Release Date: November 25, 2015 Creed is the live-action equivalent of a movie like Minions; it's an example of a franchise spinning off a sub-franchise because it can - the only difference is that Minions is at least somewhat relevant today in pop culture terms. Creed, on the other hand, feels like a half-assed continuation of the Rocky franchise, which purported to end in 2006 but didn't. So the plot here is as follows: "The son of Apollo Creed, Adonis Johnson Creed, travels to Philadelphia, where he meets Rocky Balboa and requests that the elder boxer train him." Audiences have seen this story a dozen times already, of course, but what use is the Rocky franchise 'less it's making money in some way, shape or form? And if Rocky is too old to box? Well, let him train somebody else. Creed feels like a movie designed as something of a vehicle for Michael B. Jordan, and there's a good chance he'll shine under the circumstances. But one cannot argue with the inherent desperation that lingers over a project like Creed; it is Hollywood clawing for a way to use familiar properties to draw audiences in with little concern for cinematic integrity.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
