Their character study is the most significant aspect of this film. We may not realize this at first and that's because we are already smitten by the father-son relationship developing between Donnie and Rocky. One of which is the legacy Rocky bestows on Donnie, and in essence, Stallone handing over the franchise baton to Jordan. And before sending this film off on its own pulsating trajectory, Coogler reveals a full hand of spades.
It's a fascinating intersection of the past but none better than the fact that in many ways, Creed is an inverted mirror image of Rocky. The meeting with Rocky is one of several great moments in the film while also serving as a nostalgic homecoming occasion for every fan of the franchise. Like Rocky, Adonis (calling himself Donnie) knows he is destined for something else, so heads to Philadelphia to meet his late father's rival turned best friend. It's a stark contrast to Stallone's blue collar stiff in the first film, but this is where both films converge. Jordan) is a corporate executive half way up the ladder. Cut to present day and Adonis (Michael B. Appolo's widow Mary Ann (Phylicia Rashad) rescues young Adonis from what is certain to be a life on the streets and raises him as her own in the plush Creed estate in Los Angeles. We soon learn that Adonis is the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed, born shortly after the latter's death in Rocky IV. Coogler gets this spot-on when we are introduced to teenager Adonis Johnson in juvenile detention.
Although boxing is the central theme, and often frowned upon as a brutal blood-sport that causes serious injuries, it's never been about the fight but more about what you are fighting for. Co-written by director Ryan Coogler, there's no doubt that Creed is a passionate love letter to the first film, which in itself is a poetic love story about fighting the good fight.
As a no- holds-barred sports drama, this is every bit an exceptional crowd pleaser with a lot of heart, plenty of amusing jabs to the ribs, and an unexpected but emotional haymaker to the gut. Cut from the same cloth maybe, but Creed is much more than just the seventh installment in the Rocky film franchise. For Sylvester Stallone, it was a rags to riches story that mirrored his real life struggles to make a decent and honest living. The fact that Rocky (1976) won three Academy Awards including Best Picture is of little importance compared to the real life struggle behind the making of that film. 40 years ago, Rocky Balboa became a household name and turned an unwanted actor into one of the greatest success stories in Hollywood. History has a strange way of repeating itself.
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