Creed

The Rocky franchise has been very lucrative, but how to keep it going? Maybe Walking the Dead Stallone or Dancing With Balboa. Or you can have a very angry illegitimate son of Apollo Creed ascending into the ring. He disdains his father’s reputation, wanting to make his own mark in the boxing world. He changes his last name form Creed to Johnson, but keeps his first name Adonis. Yeah, in South Philly, with that name you better be fast with your fists or fast with your feet.

This film is a melodrama throwing some jabs as a drama. Besides the young romance of little Creed and his girlfriend, Bianca, all the elements of the Rocky formula are present. Long shot dreams, failure, perseverance, blossoming kinship, museum steps and animal carcasses (I lie no dead cows were punched). There are some touching scenes between Rocky and Adonis as their relationship evolves. This is a better movie than the “post” Rocky films, it has the familiar uplifting theme which is the engine of these films. This film is like hot chicken soup on a cold winter’s night, warm and fuzzy.

Stallone was Stallone. With his hound dog eyes and droopy lips he looked like a Muppet. He was still talking with marbles in his mouth and sometimes needed sub-titles. Stallone had more scenes out of the gym which he handled well. The rest of the cast did fine work, but no one broke sweat. Michael B. Jordon, with his Adonis body, grows from a bitter young man to a disciplined boxer capable of respect and love. Tessa Thompson plays Bianca, Creed’s love interest. She is Adrian with dread locks. Phylicia Rashad plays Apollo’s widow who takes in little Creed. She has small functional roles. Hey, after the Cosby show, any work is welcomed.

The big fight takes place in Liverpool England. As usual the fight scenes are a big hit. Antony Bellow is the opponent. Tony is a real prize fighter who has the swollen face to show for it. The boxing choreography is impressive. Towards the end of the film the producers could not retrain themselves and threw in some old Rocky memorabilia. The stars and stripes shorts were reprised and the soaring Rocky anthem heralded the fight.

Given Hollywood’s horrible performance this year this modest film is a shining light (you though I was going to say a knockout). Stay tuned for Creed II.