Creed

Rating: 7/10 (27 January 2016)

The Rocky series has been a mixed bag over the years since it began in 1976, the best one has always been the first one, then followed the sequels, three were alright and two were terrible, this was the seventh instalment, taking a slightly different direction. Basically Adonis "Donnie" Johnson (Chronicle's Michael B. Jordan) is the son of former heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, born from an affair his father had, as a child he was serving time in a Los Angeles youth facility, before being taken in by Creed's widow Mary Anne (The Cosby Show's Phylicia Rashad). Seventeen years later, Donnie walks away from his security firm job to pursue his dream of becoming a professional boxer, but Mary Anne ardently opposes this, remembering how husband Apollo was killed by Ivan Drago in the ring. Donnie is turned down trying to get a slot in Los Angeles' elite Delphi Boxing Academy. Undaunted, Donnie travels to Philadelphia to find his father's old friend and rival Rocky Balboa (Golden Globe and The Razzie Redeemer Award winning, and Oscar nominated Sylvester Stallone). Donnie tracks Rocky down at his Italian restaurant Adrian's, named after his deceased wife, he asks Rocky to be his trainer. He is reluctant to get back into boxing, having previously made a one-off comeback at a very advanced age, despite suffering brain trauma. However, Rocky eventually agrees, Donnie is trained at Front Street Gym, with several of Rocky's longtime friends as corner men. Along the way Donnie also finds a girlfriend with up-and-coming singer and songwriter Bianca (Selma's Tessa Thompson). Donnie defeats a local fighter, and word gets out that he is Apollo Creed's illegitimate son. World light heavyweight champion "Pretty" Ricky Conlan (Tony Bellew) is due to retire before serving a prison term, his handlers of want to organise a fight. Conlan offers to make Donnie his final challenger - provided he changes his name to Adonis "Hollywood Donnie" Creed. Donnie refuses at first, not wanting his father's legacy to overshadow his own career, but he eventually agrees. While helping Donnie train, Rocky is taken to hospital, he is told he has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. His wife Adrian died of ovarian cancer, despite going through chemotherapy, he is unwilling to do it himself. He has recently suffered the death of his best friend and brother-in-law Paulie Pennino, Adrian's brother, and he has already lost Adrian, Apollo and his old trainer, but he is forced his own mortality, Donnie urges him to get treatment. The fight between Creed and Conlan is taking place in Conlan's hometown in Liverpool. Donnie receives a present from Mary Anne, who is watching him on television, she sends him American flag trunks, similar to those Apollo and later Rocky wore. The fifteen round fight begins, to the surprise of everyone, Donnie goes the distance and gives Conlan all that he can handle. There is a split decision, but Conlan is declared winner (just like Apollo against Rocky 40 years ago), but Donnie wins the respect of Conlan and the crowd. The film ends with Donnie and Rocky climbing the steps outside the entrance of the Philadelphia Museum of Art together, like Rocky has many times before. Also starring Graham McTavish as Tommy Holiday, Andre Ward as Danny 'Stuntman' Wheeler, Ritchie Coaster as Pete Sporino, Jacob 'Stitch' Duran, Malik Bazille as Amir, Liev Schreiber as HBO 24 / 7 Narrator, Jim Lampley, Hannah Storm and Michael Buffer ("Let's Get Ready to Rumble!"). Jordan is a rising star and gives a great performance as the son of a champion wanting to prove himself in the ring, Stallone the "Italian Stallion" is a most welcome return as the former fighter turned trainer, together they are a good mix of the old and the new and a solid partnership. I had perhaps varied feelings of there being another Rocky movie, because of the mixed results of the previous sequels, but I was glad to know it was getting praise from critics, saying this was one of the best since the original, it is indeed, the fight scenes are exciting, the story has terrific emotional ups and downs, and it is well written, it really packs a punch, an entertaining sports drama. Very good!