Creed (12A)
four stars
Dir: Ryan Coogler
With: Sylvester Stallone, Michael B. Jordan
Runtime: 133 minutes
ONE time heavyweight champion of the world Rocky Balboa returns to the ring to coach the illegitimate son of his old pal and rival, Apollo Creed. As a pitch, this might have led to the gloopiest Philly cheesesteak ever, but what do you know - it’s a knockout.
Like all the best Rocky films, Ryan Coogler’s reboot dances the line between sentimentality and sporting drama and comes out on top. In large part this is due to Coogler’s slick editing which allows the picture to rattle along, barely breaking a sweat as he fills in the franchise’s history. The boxing scenes are terrific - while not quite Raging Bull, they put the recent Southpaw to shame when it comes to speed and special effects.
Then there is the film’s young star, Michael B Jordan, who plays the kid from a children’s home who never knew his father but who desperately wants to make him proud. Also well worth a mention in despatches is Tessa Thompson as Bianca, a sort of Adrian (sorry, AAA-DD-R-IIII-AN!) for our times.
But leather pork pie hats off to Sly Stallone, who updates his famous character with wit and grace. Rocky might wear reading specs now, and he might not know what the cloud is, but America’s boxing sweetheart is just as much of a heartbreaker (and as of the weekend he has a best supporting actor Golden Globe to prove it.)
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