Creed ***½ (2015, Michael B Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Tony Bellew, Phylicia Rashad, Graham McTavish) – Movie Review

Michael B Jordan stars as Adonis Johnson, son of former heavyweight champion boxer Apollo Creed, who tracks down former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) at his Italian restaurant, Adrian’s, named in honour of his deceased wife, and approaches him to beg him to be his trainer and mentor.

It will come as no surprise that the retired Rocky eventually, reluctantly agrees. Nor will it be a surprise that there’s a pretty woman for Adonis to fall for, his upcoming singing star neighbour Bianca (Tessa Thompson), who for all her upfront initial sassy cheek, turns out to have a heart of gold. And it doesn’t take her long to fall for the charms of Adonis, understandably, because, as well as him having a heart of gold too, lives up to his name of Adonis so is definitely easy on the eye.

Though Adonis (or Donnie) has a mean, violent streak that’s all to do with being abandoned by his dad – abandonment issues! – who died before he was born to Apollo Creed’s extramarital lover, and was taken in and raised by Creed’s wife Mary Anne (Phylicia Rashad). She doesn’t want him in the killer fight game, as Apollo Creed died in a boxing match in Rocky IV (1985).

But Adonis is determined to follow his father’s boxing footsteps, and he chucks his job and goes into training, even if it’s a rocky road he’s taking…

That’s about it. Oh, and Adonis and Rocky get real pally, especially after Adonis moves in with Rocky, as an unexpected bromance develops. And, after a while, with Rocky’s help he hopes to get a title shot to face deadly Liverpool opponent ‘Pretty’ Ricky Conlan (Merseyside boxer Tony Bellew), managed by Tommy Holiday (Graham McTavish, who also played the ill-tempered Mercenary Commander Lewis in 2008’s Rambo alongside Stallone). Oh, and Rocky’s got another fight on his hands when he hears he’s sick.

Ryan Coogler who directed Jordan in Fruitvale Station (2013) makes a good crisp job of co-writing and directing this umpteenth Rocky sequel (it’s the seventh Rocky movie), bringing the familiar, old-style material up pretty fresh, despite its familiarity. Are there any new boxing stories to tell? Certainly there really can be no new Rocky stories to tell. But, no matter, as with the Star Wars reboot, familiarity breeds content. The only improvement that might help is some editing down. At 133 minutes it feels a fraction flabby. But the local Philadelphia colour helps, bringing character and atmosphere. Filmed in the studio, this wouldn’t be nearly as good.

Stallone’s become virtually a parody of his screen persona, mumbling often incoherently, but again, no matter, as he turns in an engaging, often amusing, characterful, sly turn. Give him a half-funny line and he turns it into a winner. Give him a bit of sentimental schmaltz and he goes for your tear ducts. It’s star character acting of the most appealing, winning kind. Jordan is absolutely excellent, a real magnetic star, often punching above the film’s weight, with nimble footwork when clichés and sentimentality set in. And, together, Stallone and Jordan form a really good, unexpected double act that is at the film’s heart.

It’s Thompson’s job to be extremely attractive and pleasing, and she’s certainly both. Bellew does well in his first film, taking care of his dialogue as well as the boxing efficiently. Rashad and McTavish have cardboard roles to play but do them well enough.

All in all, it ends up as a good old fashioned Seventies-style Rocky movie, with entertainingly hokey and soapy personal drama the training and fight sequences excitingly achieved. That means anyone seeking fresh takes will be frustrated, but those looking for old Rocky will certainly not be disappointed.

Creed was released in the United States on November 25 2015, the 40th anniversary of the date of the opening scene in the original Rocky.

Stallone won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor and he won the 2016 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor, his first nomination since the original Rocky, 39 years earlier.

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