CREED : Saturday 5th December 2015.

Astonishingly way back 39 years ago in 1976, a young Sylvester Stallone, who wrote the screenplay for a film and a character that would forever becomes etched in cinematic folklore, burst onto our screens as Rocky Balboa - 'The Italian Stallion'. He was a down at heel no hope dead end lunk of wannabe Boxer from the poorer side of Philadelphia who against all the odds went onto to a world championship bout against Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). That film won three Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Directing for John Avildsen, and was nominated for a further seven awards including Best Actor and Best Writing for Stallone. It picked up another sixteen award wins and another fourteen nominations and propelled Stallone to super stardom in the years that followed. Subsequently there have been further Rocky films in 1979, 1982, 1985, 1990 and 'Rocky Balboa' in 2006. Those six films had a combined production budget of just US$119M and all up grossed US$1.27B. In the meantime and sticking with the pugilist theme, Stallone made 'Grudge Match' in 2013 with Robert De Niro and in 1978, 'Paradise Alley' - Stallone's Directorial debut, albeit about wrestling, but, still keeping it in the ring!

So this brings us to 'CREED' which I saw this weekend. Made for US$35M and Directed by Ryan Coogler, this film has so far grossed $59M since its US and Australian release just ten days ago. As the name suggests this film is less about Rocky and more about Creed, but is a spin-off from the successful 'Rocky' franchise and a sequel to the last film from 2006.

Our film opens in 1998 in a juvenile correctional facility where a young teenage black kid is beating up another. He is separated from the melee and confined. He is then visited by Mary Anne Creed (Phylicia Rashad) - Apollo Creed's widow, but the young lad has no idea who she is, because this young lad never knew his father and has been in and out of foster care all his young life. Until now, when Mary Anne agrees to take him in. We then fast forward to 2015, and this young lad Adonis 'Donnie' Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) has grown up into a fine figure of a man who works in a securities firm and is poised for promotion. But, he has fighting in his veins and a hunger in his heart for the ring and takes fights where he can get them, knowing that this is what he wants to do. So he quits his job with respectable prospects much to Mary Anne's chagrin and he leaves for Philadelphia to make a name for himself.

By now he has grown up with the knowledge of his father Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) who we see only in archive footage when Adonis checks out the former heavyweight champion of the world on YouTube footage. This though prompts him to track down Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone)  who he knows that whilst they were fierce adversaries in the ring they were good friends out of it. Rocky is still running his Italian restaurant named after his deceased wife, Adrian, where Adonis and Rocky meet for the first time. Here Adonis tells his story and how he comes to be on Rocky's doorstep seeking a trainer and a mentor, and who better than 'The Italian Stallion' himself - former world champion and long term friend of his father.

Rocky is unsure, and looking every one of his ageing years, and suffering the effects of brain trauma, he is no longer the man he was although he still has the fire in his belly, and feels a connection and a responsibility to this young Boxer, so after a few days he reluctantly agrees. What follows of course is a series of training montages in and out of the ring tracing many familiar steps seen in previous Rocky films, and especially the first instalments as a nod to Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith), Rocky's former, and long term passed, trainer. Even Mickey's former gym still exists as a monument to Rocky Balboa albeit now expanded and modernised, and of course under new ownership.

Along the way Adonis, having moved out of his temporary digs into Rocky's modest home, hooks up with Bianca (Tessa Thompson) a singer/songwriter on the club circuit and soon the two become an item.  With plenty of training going on, a love interest on the side and Rocky being diagnosed with early cancer onset, Adonis is torn between getting in the ring for a title fight and getting Rocky back to health and fighting his cancer diagnosis with chemotherapy, which he is reluctant to do as it served no purpose for Adrian who died from ovarian cancer years before.

With this going on Rocky receives a phone call from the manager of 'Pretty' Ricky Conlon (Tony Bellew) - a Liverpool prizefighter and existing World Light Heavyweight Champion with the offer of a title bout in Liverpool, England at Everton Football Stadium. Time is running out for Conlon as he is looking down the barrel of a prison sentence and so this is likely to be the last bout of his career, so for him it's shit or bust! For Adonis, it is the chance to step out of his fathers shadow (which the world now knows about) and stand up and be counted on his own merits as a Boxer.

