"Creed" pre-release thread

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

The relationship, grown from anonymity to close friendship, between Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed formed the backbone of the first few films of that franchise and will apparently continue with this winter's new spin-off, "Creed." The studio has put together a synopsis of the new film.

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?

Link

I don't know about anyone else, but this sounds irresistible to me a a film.

 

[C.E. Evans]

I totally admit I thought this was a thread about the band Creed dropping a new album. My bad...

 

[EnriqueH]

You know, I had no idea up until 2-3 days ago that this was actually filming. I thought it was just an idea rolling around.

I was also concerned.

With Rocky Balboa, (aka Rocky VI), I understood Stallone's desire to go back and fix the franchise. The first 4 films were great, but many thought Rocky V ended things on a bad note storywise. So it was great to see Rocky Balboa not only turn out to be a winner storywise, but also critically. It was a perfect bookend to the series, and the fiction mirrored Stallone's reality with Stallone succeeding in the face of ridicule and doubt.

So going back to the Rockyverse seems like a risky attempt to undo all that. They're wise to leave Rocky out of the title.

Despite my concerns, at the same time, I'm somewhat reassured after reading that synopsis. That sounds like it has potential for success.

We'll have to wait and see.

Stallone has me at the edge of my seat once again...

 

[Captaindemotion]

Some of the original buzz suggested that the title character would be Apollo's grandson but this seems to suggest he's his son. I see that Jordan was born in February 1987, so if we take it that the Rocky films happened in real time, then the line "Johnson (Jordan) never knew his famous father, world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, who died before he was born" works - IIRC, Rocky IV was released in 1986, so Adonis could've been in utero when Drago sent Apollo to the great boxing ring in the sky. I'm guessing by the surname that if he's Apollo's son, he's an illegitimate one.

Still, Jordan is a very youthful looking 28 but 28 is surely a little old for a boxer to start his training. So I hope that this is an error and that the character is indeed meant to be the grandson of Apollo.

 

[Pingfah]

I totally admit I thought this was a thread about the band Creed dropping a new album.

But to the delight of music lovers everywhere, it wasn't.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ That bad, huh? Figure there must be a reason the Sklar Brothers make fun of them so much.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

Everyone disses Rocky 5. Guess what.. the only problem I have with that movie - the main one being the lack of subtlety when plot points and minor characters (like the promoters) are brought in.. but the actual story was fine.

 

[EnriqueH]

I used to like Rocky V a lot, but more recent viewings made its flaws more evident.

The promoter being a Don King clone was cringe-worthy in how obvious it was. Tommy Morrison also wasn't the best actor.

But I did like the attempt to bring Rocky back to his roots, and I did enjoy seeing the streetfighter version of Rocky, as well as the Mickey flashbacks, "GET UP YOU SONUVABITCH! CUZ MICKEY LUVS YA!!!!"

Rocky V has some flaws, but I also think it's a bit underrated.