The Rocky franchise is not only considered one of the greatest sports series ever made, but it's also an underdog story that spans decades. It has spawned several sequels, and inspired other remarkable films on boxing and athleticism. Actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone became a megastar thanks to the success of Rocky, which won three Oscars, including best picture. Creed has also become a popular franchise that resurrected Rocky Balboa while structuring around the new up-and-coming fighter Adonis Creed.
The first Creed film earned Stallone several supporting actor nominations, including Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award wins, and an Oscar nomination. Michael B. Jordan, one of the best actors working today, gained major recognition as Adonis, along with director Ryan Coogler. The sequel was also well-received, but the Creed franchise deserves more recognition outside the fame of Rocky.
Adonis' Story Is The Key Focus
While Rocky has contributed greatly as a meaningful mentor and friend to Adonis, the Creed franchise is set on making Adonis and his journey the primary focus. The first Creed film perfectly introduces Adonis as an ambitious young man trying to find his path and learning more about his father Apollo (the boxing champ who fought and became one of Rocky's best friends). Similar to Rocky's rise to fame, Adonis is uncertain about his future but intends to become a skilled fighter in the boxing ring.
One of the main reasons why Creed may not be as popular compared to Rocky is because their stories have a lot in common. Fans of Rocky and other classic boxing films may find Creed formulaic and predictable. However, while Adonis' destination may be familiar material, his journey is powerfully effective because he wasn't brought up in boxing as quickly as Rocky and Apollo. Despite this, Adonis not only has Rocky as a useful guide and father figure, but he has plenty of resources at his disposal, such as the gyms and exercise rooms he needs to train to the best of his ability.
Adonis is a young man, but he is an old soul who relies on a combination of old-school ethics and modern techniques. Along with hitting the gym, he trains outdoors (just like Rocky did in his prime) by running and working out in both warm locations (the desert) and cold places (the streets of Philadelphia). Adonis lets out his emotions while training because he knows that he has a lot to prove to himself and to those he loves (including Rocky, his stepmother Mary Anne, and his girlfriend Bianca). He is also able to see archival footage of Rocky and Apollo's boxing matches via YouTube.
The Boxing Sequences Are Exquisite
The boxing scenes in the Rocky franchise are memorable, especially Balboa's fights with Apollo and Ivan Drago. However, certain fights were over-the-top in the sense that an opponent would be punched in the face over and over. The Creed films manage to be more grounded in reality, by making each fighter tough, without showing the participants as superhuman. Adonis and his opponents each suffer major blows and bloody wounds, establishing how dangerous the sport of boxing is, especially in the current digital age of pay-per-view and advanced technology.
The intense fight sequences also show Adonis' evolution as a boxer. While Adonis shares Rocky's ambition and emotional range, he also has Apollo's arrogance. At the beginning of the first film, an unprepared Adonis accepts a challenge from light heavyweight contender, Danny "Stuntman" Wheeler. Adonis is easily beaten by Wheeler due to his own lack of discipline and insufficient training, which is why Rocky's mentorship helps humble and elevate Adonis as a fighter willing to take hits and punch right back.
While Adonis loses to the British light heavyweight champion "Pretty" Ricky Conlan, another arrogant boxer, at the end of the first film, Adonis earns the respect of his opponent, the crowd, and his peers. He does this by fighting honorably, not only to preserve his father's legacy, but to lay the groundwork for his own boxing career. Of course, Adonis is able to win some competitive boxing matches in the sequel (including a redemptive victory over Wheeler). Yet, he still faces obstacles. His continued arrogance and ego cause him to disconnect from his loved ones and get beat up badly by Viktor Drago during their first match together.
The Creed Films Honor Old & New Characters
The best part about the Creed films is the way this spin-off series pays homage to veteran characters like Rocky and Ivan Drago, including their conflict over Apollo's death and the Cold War rivalry they endured in the past. Rocky trains Adonis to fight Ivan's son, Viktor, in order to preserve Apollo's legacy. Meanwhile, the Drago family has their own set of issues since Ivan's wife left her husband and son. There are also deceased characters such as Apollo, Adrian (Rocky's wife), Paulie (Adrian's brother), and Mickey (Rocky's old trainer), who are each briefly mentioned in meaningful ways.
Adonis looks back on Apollo's matches for inspiration as a fighter and a new father to his child. Mary Anne initially disapproves of Adonis trying to follow in his father's footsteps, but she eventually stands by her son (even giving him Apollo's boxing trunks for luck). Rocky has his restaurant named after Adrian, the woman he always loved, and remembers her, Paulie, and Mickey as they each suffered emotional fates, forcing Rocky to come to terms with his own cancer battle. New characters like Bianca provide Adonis with loving support. She's a Philly native who has her own aspirations as a musician, and is appreciative of Adonis' charisma.
The emotionally well-rounded characters, along with the brutal boxing fights and training scenes, are reasons why the Creed franchise deserves more attention (and deserved more awards for Jordan and Coogler). This is a boxing series fit for the 21st Century, and Creed III will continue to tell Adonis' story thanks to Michael B. Jordan's acting and upcoming directorial debut.