Creed
I
don’t care
what you call it, this movie is Rocky
7.
Michael B. Jordan stars as Adonis – the previously unknown
illegitimate child of superstar boxer Apollo Creed (don’t try
to do the math to figure out if this is plausible, it will only hurt
your head and thrust you into reality). Adonis was raised by his
mother, but she passed away, and he spent his life in orphanages until
embraced by Apollo’s widow, Mary Anne (Phylicia “I
need to work again now that my Cosby Show syndication money has dried
up” Rashad).
Adonis, better known as Donnie Johnson, secretly lives to fight, so he
has been picking up matches in Mexico. Feeling the undeniable urge to
be a great boxer just like his father, even though he has a good job
and privileged life, he sets off to Philadelphia to seek out the best
trainer he can think of, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone).
Does Donnie have what it takes to become a champion?
Creed
fits very snugly into the Rocky
formula as we watch the underdog overcoming the odds, a worldly wise
mentor handing out sage advice, plenty of training montages and THE BIG
FIGHT! Writer/director Ryan Coogler and co-writer Aaron Covington even
toss in a love story for those who felt Adrian was the compelling force
in all of the Rocky
movies. With so many similarities and allusions to the other Rocky
movies, the only thing missing in Creed
is an appearance by Hulk Hogan or Mr. T.
However, Creed
doesn’t have the earnestness of Rocky
or Rocky II
or Rocky III
or Rocky IV.
While passable, everything in Creed
feels calculated to exploit your nostalgia for those movies and the
Rocky character. What’s truly unique about Donnie? Why is
this story so compelling? I am still trying to figure that out.
You can’t blame Stallone and Jordan. The two share a nice
chemistry together as we see the bond growing between Rocky and his
young protégé. Sadly, Jordan proves time and
again in Creed that he is too good for this movie. No matter
how tired
the plot twist or predictable the next scene, Jordan has a fire and
intensity that almost overcomes it.
If you are a huge Rocky
fan, you have seen worse movies in the series than this one.
We
Are Your Friends is rated R for language
throughout, drug use, sexual content and some nudity.
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