Clubber Lang. Ivan Drago. Tommy Gunn. These were the names of some of the toughest fighters that Rocky Balboa ever stepped into the ring and streets with. But none of them had the tenacity, the sheer charisma of his greatest opponent and best friend, Apollo Creed.
That chapter in the Rocky saga was cut short in the fourth film, when Creed took an entire Baysplosion to the head from Ivan Drago. Now, it’s time to start a new story in that world. A world where Adonis Creed is looking to create his own legend in the ring. Here’s the first trailer for Creed:
Adonis Johnson (Jordan) never knew his famous father, world heavyweight 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.
Once in the City of Brotherly Love, Adonis tracks Rocky (Stallone) down and asks him to be his trainer. Despite his insistence that he is out of the fight game for good, Rocky sees in Adonis the strength and determination he had known in Apollo—the fierce rival who became his closest friend. Agreeing to take him on, Rocky trains the young fighter, even as the former champ is battling an opponent more deadly than any he faced in the ring.
With Rocky in his corner, it isn’t long before Adonis gets his own shot at the title… but can he develop not only the drive but also the heart of a true fighter, in time to get into the ring?
That’s a promising trailer, right there. Creed feels like a great idea for a reboot of the Rocky franchise, and having Sylvester Stallone around to teach Michael B. Jordan’s young Creed the ropes, will help seal the deal with older fans. It’s a perfect mix of old and new when you think about it, and hopefully the end result comes out swinging with a sharp jab and powerful hook that can go the distance.
Having director Ryan Coogler in the corner also feels natural, thanks to the fact that he also directed Jordan in the critically acclaimed Fruitvale Station. I’m just liking what I’m seeing so far, which is a back to basics approach to the Rocky formula. Hopefully Jordan will also have a noteworthy nemesis to face in the form of Anthony Bellew, who will help define Creed down the line.
Creed is out on November 25 and also stars Phylicia Rashad and Tessa Thompson.
Last Updated: July 1, 2015
Skyblue
July 1, 2015 at 11:45
This is one of those movies which turns out looking much better than the groans it produced when first reading about it, hopefully.