Going into the championship bout Adonis is clearly the underdog (as Rocky was originally in his first fight against Apollo) and expected to go down against Conlon in the first couple of rounds. Conlon is the cock sure champion and determined to mince his aspiring opponent into the mat. With Rocky in his corner giving him all the motivation he needs, Adonis sporting his fathers trademark shorts, Bianca ringside and Mary Anne at home watching on the big screen wine glass in hand and the rounds notching up toward 12, you just know that we have a repeat of that legendary Rocky/Apollo fight unfolding as it did then 40 years ago. Whilst the fight goes the distance, you'll have to watch for yourself to see who wins the night, and what becomes of the fighter and his trainer/mentor in the closing scene that once again nods back to those earlier films.

I enjoyed this film and it is a fitting continuation of the Rocky mythology that sees another chapter in the great Boxer's life whilst taking the franchise off in a new direction too. It is not up there with the 1976 film which for me will always be one of the all time classic boxing films up there with 'Raging Bull', but is a very respectable offering in the Rocky canon. It has all the usual touchstones of a Rocky film but these are not out of place and are well handled, and many of those characters and places from the previous four decades of Rocky history are referenced to maintain the story arc. There are also many similarities which are evident throughout, and as seen replicated too in 'Southpaw' earlier this year. Seeing Rocky ageing and battling the effects of chemotherapy treatment provide for some poignant moments, and although his resolve shines through despite his failing health, what this will mean for a further film, and how his story will be handled, remains to be seen.

Worth the price of your ringside seat for sure.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 26th November 2015.

Always searching to bring current, relevant, interesting updates to these humble pages I was keen to source some early predictions on next years Oscar's race three months out from the 28th February 2016 ceremony. The Hollywood Reporter is pitching its main contenders for Best Picture as 'The Martian', 'Bridge of Spies', 'Straight Outta Compton' which have been Reviewed previously within these pages, and the others which have yet to be seen Down Under, and they are 'The Revenant' starring Leonardo DiCaprio (7th January), 'Spotlight' starring Mark Ruffalo (28th January), 'Brooklyn' with Saoirse Ronan (11th February), 'Room' with Brie Larson (28th January), 'Joy' with Jennifer Lawrence (26th December), 'The Big Short' with Christian Bale (14th January), and 'The Danish Girl' with Eddie Redmayne (28th January). These remaining seven films are yet to make their presence felt in Australia and will be Previewed in future Posts, and will be released as indicated, but can be seen in other territories depending on where you reside on the cinematic globe. Watch out for further Oscar race updates in the coming weeks.

Sticking though with the week ahead, there are five new release movies coming your way that kick start with a long standing pugilist offering that brings this spin off tale full circle where the former champ becomes the teacher to an aspiring student that brings back many memories; then there is a another sporting story grounded in scandalous truth that shocked and rocked the world for the individual caught in the middle and the world of supporters betrayed; next up a power couple share screen time for only the second time in this 70's romantic drama set somewhere on a European coast. Following this is a family festive film featuring more comedic talent that you can shake a candy cane at; and to wrap up the week an animated feature of monsters, growing pains, and hotel guests.

With these as Previewed below, and those movies still out on general release and as either Reviewed or Previewed before, there are plenty of reasons to get to you local Odeon and take in some filmic entertainment. When you have had chance to do so, share your cinematic critique with us here at Odeon Online in the Comments section below this, or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your movie.

CREED (Rated M) - in 1976, a young Sylvester Stallone, who wrote the screenplay for a film and a character that would forever becomes etched in cinematic folklore, burst onto our screens as Rocky Balboa - 'The Italian Stallion'. He was a down at heel no hope dead end lunk of wannabe Boxer from the poorer side of Philadelphia who against all the odds went onto to a world championship bout against Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). That film won three Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Directing for John Avildsen, and was nominated for a further seven awards including Best Actor and Best Writing for Stallone. It picked up another sixteen award wins and another fourteen nominations and propelled Stallone to super stardom in the years that followed. Subsequently there have been further Rocky films in 1979, 1982, 1985, 1990 and 'Rocky Balboa' in 2006. Those six films had a combined production budget of just US$119M and all up grossed US$1.27B. In the meantime and sticking with the pugilist theme, Stallone made 'Grudge Match' in 2013 with Robert De Niro and in 1978, 'Paradise Alley' - Stallone's Directorial debut, albeit about wrestling, but, a variation on a theme!

