Creed

Rocky: “Apollo? Yeah, he was great. Perfect fighter. Ain't nobody ever better.”
Adonis: “So how did you beat him?”
Rocky: “Time beat him. Time, you know, takes everybody out. It's undefeated.”

release year: 2015
genre: boxing drama
viewing setting: home Bluray, 11/28/16

synopsis: In the depths or corporate America, an office worker suddenly quits his job...because he was meant for greater things, because his father was former heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, and because he can't let that go.

impressions: Outstanding. This is the perfect mix of drama and boxing action. The young kid has the talent and the tools but just needs the training; he wants to prove himself without using his father's name. Helping him helps Rocky, too, especially when he faces cancer later in the movie. I can't say much else about it - just see it, especially if you liked the earlier Rocky movies.

acting: Michael B. Jordan does a great job and is thoroughly believeable, physically and acting-wise, as the young son of a legend. Sylvester Stallone is also great as a former legend facing his own mortality, who sees a chance to help the young fighter. Tessa Thompson is an up-and-coming singer who falls for Creed. Phylicia Rashad is Apollo's widow, who takes in and raises young Creed as her own. A number of real-life fighters and trainers also appear in this movie.

final word: Great semi-sequel and a compelling story in its own right.

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