Creed (2015)
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An underdog boxer seeks out a legendary mentor to forge his own legacy in the ring.
The story
In the present, Adonis "Donnie" Johnson is a determined young man seeking to fulfill his dream of becoming a professional boxer. After being rejected by an elite boxing academy, he travels to Philadelphia to find his father's old rival-turned-friend, the legendary Rocky Balboa. Despite Rocky's initial reluctance to return to the sport, he agrees to train Adonis. As they prepare for a high-stakes match, Adonis must navigate the complexities of his family's legacy and his own identity while training under the guidance of a man who has seen it all.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1998, Adonis "Donnie" Johnson, the son of Apollo Creed, is taken in by his stepmother, Mary Anne. In the present, Adonis decides to pursue professional boxing. After being rejected by a local academy, he travels to Philadelphia to find Rocky Balboa. Rocky agrees to train him, and they begin a rigorous training regimen. During this time, Adonis meets Bianca, a singer with hearing loss. When a fight opportunity arises against "Pretty" Ricky Conlan, Adonis is pressured to use his father's surname, Creed. During training, Rocky is diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and initially refuses treatment. After a falling out, Adonis convinces him to seek help. The film culminates in a fight at Goodison Park in Liverpool. While Adonis loses the match on a split decision, he wins the respect of the crowd and the opponent. The film ends with Adonis and a recovering Rocky together outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
- First release year
- 2015
- Runtime (minutes)
- 133
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Ryan Coogler
- Writers
- Ryan Coogler · screenplay; Aaron Covington · screenplay; Ryan Coogler · story
- Cast and characters
- Michael B. Jordan · Adonis "Donnie" Creed (born Johnson); Sylvester Stallone · Robert "Rocky" Balboa; Tessa Thompson · Bianca Taylor; Phylicia Rashad · Mary Anne Creed; Tony Bellew · "Pretty" Ricky Conlan; Graham McTavish · Tommy Holiday; Wood Harris · Tony "Little Duke" Evers; Ritchie Coster · Pete Sporino
- Genres
- sports drama; coming-of-age drama
- Themes
- legacy; mentorship; identity
- Tone and mood
- inspiring; emotional
- Setting
- Philadelphia, Tijuana, and Liverpool in the present day.
- Premise and plot tags
- sports; boxing; spin-off
- Franchise connections
- Rocky
- Reception
- The film received widespread acclaim from critics who praised the direction, screenplay, and acting performances.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 95% · scale: percentage · review count: 315; Metacritic · score: 82 · scale: 100 · review count: 42; CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F; PostTrak · score: 85% · scale: percentage
- Awards and nominations
- National Board of Review Award · Best Supporting Actor · Win; Critics' Choice Award · Best Supporting Actor · Win; Golden Globe Award · Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture · Win; Academy Award · Best Supporting Actor · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was the first in the franchise produced by Stallone and the first he did not write.; The film's release date coincided with the 40th anniversary of the opening scene of the first film.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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