When 2015 finally ends its run in four weeks, movie-goers will have been hit with roughly 30 films this year that can be classified as a sequel/prequel, reboot or shared universe builder. The lesson, to borrow from "Game of Thrones," is that what is dead may never die. Franchises can always be resurrected if studios think there is a profit to be made. But as we learned with 20th Century Fox's laughable "Fantastic Four" reboot, just because you have a built-in fan base doesn't mean you're guaranteed a hit. Entertainment junkies are savvier than ever these days and it takes more than brand recognition to get them to shell out cash.
So for any studios hoping to revive long-dormant series, do us a favor and look to "Creed," the seventh movie in the "Rocky" series, for how to properly do it.
"Creed" centers on Adonis Creed, played very well by Michael B. Jordan, the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed from the original series. Adonis, like his father, hopes to become a world champion fighter and seeks out Rocky's help to do so. Reluctantly, Sylvester Stallone's aging fan-favorite agrees and together they face challenges both internal and external.
Tapping into nostalgia has always been a Hollywood go-to, but "Creed" is a knockout on its own merit. Writer-director Ryan Coogler ("Fruitvale Station") effectively updates the franchise, delivering a Rocky movie for modern audiences (there's no better metaphor that can be made than Rocky trying futilely to understand The Cloud). From the spot-on and head-bobbing soundtrack to the spectacular fight choreography, everything is a bit cleaner, a pinch quicker and just the slightest bit more edgy. Despite a deep well of previous Rocky canon, Coogler gives Stallone more to do here than any film the action star has appeared in over the last decade while Jordan makes his case for bona fide movie star status.
It would have been easy to brush "Creed" off as an unnecessary continuation of a franchise that had long ago run its course. Stallone turns 70 in July, which is roughly the average age of his original "Rocky" fans. Instead, "Creed" is a hit. The film took in $42.6 million over its five-day release (against an easily digestible $35 million budget) and boasts a 92 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. While that score may be a tad generous, there's no denying that "Creed" is a thoroughly enjoyable film.
More importantly, it lays the groundwork for studios hoping to bring back older franchises. "Creed" is a Rocky movie, but it could have just as easily been a rich man's "Southpaw." Coogler perfectly blends familiar callbacks to the series with new, unexplored territory while keeping the exposition to a bare minimum. The connection between the two series is drawn in a few sparse lines of dialogue before the movie moves on to more important matters. Contrast this with "Terminator Genisys" which constantly reminds you that you're watching a "Terminator" movie and it's obvious which strategy is more appealing. This latest entry has enough to entertain older "Rocky" fans but is geared towards attracting a new generation of movie-goers, as it should be.
Coogler and Jordan are now both firmly on the come-up. Hopefully, their success with "Creed" will be used as a teachable moment for studios with starry eyes and grand ambitions.
