Sometimes you can go home again. Watching Creed and you are back in Philly with Rocky once again, training for the championship. I give the movie an A.
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Donnie (Adonis) Johnson is the product of an affair between a woman and the married former heavyweight boxer champion, Apollo Creed, who died before Donnie was born. After the death of his mom, he is sent to juvie for fighting then finally adopted by Creed’s wife, where she tries to turn his life around. But the call of the ring becomes too strong. Donnie seeks out his father’s old mentor, Rocky Balboa to train him.
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Creed is a wonderful blend of the past and the future as we see Rocky visiting his wife’s and Paulie’s graves, yet we get to see some new moves and hard hitting ring action including a fight that went on for over 5 minutes of screen time. The up close images of blood splatter and swelling brings some amazing realism to the movie and doesn’t sugar-coat the dangers of boxing.
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Michael B. Jordan is outstanding as Johnson/Creed who struggles with his own past and the shadow of his father. It was a fan moment when he was asking his “Uncle” Rocky about the outcome of the never seen fight at the end of Rocky 3. It’s this way that director Ryan Coogler weaves the past with the present.
Stallone shows his acting chops...or maybe it’s because as Rocky, he’s really never had to act. Rocky is as much a part of him as his own “How you doin’?” accent. He can’t do the big fight scenes like he could in the 70’s and 80’s but when he speaks about his own losses, you know he’s talking from the heart.
Hanging out on the streets of Philly has never been sweeter as Creed tugs at the heartstrings and has you cheering on the bloodshed over your popcorn and soda. Bring your teenager…just be prepared to share your old Rocky movie with them as well.
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