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| Sylvester Stallone & Michael B. Jordan (r) star in Creed |
Kill or Be Killed
Rotten Tomatoes Plot: Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) never knew his famous father, world heavy weight champion Apollo Creed, who died before he was born. Still, there's no denying that boxing is in his blood, so Adonis heads to Philadelphia, the site of Apollo Creed's legendary match with a tough upstart named Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone.) Rocky sees in Adonis the strength and determination he had known in Apollo - the fierce rival who became his closest friend. Directed by Ryan Coogler.
"One step. One punch. One round at a time." Sounds like a winning formula to me, and Coogler's Creed follows it to a tee. Jordan brings much-needed energy (and charisma) to the series, while Stallone (apparently) steps aside with grace & dignity, "Time takes everybody out. It's undefeated." Creed touches all the bases (nostalgia, romance, underdog overcoming the odds) but manages to avoid the cheesy trappings of prior sequels. The magic of Rocky & Rocky II isn't quite there; but Creed shines plenty bright on its own, especially in its fight sequences (and emphasis on defensive boxing.) Go for it!
Grade: B-
