Philly Cheese

CREED (A-minus) - With just the right mix of homage and infusion, this reboot of the "Rocky" series celebrates the original while injecting fresh energy into the classic tale of a young boxer and an old trainer, each one battling some ghosts of the past.

Ryan Coogler, who splashed in 2013 with the impressive "Fruitvale Station," takes the reins as director and co-writer (with newcomer Aaron Covington) and modernizes the story in every way -- visually, dramatically, technically. It's a surprising tour de force that establishes Coogler as a powerful filmmaker.

"Creed" stars Michael B. Jordan as Adonis, the illegitimate son born after the death of Apollo Creed, the champ from the original "Rocky" film from 1977. After a prologue showing "Donnie" as a child being rescued from a juvenile-detention center by Apollo's widow, Mary Anne (Phylicia Rashad), who then raises him in their opulent L.A. mansion. Adonis toils in a white-collar job, but he works out his issues by sneaking down to Mexico to fight on weekends. Soon, he quits his job and makes a pilgrimage to Philadelphia to recruit a trainer: Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), his dad's former rival turned trainer, who was in Apollo's corner when the aging champ was killed in the ring by Ivan Drago ("Rocky IV").

Adonis and Rocky meet-cute, and before long they are training in a South Philly gym. With sweet shout-outs to the original, the young fighter is chasing chickens around a pen and learning other old-school tricks from the Italian Stallion. Coogler pulls off the neat trick of calling back to the original without getting maudlin or sappy. You just know that, at some point, Adonis is going to run through the streets of Philly, and when he does, accompanied by a bunch of homeboys, it's magical. And if the eventual journey up the museum steps doesn't tug at your heart, then you're a hard human.

Some of Coogler's best flourishes are in the ring. Perched on the shoulder of his boxers, he manages an almost impossible verite, making it easily the best boxing film since the original (which now looks quite stagy in comparison.) The director's technique is natural and assured. He also makes smart choices that blanket the film in authenticity. He casts real boxers (including Liverpool's Tony Bellew as Adonis' main rival, Ricky Conlan) and corner men. His shooting on the streets of Philadelphia exudes a documentary feel. (If I'd seen this a month or two ago, it's likely I would have cited Coogler as last year's best director.) The pacing is expert, and all 133 minutes here are justified.

"Creed," like "Rocky," is not without a little sap. Adonis also has a meet-cute with his neighbor, Bianca (Tessa Thompson, "Dear White People"), a budding singer-songwriter who is gradually losing her hearing. A second dire medical condition crops up late in the film, and it could have easily derailed the story; Coogler doesn't let it. Rashad makes the best of a thankless role as the honorable step-mom and conscience. Stallone finds the sweet spot in connecting with his original performance; he's gritty and grumpy, melancholy and wise. ("Time," he intones, "takes everybody out. It's undefeated.") Jordan is solid as he carries it all on his sculpted shoulders.

This project could have gone horribly awry, a shameless exercise in nostalgia. Instead, a director with a unique voice and vision curates a cherished franchise and crafts a heartwarming and exciting film that goes toe-to-toe with the original as crowd-pleasing, throwback entertainment.