Creed (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
'Creed' is writer/director Ryan Coogler's 1st mainstream film (after bringing us the powerful Fruitvale Station). Not only has Coogler revived Rocky nostalgia, but also introduced a potentially new iconic character in Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan), son of legendary boxing champ Apollo Creed. Born as the result of an extramarital affair to a mom who died, then shuffled through foster care & juvy detention, young Adonis is adopted by Mary Anne Creed (Phylicia Rashad), who knows that he is her late husband's illegitimate son. Raised in the lapse of luxury, "Donnie" has all the options to him of a University-educated man and, he eventually lands a lucrative corporate L.A. job. But the lure of boxing is too strong to resist (much to the chagrin of Mary Anne, who worries that he'll die because of a boxing match, like his father). After spending weekends bruising it up during small-time bouts of prize-fighting in Mexico, he heads to Philadelphia with the high-reaching goal of being trained by his father's fabled nemesis/friend, Rocky Balboa (‘Sly’ Stallone).
Still running Adrian's restaurant (named after his beloved late wife), Rocky is initially reluctant, but soon gives-in to Donnie's persistence, patiently teaching & training him to live up to his father's name in the ring. The Problem?? Donnie wants to use his own name (Johnson, not Creed), which turns off $$-hungry promoters. "Every move I make, every punch that I throw, everybody's gonna compare me to him," he exclaims. "I'm afraid of taking on the name ... and losing". Throughout this all, Donnie tries to stay level by dating next-door neighbor Bianca (Tessa Thompson, of Dear White People), a beautiful, soulful singer/songwriter who is slowly going deaf. As the film progresses, the aging, lumbering, Uncle-like Rocky develops a warm relationship with Adonis. Personal demons arise for both Adonis & Rocky. And the many emotions of the plot (fear, anxiety, joy, sorrow, love, courage, pride) culminate for a major match btwn. Adonis "Creed" & Great Britain's cocky Heavyweight Champ, Ricky Conlan (real fighter, Anthony Bellew). Drama ensues.
I thoroughly enjoyed 'Creed'. It is a good movie. The direction is assured. The acting impresses. The camerawork is nifty. The editing of certain sequences (that LONG take in the boxing ring) is truly fantastic. Those fight scenes are brutal, exciting, & smooth (no shaky cam). The last 15 minutes is relatively rousing. And yes, I believe I shed a tear once. I AM a tad surprised that this film is receiving as glorious of reviews as it is getting. But I still recommend 'Creed' as a good "movie movie"; a studio picture that deserves to be seen by wide audiences. It's well worth seeing, if only to witness how Rocky's legacy continues. When I first saw Stallone onscreen, I got the warm tinglies. It's so hard not to root for him {in whatever the plot has in store for him or Adonis}. He's a fundamentally appealing actor and, as Rocky here, he brings even more depth, sincerity, strength, & fragility to the role than he ever has before.
Adonis, on the other hand, is a more complicated character. He's got more going on in his life than Rocky did (back in the day). But we also don't get to know Adonis as well as we got to know Rocky; that's an issue of the script. Rocky is endearing. Rocky is accessible. We may like Adonis. We may feel bad for his past. We may admire the lengths he's going to in order to connect with the ghost of his father. We cheer when he tries to live-up to his father's legendary name. And ... I thought Michael B. Jordan was excellent in the role; ably handling the intense physical & emotional baggage that he faces. But as written (and not the actor’s fault), I wanted to be more invested in him away from the ring. I don't want to get too negative here because, really, 'Creed' delivers what one expects from a film of this genre (heart, guts, glory). As mentioned, I admire many aspects of the film, I was suitably roused, & the movie is elevated by some subtler moments outside the ring. It's rare to find a studio film as crowd-pleasing as this one, but also as surprisingly stellar as it is.
Still running Adrian's restaurant (named after his beloved late wife), Rocky is initially reluctant, but soon gives-in to Donnie's persistence, patiently teaching & training him to live up to his father's name in the ring. The Problem?? Donnie wants to use his own name (Johnson, not Creed), which turns off $$-hungry promoters. "Every move I make, every punch that I throw, everybody's gonna compare me to him," he exclaims. "I'm afraid of taking on the name ... and losing". Throughout this all, Donnie tries to stay level by dating next-door neighbor Bianca (Tessa Thompson, of Dear White People), a beautiful, soulful singer/songwriter who is slowly going deaf. As the film progresses, the aging, lumbering, Uncle-like Rocky develops a warm relationship with Adonis. Personal demons arise for both Adonis & Rocky. And the many emotions of the plot (fear, anxiety, joy, sorrow, love, courage, pride) culminate for a major match btwn. Adonis "Creed" & Great Britain's cocky Heavyweight Champ, Ricky Conlan (real fighter, Anthony Bellew). Drama ensues.
I thoroughly enjoyed 'Creed'. It is a good movie. The direction is assured. The acting impresses. The camerawork is nifty. The editing of certain sequences (that LONG take in the boxing ring) is truly fantastic. Those fight scenes are brutal, exciting, & smooth (no shaky cam). The last 15 minutes is relatively rousing. And yes, I believe I shed a tear once. I AM a tad surprised that this film is receiving as glorious of reviews as it is getting. But I still recommend 'Creed' as a good "movie movie"; a studio picture that deserves to be seen by wide audiences. It's well worth seeing, if only to witness how Rocky's legacy continues. When I first saw Stallone onscreen, I got the warm tinglies. It's so hard not to root for him {in whatever the plot has in store for him or Adonis}. He's a fundamentally appealing actor and, as Rocky here, he brings even more depth, sincerity, strength, & fragility to the role than he ever has before.
Adonis, on the other hand, is a more complicated character. He's got more going on in his life than Rocky did (back in the day). But we also don't get to know Adonis as well as we got to know Rocky; that's an issue of the script. Rocky is endearing. Rocky is accessible. We may like Adonis. We may feel bad for his past. We may admire the lengths he's going to in order to connect with the ghost of his father. We cheer when he tries to live-up to his father's legendary name. And ... I thought Michael B. Jordan was excellent in the role; ably handling the intense physical & emotional baggage that he faces. But as written (and not the actor’s fault), I wanted to be more invested in him away from the ring. I don't want to get too negative here because, really, 'Creed' delivers what one expects from a film of this genre (heart, guts, glory). As mentioned, I admire many aspects of the film, I was suitably roused, & the movie is elevated by some subtler moments outside the ring. It's rare to find a studio film as crowd-pleasing as this one, but also as surprisingly stellar as it is.