To return to the corner, even with a different boxer, is not on his list of things to do, partially out of guilt for Apollo, but mostly out of a general sense of exhaustion. Of course, Donnie wears him down and, despite some jealousy from a coach at Rocky’s late trainer Mickey’s old gym , Rocky takes on Donnie’s mentorship. This eventually leads to an offer to fight Liverpudlian boxing champ Pretty Ricky Conlan . Coogler’s story, co-written with Aaron Covington, unabashedly mirrors the arc of the original “Rocky”. There’s the humble boxer, his mentor and the woman who becomes his significant other and rock of support.
Stallone in particular gives what has to be his career best performance since Copland, and if this is his franchise swan song that’s all the more reason why this film must be seen. But as they say, the show must go on and Jordan is more than capable of shouldering future films under the banner. And with the inclusion of Philly local Bianca , Donnie’s neighbor and love interest, future sequels look to be set in Rocky’s beloved hometown. In 1998, Adonis “Donnie” Johnson, the son of former heavyweight champion Apollo Creed and his extramarital lover, is serving time in a Los Angeles youth detention center when Creed’s widow, Mary Anne, visits and offers to take him in.
In “The Job”, Creed blogs about Pam’s speech at the beach in his “blog,” which is actually a Word document that Ryan, unwilling to expose an unprepared human race to the innermost workings of Creed’s brain, opens up on his computer. Ryan describes the things Creed writes about as shocking, “even for the Internet.” In a deleted scene, Creed is seen counterfeiting Dwight’s motivational “Schrute Bucks” and takes several 50-pound boxes of them to Dwight demanding payment. After Dwight uses an invisible ink marker to determine that they are fakes Creed tells him “Listen, Schrutey” and threatens to flood the market with the fake Schrute bucks to render them worthless. In “A Benihana Christmas,” he joins Karen and Pam’s party and performs a real song of his, “Spinnin’ N Reelin'”. Creed believes that his blog URL is \creedthoughts, but his “blog” is actually a Word document with the title expressly chosen to look like a URL, set up by Ryan Howard, wanting to “protect the world from being exposed to Creed’s brain”. Describing the content of the blog, Ryan says, “Even for the Internet, it’s pretty shocking.” NBC provided the character with an actual blog.
One of the most surprising things about “Creed” is how gentle and easygoing it is, notwithstanding the effective brutality of the fight scenes. It is a pleasure to watch Mr. Stallone amble through a movie with nothing much to prove. He is at his best when he works comfortably within his limitations as an actor. With every role, he seems to delight in the unfolding of his talent, and to pass his excitement along to the audience. The older fighter is a mentor and a father figure, to be sure, but he also needs someone to take care of him, especially when illness adds a melodramatic twist to the plot.
One tribute to Conti’s original soundtrack is included – the track “You’re a genifique” uses both “Gonna Fly Now” and “Going the Distance”. On July 24, 2013, it was announced that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures had signed on with Fruitvale Station director Ryan Coogler to direct a spin-off of Rocky, a seventh film in the Rocky series, which Coogler would also co-write with Aaron Covington. The film would focus on a man following in the footsteps of his late father, Apollo Creed, and getting a mentor in the now-retired Rocky Balboa.
But it’s all so well done and performed, especially by Stallone, that you’re glad you’re along for the ride. The music is another great feature, both referencing the classic Rocky scores and going new ways. The meeting with Rocky is one of several great moments in the film while also serving as a nostalgic homecoming occasion for every fan of the franchise.
In “Money”, when explaining how he never goes bankrupt, he holds up his passport issued in the name William Charles Schneider (actor Creed Bratton’s actual birth name). The passport indicates that he was born on February 8, 1943, the real Creed Bratton’s birthdate. The real Creed Bratton was 64 at the time the episodes were filmed and aired. Adonis Creed, the son of Apollo Creed, employs Rocky Balboa to prepare for a big fight. The plot is derivative and maybe even cliche and a important character development isn’t adequately resolved, but damn, is this film compelling. The fight scenes are brutal, and Sylvester Stallone turns in the best performance of his career.