Directed by: Ryan Coogler
Release date: November 25th, 2015
Rating: 10/10
Creed is a sort of sequel, sort of reboot, sort of spin-off of the Rocky franchise. This film focuses on Adonis Creed, the illegitimate son of boxing legend and Rocky Balboa’s friend/coach Apollo Creed. Adonis, after being tracked down and adopted by Apollo’s widow, fights on his own without using the name Creed so that he can make it on his own merits. After quitting his job in L.A., he moves to Philadelphia and finds Rocky so that he can train him to fight in the big leagues.
Creed is just about the best film we could have gotten in continuing the Rocky franchise. Rocky/Stallone is too old now to be a convincing boxer so to shift the focus of the film to Apollo’s son breathes new life into this almost 50 year old series. While it changes some things that were in the Rocky films, it still retains the heart that made the movies so popular.
Stallone gives such a great performance reprising the role of Rocky Balboa for the seventh time. I’ve always believed that Stallone did some of his best acting in the Rocky role; probably because Rocky was the role that shot him to stardom and he gives effort to playing him. Rocky faces hardship and heartbreak in this film and Stallone gives such a subtle yet strong performance as a man who believes his best days are far behind him.
Michael B. Jordan is the perfect actor to play Adonis Creed. He even looks like he could be Carl Lewis’ son. He also looks like he could be a legitimate boxer. While his athleticism is impressive and definitely needed for the role, Jordan also gives an excellent dramatic performance.
Creed does what Rocky II did and what Rocky IV tried to do in creating a balance between the action of boxing and the drama of the relationships between characters. Some of the best dramatic scenes in the franchise come from this movie, in my opinion.
Also the film looks fantastic. The cinematography is incredible as well as the color palette they chose. There are some shots during a training montage where Adonis is backlit by some sunshine coming through windows that look stunning.
Creed is a great film that finds a way to continue the Rocky franchise while also introducing something new. The mixture of drama and action is perfect and the actors truly shine in their roles.