So this brings us to 'Creed', made for US$35M and Directed by Ryan Coogler, which as the name suggests is less about Rocky and more about Creed, the younger, and son of now deceased Apollo Creed who Rocky fought in both 1976's 'Rocky' and 1982's 'Rocky II'. Adonis Johnson Creed (Michael B. Jordan) never knew his famous World Champion Boxing father Apollo, but nonetheless is following in his footsteps with aspirations of becoming a boxing champion. Knowing that he needs the proper coaching to stand any chance at a title, Adonis travels to Philadelphia to seek out Rocky, now retired and running his Italian Restaurant as he was in the 2006 film. Rocky sees a lot of Apollo in his son, and so agrees to coach and mentor him with a chance at a title bout, but will the young aspiring fighter have the strength, determination and attitude that made his father a Champion. I love a good boxing movie, so I'll be there for this next instalment in the Rocky saga that is already garnering much positive press.

THE PROGRAM (Rated M) - it was only a matter of time before this controversial and meaty recent real life story of sporting scandal made it to our big screens. Based on the David Walsh book 'Seven Deadly Sins' this film tells the story of Lance Armstrong, as Directed by Stephen Frears charting his cycling rise to fame, his seven Tour de France wins and with it his cancer beating, record winning, charity fund raising, inspirational writing, clean as a whistle persona. Until of course it all came tumbling down when the truth was outed that all along he was a drug taking cheat on the grandest scale. With Ben Foster starring as Armstrong and Chris O'Dowd as the British journalist David Walsh who all along suspected something was not quite right, but couldn't prove it, but pushed forward with his investigation nonetheless with dogged determination to reveal the truth. Also starring Jesse Plemmons as disgraced drug taking cyclist Floyd Landis, Lee Pace as Armstrong's long term Agent Bill Stapleton, Guillaume Canet as Armstrong's Italian medic Michele Ferrari, and Dustin Hoffman.

BY THE SEA (Rated MA15+) - Hollywood 'it' couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie star in this mid-70's set film Directed, Produced, Written and Starring Angelina with her husband Brad. This is only their second cinematic outing together after the 2005 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' and this time they play a couple whose marriage is in crisis so they travel to France to rediscover each other, rekindle their relationship and repair the cracks that have appeared in the wedded lives. Jolie plays Vanessa, a former dancer, and Pitt is Roland, a writer who travel through France and while they linger longer at a beach side resort they begin to be drawn in by the locals and a honeymooning couple staying in the next room. Made for US$10M this has so far had a limited release only and is sure to be of interest for those who enjoy the European romantic drama films of the 60's and 70's, when this film is set.

LOVE THE COOPERS (Rated PG) - the first of the Christmas themed fare to grace our cinema screens over the coming festive season, this comedy offering boasts an all star line up comprising Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Anthony Mackie, Ed Helms, Diane Keaton, Marisa Tomei, Olivia Wilde, Amanda Seyfried, June Squibb, the voice of Steve Martin and pulled together by Director Jessie Nelson. Made for US$17M this films tells the story of four generations of the one family, the Coopers, who come together for their once a year festive gathering on Christmas Eve, but this year a series of unexpected events and visitors turn their celebrations and their festive cheer upside down and inside out. What falls out of the bottom is a new found appreciation for the meaning of family, relationships and the Christmas spirit.  Sounds like a Santa sack full of laughs!

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2 (Rated PG) - the predecessor of this film was released in September 2012 off a US$85M budget grossing US$359M, and so on that basis it was a foregone conclusion that a sequel would follow. And it is, just in time for the holiday season. Once again Directed by Genndy Tartakovski, this animated feature was made for slightly less at US$80M and since its release in September elsewhere has already grossed US$420M. Bringing together the voice talents of again Adam Sandler, Mel Brooks, Kevin James, David Spade, Steve Buscemi, and Fran Drescher amongst others, the Hotel has now relaxed its rules about allowing only monster guests to stay, now admitting humans too, but in doing so Drac is concerned that his half-human half-vampire grandson Dennis is growing up without showing any of his vampiric tendencies. Drac enlists the help of his mates to coach, train and mentor Dennis in the way of the vampire, but Drac's Dad, Vlad pays a visit to the Hotel and has other plans in store for young half-blood Dennis and the human guests! Another sequel is already planned on the strength of this films success already - for September 2018.

With another strong choice of films offering sport, drama, comedy, romance, animation, something for everyone, and some familiar characters seen before, I will see you, at the Odeon!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-