Creed opens on Wednesday just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday box office in the United States. The early reviews are solid. Actually, more than solid. Some are saying this is the best installment in the Rocky franchise since the original. Um. EXCUSE ME.
Better than Rocky IV? When Rocky punched out Communism?
As I’ve written, many, many times already, Rocky IV is my favourite. Yes, precisely because the movie is mostly montage – what’s the f-cking problem? But wait. Maybe it makes sense that Creed is better than IV. Because without IV there would be no Creed. You remember – in IV, Rocky coached Apollo Creed but couldn’t stop Apollo from continuing to fight when it was clear he shouldn’t continue. Rocky has carried that with him all these years. And now he has a second chance with Adonis to make things right.
I’m sobbing already.
Creed doesn’t have to be good for me to like it. It could be a low medium and I’d still be down. The fact that the critics are into the movie though is a really, really great sign. Not only for Ryan Coogler, the director, but also, of course for Michael B Jordan. Like Adonis living up to Apollo’s legacy, Michael B Jordan is rising on Sly Stallone’s shoulders. It’s time.
For Tessa Thompson too. You might know her from Selma or Dear White People. She’s made interesting choices in an industry that hasn’t given her a lot of choice. But this is the start of Tessa going mainstream. So that when we talk about black leading actresses, we’re not limited to just five or six names.
The cast of Creed was at the premiere last night in Hollywood. Carl Weathers has barely aged.
