Creed is another film to add to Sylvester Stallone’s everlasting and successful Rocky series. The Rocky movies have featured acts of hard work and perseverance, and it wasn’t at all different in this film. The Rocky series, in my opinion, is one of the most inspiring film series of the past century.
In the series, starring Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, audiences watch as Rocky grazes through films as an underrated boxer who goes on to surprise millions. He starts as your everyday Philadelphian boxer living a regular life until he gets the chance to prove himself against heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) and goes the distance, only to fight Creed again in the sequel, Rocky II. By the time of Rocky IV, the two rivals are very good friends who look out for each other. Creed later challenges Soviet boxer Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) and gets killed in the ring. Rocky goes out of his way to avenge Creed’s death by beating Drago in the USSR, which directly leads to the downfall of communism in Eastern Europe.
All of these films capture the rewards of working hard and staying focused on your task. One of my favorite parts in any of the Rocky movies was the motivational scene of Rocky running through Philadelphia and up the Philadelphia Art Museum’s famous steps. In Rocky II, there were thousands of kids following him up those stairs with the upbeat Rocky theme playing in the background. If that doesn’t give you a great feeling, I’m not sure what would. The latest movie, however, doesn’t focus on Rocky, but rather someone who has a name to live up to.
As a spin-off of the acclaimed series, Creed stars Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed, the son of former boxing champion Apollo Creed. The movie was directed by Ryan Coogler, who had received critical acclaim for his film Fruitvale Station (again, starring Michael B. Jordan). Adonis looks to give himself a new image and get away from his father’s legacy. Being mentored by the legendary Rocky Balboa, he looks to go the distance by fighting Pretty Ricky Clonan (Anthony Bellew) for the world heavyweight title. However, Adonis has to deal with the pressure set before him because of his famous father—and the fact that he died in the ring. He also has deal with his mother, Mary Anne Creed (Phylicia Rashad), who witnessed her husband’s death and took care of the child even though he wasn’t her own.
I would give this film an 8 out of 10. The movie captured the modern feel of films while retaining tons of nostalgic moments from the other Rocky movies. I got the chills when I saw Adonis training with the Rocky theme playing, and when Adonis runs after chickens the same way Rocky did in Rocky II. I really liked the romantic plot line in the movie with Adonis and Bianca (Tessa Thompson), which had traces of Rocky’s own love story with his late partner Adrian. Creed had the ingredients for a successful movie, and it might lead to a sequel.
Additionally, Sylvester Stallone was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars and the Golden Globes. Although Ryan Coogler’s vision heavily contrasted with that of the previous Rocky films, Creed ended up being a very good film to watch. It may have disappeared from theaters, but it will hit DVD shelves on March 1, 2016. The Rocky series train, which started in 1976, will keep on chugging through time.