Creed 2015

     Donnie Johnson has been living as an orphan in a Los Angeles youth facility.  He goes by this name but his real name is Adonis Creed and his father was former heavyweight boxing champion Apollo Creed.  Donnie has never known his father because he died before he was born.  Donnie would like to follow in his father’s footsteps but on his own terms and not because his name is Creed.  He travels to Philadelphia to try to get in touch with his father’s old friend and rival Rocky Balboa.  He’d like Rocky to train him so he can move up in the boxing world.

     I thought this movie was good and it brings out a lot of the past from the Rocky series.  I respect those who go into boxing for a living but it’s a tough game and can leave the participants with lasting physical damage.  Ali is a perfect example, in his later years he had Parkinson’s syndrome and his doctors attributed this to boxing 

related brain trauma.  The story is good with good acting.  4* (I really liked this movie)

133 min, Drama directed by Ryan Coogler with Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Andre Ward, Tony Bellew, Ritchie Coster, Jacob Duran, Graham McTavish, Malik Bazille.

Note:  Imdb 7.7 out of 10, 94% critic 90% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 4*, Amazon 4.3* out of 5* with 3492 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Philadelphia, Chester, Pennsylvania; Las Vegas, Nevada; Liverpool, London, Merseyside, England.  Michael B. Jordan and director Ryan Coogler worked together on Fruitvale Station of 2013.  This film was released on the fortieth anniversary of the opening scene in Rocky of 1976.