Rocky Spinoff Creed Is Surprisingly Good

Most of the sequels are mostly good, while some of them are nearly not bad.

Although the movie tells the journey of an aspiring boxer Adonis “Donny” Creed (Michael B. Jordan), it does not fail to highlight the heroism of Rocky in the boxing ring. It’s a sequel; it’s a spinoff; it’s a reboot. It’s visceral and effective, making more than one viewer scream OH! when a particularly brutal blow lands. Rocky reluctantly agrees to train Creedfrom Human Clay into the chiseled marble of a real fighter. “The character’s name is Creed, not Scott Stapp”.

Matching him in the magnetism department is Michael B. Jordan, who’s chiseled and believable as Adonis “Donnie” Johnson, the illegitimate son of Rocky’s late rival and friend Apollo Creed. As Adonis runs through the streets, the neighborhoods seemingly come alive around him. After Apollo dies, Adonis ends up in the state’s care, where he’s known for causing fights. It plays predictability perfectly to its favor. And from there, Creed transports viewers back to 1976 with the kind of rousing montages that define the first film in the franchise.

Warner BrosThe young Creed grapples with his father’s legacy. Ryan Coogler and Aaron Covington putting in the small details like Donnie taking a picture of Rocky’s training instructions, uploading them to his cloud and Rocky looking up to the sky because he has no idea what he means by, “it’s up on the cloud” is ideal. It has all the elements that made Rocky one of the best sports movies ever made. (Or will there be more?) Together with director Coogler, you could say this trio knocks it outta the ring. In fact, he has the confidence of a pro.

Coogler shot the entire Philadelphia fight in a single take, including the entire pre-fight walk, two rounds of action and every exchange in between. If this is a re-launch of an Adonis Creed-led franchise (and I believe it will be), then Coogler has flawlessly given it a voice. Bianca has more to do than be a stereotypical, the role most women are relegated to in these roles. Or his acting out when Adonis’ illustrious parentage becomes public after his first fight under Rocky’s expert tutelage.

Bringing on actors from previous installments serves as comfort to fans of the original movies, but bringing on new talent preserves the possibility of future films, especially if original actors are older. The references aren’t just there for cheap nostalgia; they show how “Rocky” has become part of the cultural consciousness.

Overall, Creed is a terrific addition to the Rocky franchise. He too seems to have shaken off that dud, and turns in an excellent performance as a young man trying to cast off the shadows of the past.

Sylvester Stallone returns as Rocky alongside Michael B. Jordan in “Creed”.

Opening at Landmark Cinemas Paramount Theatre is Trumbo, the story of Dalton Trumbo who was one of Hollywood’s top screenwriters until he and other artists were jailed and blacklisted for their political beliefs in the late 1940s. Stallone’s best scene is when Rocky is confronted by Adonis about health pamphlets he found. Who knew Stallone could deliver such a powerful emotional scene. “Creed” is just one of several movies going into theaters on a busy Thanksgiving weekend.