Although young Michael B. Jordan has the title role in Creed the film really belongs to Sylvester Stallone. Sly joins an exclusive club of players like Bing Crosby, Paul Newman, and Al Pacino who got two Oscar nominations for playing the same role. In the case of Sly and Newman both aged naturally into the parts of Rocky Balboa and Eddie Felson. It's hard to believe that it has been 39 years since Stallone debuted Rocky Balboa. It's also 39 years between the nominations that Stallone got for Best Actor for Rocky and Best Supporting Actor for Creed.

But between that there have been several Rocky films over the years as Sly has developed more facets to the fighting Mr. Balboa of Philadelphia than I'm sure he even thought of when he debuted Rocky. It all really comes together with Creed.

But as for the story it seems that back when Apollo Creed was killed in that fight with that Russian steroid machine Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV he had a dalliance that resulted in a post mortem birth of an illegitimate son who grew up to be Michael B. Jordan, character name of Adonis Johnson. Apollo's widow Phyllis Rashad took him out of foster care as his natural mother had died and raised him.

Jordan has an interesting dichotomy to deal with. He's his father's son and wants to make it in the fight game, but on his own as Adonis Johnson. He seeks his father's old friend and rival Rocky Balboa as a mentor and Rocky trains him for a title shot at the light heavyweight championship.

Rocky Balboa is not the most articulate movie hero ever developed, but he sure imparts a lot of wisdom to Jordan. Those scenes with Jordan are what got Sly Stallone that second Oscar nomination. Also Rocky has some personal crises of his own to deal with. These guys are of incalculable help to each other.

I really loved this film and how Stallone developed Rocky to this point. Like fine wine, Rocky gets better with age.

CREED is a spin-off from the ROCKY franchise, bringing in fresh blood and taking it in a new direction. It feels a little like a remake of the first ROCKY movie, with Sylvester Stallone now playing the role of the aged trainer who helps a newcomer in the form of Michael B. Jordan to train for a title fight against a Liverpudlian boxer (!). The twist is that Jordan's playing Adonis Johnson, the son of the much-missed Apollo Creed who met his maker in ROCKY III.

The main problem I had with this movie is its familiarity. It's like ROCKY but simply isn't as good. Jordan tries hard but as written his character isn't as endearing as Stallone's, and the use of a hip hop soundtrack wasn't to my taste either. The good news is that Stallone gives a typically fine performance for his part, good enough to be Oscar nominated for it. In addition, the boxing scenes are filmed with a new kind of special camera which adds a real fluidity and force to them.

Adonis 'Donnie' Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) is the illegitimate son of boxing champ Apollo Creed. He was born after his father's death in the ring and spent his childhood in juvenile detention until rescued by Mary Anne Creed (Phylicia Rashad). He fights in Mexico and quits his office job in favor of boxing. Mary opposes it and he's prevented from training. He seeks out Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) in Philly to train him. He falls for downstairs neighbor Bianca (Tessa Thompson). Champ 'Pretty' Ricky Conlan injures his opponent during a media event and takes on the newcomer for the money.

This is going back to the original. Adonis is the new Rocky. He's got the inner fire. He's got the sweet romance. I am glad that Rocky finally puts up his gloves for good. This gets back to its roots with a well-written story and compelling characters. There is a big fight midway in the movie that is one continuous shot. It reminds the audience of how new the original was with its fighting sequences. The sequence is a master work and beautiful to behold. This is a good rejuvenation and a new jolt to an old franchise.