Creed
DVD
Review
by Kam Williams
Stallone
Revives Rocky Franchise with Oscar-Quality Performance
When most
people think of Rocky, what automatically comes to mind is the iconic
image of a gutsy underdog easy to root for who held his own in the
boxing ring against a variety of imposing adversaries. Each
installment of the series has basically revolved around the hype
leading to a riveting championship bout between a veritable David and
Goliath.
Directed by
Ryan Coogler, Creed is a worthy spin-off which not only pays homage
to that tried-and-true formula but also represents a bit of departure
for the beloved franchise. What's new is the fact that this film
devotes as much attention to character development as to ratcheting
up the tension surrounding the fateful showdown. What's familiar is
Sly Stallone delivering afresh as the legendary Rocky Balboa in
another Oscar-nominated performance.
The picture
reunites Coogler with Michael B. Jordan, the star of his directorial
debut, the critically-acclaimed Frutivale Station. Here, Jordan
plays, Adonis Johnson, a juvenile delinquent who's had his share of
scrapes with the law, thanks to a quick temper and a tendency to
settle differences with a pair of unusually powerful fists.
Just past
the point of departure, the hot-headed orphan is informed by Apollo
Creed's (Carl Weathers) widow (Phylicia Rashad) that he is the
illegitimate son of Rocky's original archenemy. That at least
explains the inclination to fight that's ostensibly been baked into
his DNA.
Fast-forward
a few years, when Adonis has learned to channel his anger and
explosive might via boxing. Over the objections of his adoptive mom
(Mrs. Creed), he decides to follow in his father's footsteps.
So, he
moves from L.A. to Philly where he finds Rocky running a restaurant
called Adrian's. Adonis prevails upon the ex-champ to serve as his
trainer. Rocky agrees on the condition the kid changes his surname to
Creed, and the next thing you know the kid rises in the ranks to #1
contender and luckily lands a title fight with Pretty Ricky Conlan
(Tony Bellow).
Meanwhile,
Adonis falls in love with his next-door neighbor, Bianca (Tessa
Thompson), an aspiring hip-hop artist on the verge of making it in
her own right. Away from the gym, he spends some quality time with
Rocky, too, offering a little heartfelt, if unsolicited advice that
just might save his aging mentor's life.
"Rocky"
and the next Roman numeral might not be in the title, but this
engaging and faithful seventh episode includes all the fixins to
amount to a highly-recommended spin-off of the storied franchise.
Excellent (4
stars)
Rated
PG-13 for violence, profanity and sensuality
Running time: 133 minutes
Distributor: Warner Brothers Home
Entertainment Group
Blu-ray/DVD
Combo Pack Extras: Deleted scenes; Becoming Adonis; and Know
the Past, Own the Future. Sandra Bullock: A Role Like No Other.
To see a trailer for Creed,
visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtWoDw3GvlA
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