Creed

I liked the original Rocky, and think I saw Rocky II, though I can’t remember it. Other than that, the other four films in the saga are unknown to me. So I know nothing of what happened between the first one and this one. It doesn’t really matter. All I need to know is that the young fighter an aging Rocky trains in this film is the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed, who Rocky fought to almost a draw in the first film. (He lost, in a split decision, but it was damn close.) Rocky is pretty old here, runs an Italian restaurant, has nothing to do with the world of boxing. The kid was raised rich, and doesn’t want to be known as a Creed. It all goes along pretty much as you would expect, complete with a cancer diagnosis. Stallone is good as an older man, and I guess was the sentimental favorite to win the Oscar, but he lost, in a split decision.