bouts of extreme violence. It’s about fathers and sons, and what it means to be a good man.

Stallone, looking as old as time, delivers a powerhouse performance, even though taking very much a backseat role. Jordan shows he is more than capable of taking this franchise on from here, ditto Thompson as his Adrian. Speaking of other halves, Creed II does have one surprise up its dressing gown sleeves. See it and smile.

If all that popcorn has left you in need of something more substantial, Disobedience (15)*** is worth a bite. Directed by Sebastian Lelio, who won this year’s best foreign film Oscar with A Fantastic Woman, it is set in an Orthodox Jewish community in London. Photographer Ronit (Rachel Weisz) has come home from New York for her father’s funeral to a very chilly reception. Can she get through the week without history repeating itself? For once, Weisz does not steal the picture, with that honour going to Rachel McAdams (Spotlight) taking a career leap and landing beautifully.

Disobedience: GFT till 6 September; Filmhouse, Edinburgh, January 4-6.