CREED

(2015) 133 Minutes, Rated PG-13

A.C.’s Review:  When Sylvester Stallone signed on to play rising boxer Rocky Balboa in 1976 he probably never dreamed 40 years later he would still be playing the character. This latest outing has him assume the trainer role to the son on his rival turned friend Apollo Creed. Creed was last seen dying at the hands of Ivan Drago a fighter from the Soviet Union who beat him to death in the cold war inspired patriotic Rocky IV.

In CREED it turns out Apollo had an affair shortly before his death which gave him a son he never got to meet. After years in foster care and juvenile detention he is found by Creed’s forgiving wife and adopted. The young man has dreams of being a fighter like the father he never knew. Leaving L.A. behind he goes to Philadelphia where he finally persuades a reluctant Rocky Balboa to show him the ways of the ring in hopes of being a champion boxer. Along the way Adonis Creed (played by Michael B. Jordan whose career is on a huge upward trajectory) finds time to romance his down stairs neighbor-a lovely woman named Bianca who is a singer trying to have a career before she succumbs to progressive hearing loss that will eventually leave her deaf.

I’ve never been a fan  of boxing movies for some reason so to date I have only seen Rocky IV which was fortuitous as it helped with the backstory for this movie. Now having watched Rocky at the end of his career I kind of want to go back and catch up on all the previous Rocky movies.

Back to CREED. This is a pretty good movie. The characters are likable. The story movies along at a relaxed yet interesting pace and it all concludes as you would expect with Adonis squaring off against a world class fighter that by all appearances outmatches him in every way in the ring.

Best Scene: When Adonis appears down for the count during a fight through a series of flashbacks he must find the strength to rise again.

A.C.’s Rating: Full Price

Mike's Review: I liked this movie.  It stayed true to the characters and flowed nicely with the whole Rocky story line. Its kind of weird seeing Rocky grow old and get sick,  But Sylvester Stallone did a pretty good job of making it believable.  

Best Scene:  Seeing Rocky become a trainer so the series can continue more naturally.

Mike's Rating: Worth the price of the ticket.