Who knew that there is a new Rocky film? It completely passed me by, until I read some rave reviews and saw the film pop up in some year’s end Top 10 lists. Even without those reviews: you may give a Terminator sequel a pass (and blame yourself if you don’t), but never a new Rocky film! I Am not surprised, unlike his alter ego Schwarzenegger, Stallone never surprises me in ambitious projects, and the way he treated his ageing on film since Copland frequently has convincing moments.
In Creed, he is running a restaurant, until Apollo Creed’s son shows up and wants some training. Half posh rich kid, half genetically burdened natural fighter, Adonis seeks to step into the shoes of his father, and seeks help from the only person he can relate to, even before he meets him. Of course this is playing along the rule book for underdog fighter movies, and of course the opponents are not half as well written and performed as the leads, but still as far as this genre goes, you don’t question the possibility of making this film (in contrast to, say, Southpaw).
thomas4cinema 