In Review: "Creed"

I'm not a huge boxing movie fan. Yes, I've seen all the Rockys like a good movie buff, but I take no joy in watching two people pummel each other to a pulp for pride. But, this movie get me hyped up and rooting for this new kid.

The Story

We return to the world of Rocky Balboa. Rocky's getting pretty old now. Paulie and Adrian are both gone. And he mainly spends his time taking care of the little restaurant.

Then we have the son of famed boxer Apollo Creed, who if you remember died in the ring in the Rocky 4 (killed by the Russian boxer). This kid, named after another character in Greek mythology Adonis, has always had the fight in his blood. After being taken from the foster care system and given the silver spoon, he feels trapped in a life he didn't want. Adonis decides to venture out into the world and become a boxer, but with the intent on creating his own name, not banking on his father's fame. And of course, he turns to his father's best friend Rocky Balboa.

Together, the pair learn to fight again.

The Stars

Michael B. Jordan plays Adonis Creed. I'm amazed this kid hasn't done more. He was in the failed 2015 version of "Fantastic Four" and he had a small role in Zac Efron's "That Awkward Moment", but nothing else recognizable. But man, can we act. He made me want this kid to win when he really was just a rich boy who had no reason to want to fight, didn't have a life on the streets, a place that usually produces boxers and fighters. He gave this character such drive that I didn't care what exactly he was fighting but I knew he was going to win.

Sylvester Stallone does a nice job of not being Rocky, or at least, the Rocky that we grew up with. He's not a boxer anymore and really just wants to live out his life in peace. Sylvester Stallone hasn't been in a boxing movie since "Grudge Match" (2013)- which is a really awesome movie btw. But, unlike other actors **cough** Arnold Schwarzenegger **cough**, Stallone has accepted his age and played roles that fit him.

The Message

Life is something you have to fight for. You have to fight to be who you want to be. You have to sometimes even fight for your life. No one's going to do it for you.

In the movie, Rocky puts Adonis in front of a mirror and tells him that when he gets in the ring, the man in the mirror is who he is fighting, not the opponent in front of him. In life, you are fighting against yourself, your willingness to go on, your past hurts, your weaknesses, your insecurities. Those are the things that keep us from being who we are meant to be. And the only person standing in our way is us.

Overall

I loved that this movie didn't try to be a sequel to the original Rocky films. It didn't try to resurrect Rocky. It just lived in the same world. It's a spin off, which is very hard to do correctly.

I wish there would have been a little more exploration on Adonis' character's past. All we know is he got in a lot of fights before we was taken out of foster care. But that's me being picky.

This movie is perfect for anyone who loves the original series, and anyone else who loves a good underdog story.

3.5 out of 4 Knockouts