I used to joke with a good friend of mine about the Rocky series. Back when I first started drinking, he and I’d joke about what the next logical step of the series would be. We sat at his place, throwing the Rocky marathon up on his 32 inch TV and I’d shoot out nonsense about how Rocky VI would be about the aging boxer coming out of retirement and would inevitably mimic the plot of the very first film. Hell, I even joked about how Rocky would end up coaching his son or Apollo’s son.
When Rocky Balboa was announced, the first thing I did was send a message to Shawn and laugh, “I told you!”
Guess what I did when I heard “Creed” was a thing? If you answered, “send a message to Shawn and laugh,” you’re absolutely right!
This proves a few things:
1. I should be a screenwriter
2. I’m much more creative when I’m drunk
What’s more impressive than my drunk clairvoyance is that both of the films, Rocky Balboa and Creed, are incredibly moving and inspiring in ways that Shawn and I hadn’t pictured. Both films, powerfully directed and written, manage to prove something STILL after all these years. These films managed to build on the themes of redemption and stayed strong even after the maligned Rocky V (sorry Tommy Morrison).
“Rocky Balboa” managed to pass the torch off to a new champion. As Rocky says in Creed, “time is undefeated.”
It’s strange viewing the Rocky series through the theme of Legacy. I think that’s what was most striking with Ryan Coogan’s direction and screenplay. For those of us who’ve watched every Rocky film, we’ve seen Sylvester Stallone grow from nobody to everything. We’ve seen Apollo go from the top to the mat, stood over by Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren). We’ve seen the Stallion’s last grasp at being the champion, even when Adrian and Paulie are gone. In a way, the series is made even greater with Rocky Balboa and Creed. Because it’s not only about Apollo and Rocky anymore. The themes have transcended boxing; the films are about where we come from and where we’re going. We’re Schrödinger’s boxer: equal parts parents and upbringing. Both where we came from, and our own unique selves.
The end of Creed, Adonis’ adopted mother sends him shorts that say Johnson on the back, his real mother’s last name, and Creed on the front. The note that accompanies the package says, “make your own legacy”.
It’s the perfect end to the film, regardless of the outcome of the final match.
The movie is such a stunning example of a sequel that builds on what came before. I may never have done it justice, drunk on whatever Shawn had in his fridge at the time, but there’s an inherently powerful message that resonated with me even then.
I’ll end this post with an obvious joke: this movie was a knock out.
That’s a terrible joke… I probably made it back then, too.
Creed is out everywhere on-demand and DVD/Bluray
Good times old friend!! I miss our drunken conversations. They seemed pretty philosophical back then, although I only remember about half of them! Week written and I agree with every word.
Our conversations were never philosophical… I left that to you and Nolan. I was about keeping you in one place to tell a Clown joke that ultimately went nowhere as long as possible before you either left or laughed, haha!
Thanks for reading, brother. We definitely had some good times and Rocky will always be our jam (awwwwwww)